This year is the 100th anniversary of boat designer Jack Holt

This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of post-War dinghy designer Jack Holt.  2012 is also the 50^th anniversary of the Mirror dinghy, Jack Holt's most popular design.

Jack Holt was a prolific designer of sailing dinghies, including the mirror, heron and cadet. His pioneering designs, which made use of plywood developed as a wartime building material did much to popularise the sport of sailing immediately following 2^nd World War.

Born in Hammersmith, London, Holt designed more than 40 boats. He worked in partnership for many years with fellow sailing enthusiast Beecher Moore. Jack was awarded an OBE in 1979 for his services to sailing.

In addition to designing boats, Jack was also a boat builder. His fittings business was in the loft above the boatbuilding workshop on the banks of the Thames at Putney. Naturally he built all the boats he designed, but he also built dinghies designed by others, including the Albacore.

Jack also collaborated with Glen and Tony Allen from Essex to manufacture and supply a lightweight range of dinghy fittings, the fittings were known as Holt Allen fittings for 52 years until 2008 when the Allen side decided to distribute the fittings themselves under the brand Allen. The companies now trade separately as Holt Marine Ltd and Allen Brothers (Fittings) Ltd. 

- PPL Media