Moored on G2 at Kielder Yacht Club for 2009/10
 
History:
 
We have owned "Sacha" since 1996, sailing and camping with our young family on Loch Lomond from Ardlui Marina in the quiet northern most part of the loch.
"Sacha" was moved to Grangemouth Yacht Club in 2000 after the owner's mid-life crisis for some east coast sailing on the Firth of Forth.
She was smuggled over the border to Kielder Yacht Club in Easter 2008 on her 42nd birthday and is now settled back in fresh water for her retirement, rigged for single handled sailing by Chris, whilst Sandra hacks herself around the golf course.
 
"Sacha" now sports a home made removeable bowsprit for the DIY 'Waste Bin' spinnaker sock/snuffer system.
The DIY 'Plumber's Mate' roller reefing system winter project has now successfully completed it's upwind testing to 34 knots rolling in under load.
Mizzen mast added for no apparent reason and was used at the 2009 Regatta to hoist the Scottish Rampart and Northumberland County Flags. (Dual citizenship with no etiquette).

"Sacha's" Vital Statistics are:
Vivacity 650
Loa: 21ft 6in 6.5m (excluding removeable bowsprit)
Lwl: 19ft 3in 5.84m
Beam: 7ft 21n 2.18m
Draught: 3ft 3in 0.89m
Headroom: 4ft 6in 1.47m
Berths: originally Four now Three to fit in Mast support prop, chart table, wet locker and storage as well as Heads, Galley and Radio Station utilising every part of the good internal space under the Vivacity 650's flat level coachroof or raised deck.
Displacement: 25001b 1033.9kg
Ballast: 11001b 498.9kg
Ballast ratio: 44%
Sail areas: mainsail 124sq ft (11.52m'), staysail 105sq ft (9.75m’), storm Jib 28sq ft (2.8m'), American genoa 115sq ft (10.68m'), 150% genoa 126sq ft (11.7m')
Constructlon: glassfibre
Auxillary power: Choice of outboards (8hp 2 stroke or 6hp 4 stroke)
Supplier: Russell Marine Limited, Calvia Works, Prince Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
 
A Synopsis of the Russell Marine/Vivacity Story:
(The following was taken from the Good Ol' Boat Website for Alacrity and Vivacity 20's.)
Des Pollard was the owner of the former Russell Marine of Southend, Essex, England where most of the Alacritys and Vivacities were built. The info below is taken from an interview with him in the Twin Keeler Newsletter.
 
Between 1959 and 1980 Des built about 6,000 boats. In 1959 he started with dinghies - building Enterprises, Albacores and the GP14. In 1960 Peter Stephenson drew the lines for the hull of the twin keeled Alacrity. The trial model was introduced at 17 feet 3 inches and adjusted to 18' 3". The Alacrity started life as a cold-moulded marine plywood craft, the hull being moulded by the same company that produced the DeHavilland Mosquito fighter bomber in WW2. Within a year GRP hulls were produced. About six months after the production of the Alacrity started an extended version called the Vivacity 20 was built, available with either twin or fin keels. A deluxe version was also made which had more headroom and a divider which allowed separate cabins and privacy in the heads.
 
In 1963 the V20 was further extended to produce the V21/650 (6.5m) with it's slightly odd looking flat level cabin/coachroof or raised deck, depending on your point of view. The V24 came along in 1973/4, designed by Alan Hill, again with twin or fin keel. Des said "Although it (the V24) sold OK, I favoured the Alacrity and V20 and V21.
 
At about the same time they produced the Islander 23, another twin keeler. About 600 Alacritys and Vivacities were shipped to the States. Nine of them are believed to have sailed across the Atlantic Ocean." V20's were also built in Jo'berg Barcelona and Sydney. The V21 and V24 were also built in Spain and the Islander was built in Nagoya which my search indicates is in Japan.
 
In 1975 Russell Marine linked up with Catalina in the States and produced the 22, 25, 27, and 30 footer catalinas which were marketed as Jaguars in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Des had to fight the Jaguar Car Company in court for the right to use the name, needless to say, he won!
 
Summary of dates:
1959 Russell Marine builds dinghies.
1960 Peter Stephenson designs the Alacrity hull.
1961/2 Vivacity 20 produced.
1963 V21/650 launched.
1973 V24 produced. Islander 23 introduced.
1975 Links with Catalina.
1980 Last boat built.

For further information, photos and contact details click this link:

To contact Chris Raine email: RaineCJ@aol.com