PROPERTY
his only week’s break from
his boatyard, Wicormarine, in
Portsmouth Harbour, which
he founded in 1966 and which
he has recently handed over to
his eldest son. “In those days,
whatever was happening at the
boatyard, we’d always come to
the Carnival. Then one year
I was told by Bernard on the
committee that the organiser
was stepping down. I said ‘We
can’t let it die, I’ll give you
a hand.” A pause and a wry
smile. “Old big-mouth here!”
He goes on: “I did it – I do
it – because it’s so desperately
important to keep these things
going. Because everybody loves
them but very few people are
prepared to actually get on and
do it.”
Chris is prepared, and in
spades. The carnival is now
in its 98th year, and when he
took it on Chris discovered
that originally the event had
coincided with a town regatta.
“I managed to persuade the
Yacht Club to hold a summer
regatta at the same time,” he
says.
For when Chris take 0