Ian Proctor

{{for|the Australian rugby union player|Ian Proctor (rugby union)}}

Ian Douglas Ben Proctor {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRSA|RDI}} (12 July 1918 – 23 July 1992) was a British designer of boats, both sailing dinghies and cruisers. He had more than one hundred designs to his credit, from which an estimate of at least 65,000 boats were built.A conservative estimate given that the Topper Class Association (http://www.itcaworld.org) states that almost 50,000 have been produced; the UK Wayfarer Class Association (http://www.wayfarer.org.uk {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070124220922/http://www.wayfarer.org.uk/ |date=24 January 2007 }}) mentions over 10,000; the Wikipedia Gull article shows sail numbers over 2,500; National 12 Class Association (http://www.national12.org/boats/index.php) identifies over 3500; the Wanderer Class Association (http://www.wanderer.org.uk/) has sail numbers beyond 1600 and Kestrels (see http://www.hartleylaminates.co.uk/) have sail numbers over 1500 His pioneering aluminium mast designs also revolutionised the sport of sailing.

Early life and education

Proctor was a son of Douglas McIntyre Proctor and Mary Albina Louise Proctor (née Tredwen).Who's Who? 2009 & Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 2009, online edition, 2009 He was educated at Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk.I Will Plant Me a Tree: an Illustrated History of Gresham's School by S.G.G. Benson and Martin Crossley Evans (James & James, London, 2002) p. 39The History and Register of Gresham's School, 1555-1954 (Ipswich, 1955) After leaving school, he studied at the University of London.

In 1943, he married Elizabeth Anne Gifford Lywood, the daughter of Air Vice-Marshal O. G. Lywood, CB, CBE. They had three sons and a daughter.

Proctor contracted Polio in Alexandria, and lived the remainder of his life with weakened lungs, arm and shoulder.{{cite news |first=David |last=Henshall |title=Ian Proctor : The man who designed racehorses |url=https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/202532/The-Man-Who-Designed-Racehorses |work=Yachts and Yachting |date=2018-03-06 |access-date=2020-05-04 | quote=On a sweltering day off the coast of Egypt, the water may have looked inviting, but it must have been contaminated by raw sewage, with the result that Ian contracted that most terrible of muscle wasting diseases, polio. For an active young man to spend many months in hospital and end up with permanent damage to one side of his body, shoulder and arm – and yet to be still classed as 'lucky' – is an indication how dangerous polio was back then. }}

Career

=Early career=

From 1942 to 1946, during World War II, Proctor was a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. From 1947 to 1948, he was managing director of Gosport Yacht Co., then, from 1948 to 1950, he was joint editor of Yachtsman Magazine.

=Dinghy designer=

File:Frank Dye wayfarer W48 - Wanderer.jpg

Ian Proctor first began to design dinghies professionally in 1950. The National 12 was soon followed by the Merlin Rocket. Proctor's early designs were met with immediate success, winning championships from 1950 to 1952. His design of Proctor Spars revolutionised dinghy sailing. Then in 1958 he designed the Wayfarer, which soon became a hit with sailing schools and still has a strong following in racing and cruising circles. One Wayfarer was sailed from the UK to Norway and Iceland by Frank Dye, and this boat is now on display at the National Maritime Museum, Falmouth.Dye, Frank: Ocean-crossing Wayfarer (David and Charles, London, 1977) {{ISBN|0-7153-7371-4}}

The most widely known of all Ian Proctor designs has to be the Topper of which more than 46,000 have been produced to date. This was the first sailing dinghy to be produced from injection moulded plastic; a system which cost a million pounds to set up and was the largest single mold at the time. The first boats however were built from glassfibre (GRP). There is a large topper racing circuit in the UK and also like the Wanderer has an enthusiastic racing following.

=Yacht designer=

Although better known for his dinghy designs and aluminium masts, Ian Proctor was also responsible for the design of several small cruisers. His first cruiser was the Seagull for Bell Woodworking, followed shortly afterwards by the Seamew. Later on there was the Nimrod, Eclipse, Pirate, and the Prelude.

=Mast designer=

In 1953 Ian Proctor's 'Cirrus' had an all-metal mast. Proctor quickly realised the potential of metal masts and in 1953 he designed the first all-metal tapered and extruded mast for sailing dinghies. Then in 1955 he established 'Ian Proctor Metal Masts Limited' as a commercial venture. Proctor Masts soon became the leading metal mast producers for all types of sailing craft. Indeed, by 1960, 13 different countries were using Proctor masts in the Olympics and the 1987 America's Cup featured 12 boats using Proctor masts.

Proctor Masts eventually became part of the Sélden group, and now trade as Sélden masts.

=Writing=

Proctor wrote extensively about sailing. As well as his earlier stint as joint editor of Yachtsman Magazine, he was, from 1950 to 1964, the yachting correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. His books included:

Racing Dinghy Handling, 1948
Racing Dinghy Maintenance, 1949
Sailing: Wind and Current, 1950
Boats for Sailing, 1968
Sailing Strategy, 1977

Ian Proctor Designs

Adventuress
Beaufort{{cite web |url=http://www.wanderer.org.uk/Events/Event%20Archive/1%20Cruising%20%26%20sailing%20reports%20Archive/Cruising%20reports%202003/west%20country/west_country_cruise_report.htm |title=The West Country Cruise on the River Tamar - Sept 6/7th 2003 |accessdate=2008-11-23 |quote=Besides the Wanderer fleet, Janet and Anthony Byrde in their Drascombe and Richard and Peter Goodfellow, in another Ian Proctor designed dinghy called a Beaufort, were sharing the Cruise with us. |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043110/http://www.wanderer.org.uk/Events/Event%20Archive/1%20Cruising%20%26%20sailing%20reports%20Archive/Cruising%20reports%202003/west%20country/west_country_cruise_report.htm |url-status=dead }}
Blue Peter
Bosun
CL 16
Gull
Jiffy beginners lateen rig
Kestrel, the first dinghy designed to be built in glass fibre.{{cite web | last = Proctor | first = Ian | author-link = Ian Proctor | title = The Dinghy: Forward

| publisher = Kestrel Owners' Association | url = http://www.kestrel.org.uk/ | accessdate = 2009-09-08 }}

Leprechaun, Built by Thomas Thompson of Carlow and adopted by Blessington Sailing Club. (About 10 boats built.)
Marlin
Merlin Rocket (not the only designer as the Merlin Rocket is a development class)
Minisail
Eclipse, commissioned by Newbridge Yachts.
National 18 (1968)
Nimrod, commissioned by Westerly
Osprey,[http://www.hartleylaminates.co.uk/boats/osprey/osprey_racer.html Osprey Racer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071125151905/http://www.hartleylaminates.co.uk/boats/osprey/osprey_racer.html |date=25 November 2007 }} at hartleylaminates.co.uk (accessed 23 November 2007) raced as a One-Design class and despite the cosmetic improvements that have occurred since the designs inception, older boats can still (and often do) compete at the top end of the fleet.{{cite web | title = Osprey Sailing Dinghy | url = http://www.go-sail.co.uk/osprey.asp | accessdate = 2009-09-08}}
Pirate, commissioned by Rydgeway Marine
Prelude, commissioned by Rydgeway Marine
Seagull, commissioned by Bell Woodworking
Seamew, commissioned by Bell Woodworking
SigneT{{cite web |url=http://homepages.rya-online.net/signet/ |title=SigneTs |publisher=Ben Mitchell |accessdate=2007-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015095841/http://homepages.rya-online.net/signet/ |archive-date=15 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}
Tempest
Topper
Wanderer
Wayfarer

Honours and awards

Royal Designer for Industry{{cite web |url=http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20070910094700ymnews.html |title=Ian Proctor remembered |publisher=Yachting Monthly |accessdate=2007-10-25 |quote=Ian Proctor's innovative designs and ideas modernised the whole concept of small boat sailing, making a vital contribution to the popularisation of the sport. He designed over 100 different boats and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Royal Designer for Industry. |date=October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014025051/http://ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20070910094700ymnews.html |archive-date=14 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Yachtsman of the Year, 1965. Unusually awarded for his work as a designer rather as a noted yachtsman.
Council of Industrial Design Award, 1967
Design Council Awards, 1977, 1980