A long (long 😏) time ago I learnt to sail at Emsworth Sailing School, run by an exotically named gentleman known as Crab Searl - there's no Wikipedia entry for this gentlemen - so the following will act as a data dump for a possible Wikipedia article - if you have information feel free to post a comment - with your sources....
Was with 211 Group [clicky] RAF, Middle East Forces (letter signed 8 Jan 1943 (5))
Started the first (date?? earliest I have is 1959(4) ) sailing school in Britain after the Second World War in Emsworth (at 59 Bath Road) where he was Chief Instructor.
Sailing School was incorporated on the 16 April 1962(1), but went into liquidation in 1978 (3)
He was Race Coordinator for the inaugural, Daily Telegraph and BP sponsored, ‘Round Britain Powerboat Race’ in 1969 (2)
Owned PR company Pronautica (went into liquidation December 1977) (6)
Books:
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Group Captain F.H.L. (Francis Henry Louis) 'Crab' Searl
Nicknamed "Crab"; nothing to do with the water variety; it had to do with him flying aircraft sideways.Was with 211 Group [clicky] RAF, Middle East Forces (letter signed 8 Jan 1943 (5))
Started the first (date?? earliest I have is 1959(4) ) sailing school in Britain after the Second World War in Emsworth (at 59 Bath Road) where he was Chief Instructor.
Sailing School was incorporated on the 16 April 1962(1), but went into liquidation in 1978 (3)
He was Race Coordinator for the inaugural, Daily Telegraph and BP sponsored, ‘Round Britain Powerboat Race’ in 1969 (2)
Owned PR company Pronautica (went into liquidation December 1977) (6)
Books:
- The Pan Book of Sailing (Published by Pan Books Ltd, London (1964) - reissued 2nd Edition 1967 ISBN:???????) The Handbook for the ABC Television Series 'Plain Sailing'
- Inshore Dinghy Sailing (Published by NEWNES 1965 ISBN: ????????)
- "Learn Through Strips" - a series of three books compiled from the long running Evening News feature "Plain Sailing":
- Plain Sailing - Dinghy (Published by Rigby,1975 ISBN: 0727000128)
- Plain Sailing - Cruising (Published by Chancerel, 1973 ISBN: ???????)
- Plain Sailing - Power Boat (Published by Chancerel,1975 ISBN: 2854290127)
(1) https://www.opencompany.co.uk/company/00721553/emsworth-sailing-school-limited
(2) http://powerboatarchive2.co.uk/galleries/Library/Media-Reports-1960-2013/1969/Round_Britain_Dt.pdf
(3) LONDON GAZETTE , 7TH MARCH 1978 (https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47481/supplement/2927/data.pdf)
(4) http://new.lookandlearn.com/childrens-newspaper/CN590516-004.pdf
(5) http://www.kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma/collection/l/li30-001/lh9-11-21-military-writings/li0913
(6) https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47428/page/83/data.pdf
Sounds like he had quite a life - are you going to create a Wikipedia entry?
ReplyDeleteYeah - but I need a lot more info yet... date of birth/death, and when he started the school, I think are pre reqs, but any insights to his war time career, other stories etc can be added later...
DeleteI remember getting a copy of the Pan book many moons ago. He was a well known voice of yachting in my youth.
ReplyDeleteCheers Paul... I'm hoping that the post will get noticed by the Google bots and that may result in further information from people doing Google searches on him... I think I need his birth & death(? is he?) dates, for the Wiki entry
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