Tilly Twin, and her sister ship Water Music (design 0155) wern’t the first of Jack Giles’ post Myth of Malham designs, earlier Fandango, Gulvain and the little Sopranino had shown that Giles philosophy of long waterline, short overhangs and light construction was the way forward. Fandango was at the time deemed to be the best of the ‘Myth’ family, but heavily penalized by the R.O.R.C. rules she failed to show her best potential on the scoreboard.
Giles described Tilly Twin & Water Music as ‘amusing yachts’ – built side by side at Woodnutts they clearly exhibit the lineage of Myth’s blunt snub ends and narrow beam. Although not as snub as the Myth, and therefore not penalized by the rule because they did not carry the longer overhangs of Fandango, they were both at the time of building considered to be ‘dangerous competitors under the R.O.R.C. rules.
Tilly Twin’s first offshore race was the Fastnet, in which she was doing really well until she suffered damage aloft and had to retire. We are not sure whether the damage aloft was to do with the a failure in the aluminium spar which was constructed by The Reynolds Tube Company to Giles’ own designs, or failure of the standing or running rigging, or sails.