Vic Smeed’s Legacy

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I think most, if not all, the regulars on here are fans of Vic Smeed and consider that he is best remembered for his huge output of model boat and plane designs over nearly 60 years – a legacy to be proud of.

However Vic himself didn’t quite see things that way. When I edited the Model Boats 60th Anniversary Commemorative issue in 2010 I sent him a copy. I had a very nice reply from him in which he was very gracious but obviously slightly disappointed that there had not been more coverage of the competitive model boating scene under the auspices of the MPBA and MYA in the UK and NAVIGA internationally. He had been very much a prime mover in these areas over many decades.

Vic had a fair point, but at the time the priority of the MyHobbyStore management was to shift magazines. To the 2010 readership, the earlier days, when much of each issue was taken up with competition results and rankings, regatta reports and national and international conferences and rule making etc, were already a distant folk memory. Such activities were now only followed by a small minority of enthusiasts who no longer contributed to or bought the magazine. The plans however still seem to attract an enthusiastic following, not only for their intrinsic quality but because they offer many older modellers the opportunity to reconnect with their childhood – a bit like my current intentions with Silver Mist!

Tony Hadley’s excellent biography of Vic in the 2015 65th Anniversary Special went a long way towards putting Vic’s place in the modelling universe into better perspective and his accompanying list of all Vic’s known model boat plans is an essential asset to anyone considering building a Vic Smeed design.

It still seems to be available in digital format:

https://pocketmags.com/eu/model-boats-magazine/65-years-of-model-boats-special?srsltid=AfmBOopM4DGcyNBFGNrqOsjE6B8HGsdM9-n6ljcMmsMUTVmvnxxaQmv5

I suppose it is the way things pan out sometimes. You put immense efforts into what you think is important only to find that you are remembered for something else!

Colin

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