TravelGenee #atozchallenge E - Ernest Eric

TravelGenee #atozchallenge E – Ernest Eric

Ernest Eric Scott KITTO (DOB 1917) regularly sailed in a yacht type called an Idlealong. As a young child, his mother and our “Grandma” (Olive IRELAND DOB 1887) sometimes took us to the Worser Bay Boating Club. It was just down the beach from their beach house. We would then do the “parade” around the walls where shields and pennants hung high just below the ceiling. She would point to one and say, “This is when your father won………”. We moved around a short distance and she repeated, “This is when your father won………”. This went on around the room. I sometimes thought he had won every award on the four walls.

Recently I received some photos and a newspaper clipping from cousins that had seen my TravelGenee blog online. (Thanks!!)

First is a newspaper clipping from The Dominion, Tuesday February 13, 1951.

“The crew of the Idlealong yacht, Myth, which won the McEwan Rose Bowl at Petone on Sunday – E. Kitto (left), M. Gestro and C. Gestro (skipper). The same boat and crew won the N.Z. Idlealong championship at Lyttleton on January 24.”

Next, a photo is Ernest Eric Scott KITTO on the right-hand side with two other sailors and their collection of cups, pennants, shield and more.

And finally a small photo of Eric (middle) and 2 others in striped sports jackets.
What part did Worser Bay take in Eric’s life?

They had a small beach home tucked into the hills where there was only the road and the beach before you reached the sea.

The Worser Bay Boating Club in Seatoun, Wellington, New Zealand was where my father sailed.

The type of yacht he sailed was designed by a local. “Idle-Along (IA) – is a class of sailing dinghy (or small centreboard yacht) designed by Alf (Unc) Harvey at Worser Bay (Wellington, NZ) in the 1920s. It grew to considerable popularity in the 1950s but its popularity gradually diminished during the 1960s.”¹

The club was started by my grandfather and the local community in 1926 as noted in this clipping from the Evening Post.² Often referred to as A C Kitto his name was Charles Adolph KITTO (DOB 1883).

Then came the responsibilities of a family for Eric and little sailing was done until much later in life.