Hi all, the last yacht design from Vic, Star Baby, nearly never got published. I was aware of the model from a visit that Vic made to our Lake at St. Albans, when he had said that he would design a yacht for our lake. It was a smaller Starlet and plans and article were sent off to Model Boats magazine but for what ever reason, perhaps they were not received, there was no response.
So a set were sent off to Int. Marine Modelling and after some time there was again no response. I phoned Chris Jackson of MMI just to check, and he said they had not received them but they had just moved offices, he would however be very pleased to have them. I passed the information back and another set were sent and eventually published in a supplement.
At our 2009 annual club exhibition we had the pleasure of having Vic Smeed with us as he had stepped in at the last moment to be a Judge. On the Saturday afternoon I escorted Vic around and introduced him to the various visiting clubs and members who were in the main quite taken aback to have such a well known name with us.
I took photographs of Vic with various people and one in front of a collection of his yacht design Panache. This is the one that Model Boats magazine used in his obituary the yachts have been edited out.
We always invite our judges to lunch, one of the other judges being the previous (at the time) editor of Model Engineer, Mike Chrisp. Vic's wife Margaret was with us as well and Vic very kindly answered many of my questions. Yes he was a Spitfire pilot from 1943 onwards.
As you will all know he was a prolific model aircraft designer and he said he had the world record for the number of models built to his designs.
One of his designs had been enlarged so that it could be flown with a pilot, there was a sad end to this aircraft for after landing one day the origin of the aircraft was challenged and it transpired it had no airworthyness certificate. The aircraft was impounded even though it worked OK and not released until the engine had been removed
We invited Vic and his wife to our Christmas evening and if my memory serves me they won a prize for one of the competitions.
Vic 's memory and mental abilities were ahead of most if not all the members there.
He said he would like to come to our 2010 exhibition in September but nearer the time declined through ill health.
I can only say that he was exactly what you hoped he would be, modest, unassuming and a gentleman.
Indeed a great loss
kind regards to all, Roy