> no. 7 (followed maybe by a 1) 89370

That will be the moulding number,  and the putative figure 1 may be extraneous;    although I am a wooden rather than GRP specialist I have heard more than once and on excellent authority (from Graham Knox,  I think) that the early GRP boats had moulding numbers which comprised two digits giving the year,  followed by the sail number.    However I am sure that I have also heard of individual examples where this appears not to be the case!

If that system is in fact correct,  then a moulding number 789370 would initially appear to make sense;   it would date the boat as moulded in 1978,  with hull number (and thus sail number) 9370.

That would appear to correspond with what you believe to be the sail number;   however at that point the mystery deepens,  because the two numbers then contradict each other.     Be prepared to do some detective work !!

My records  –  which I originally gleaned from the website nearly 20 years ago,  and which ever since then have seemed to be generally correct  –  indicate that sail number 9370 was issued in 1972,   not 1978;   and numbers issued in 1978 were from 11702 to 11907.

One or more photos showing both the interior and the transom / aft deck would help to establish which model of GRP boat she is,  and that in turn would help to establish the date.     You may need to resize your photos before uploading them;   the maximum filesize allowed is 512 kB.

In broad terms:

• Visible alloy tubes serving as frames,  side buoyancy tanks stopping short at the aft end of the side benches,  and a stern buoyancy tank athwartships identifies the Mk. 1.    These boats also had a full width mainsheet horse formed by a track sitting above a moulded former.    First boat produced 1967,   sail number 7002.
• GRP frame boxes instead of visible alloy tube frames,  with side buoyancy tanks extending right aft to the transom (underneath the stern deck),  with no athwartships stern buoyancy tank,  and still with the full width mainsheet horse identify the Mk 2 boats.    First boat produced 1969,   sail number 7930
• Similar construction to the Mk 2,  but with no mainsheet horse or former for one identify the Mk 3 boats.    First boat produced 1977,  sail number 11487

Beyond that,  you may perhaps find a registered hull number in the centre of the boat abaft the centreboard case,  below the floorboards;   but I understand that with the GRP boats these were on an adhesive label which may well have disappeared by now.

If you can identify the registered hull number (i.e. correct sail number) you can request a copy of the Association’s digitised records for the boat.   If you cannot be certain whether your quoted sail number (9370) is correct it might be worth requesting the records for that boat anyway,  to see whether the details appear to tally.

Good luck in your searches!

Oliver

Definitely Mk 2,  and that would be consistent with what we currently think is her sail number.

And I also learn something,  because the forward visible frame (corresponds to the no. 2 frame in the wooden boats) and also the bracing to the forward end of the centreboard case are both clearly metal tubes (I presume light alloy)   …

Oliver