Slotty Dawes

William Lancelot Dawes, better known as “Slotty”, the shortened form of Lancelot, was the son of shipowner William Dawes. Slotty enjoyed a long career in the City of London where he became the chairman of the Insurance and ship brokering firm J. B. Westray & Co. Ltd, and in 1953 he founded the Lloyds-registered family business Dawes and Henderson. He was also a director for many years of the New Zealand Shipping Co. Ltd., and was an underwriting member of Lloyds of London for almost 50 years.

An all-round sportsman, Dawes was a member of the Rye Golf Club and, as a yachtsman, was a member of the Lloyds, Royal Thames, and Whitstable Yacht Clubs. Dawes was also a leading amateur National Hunt jockey before World War II and in 1938 finished eighth in the Aintree Grand National on Hopeful Hero, in a race won by the 17-year-old Bruce Hobbs on Battleship. The previous year Dawes won the National Hunt Steeplechase at Cheltenham, also on Hopeful Hero.

When it was announced that the Flying Dutchman class would replace the Sharpie at the 1960 Olympics, Dawes brought the first Flying Dutchman to the Whitstable Club and in 1959 they hosted the World Championships. At the age of 56, Dawes, and James Ramus, competed in the new class in the Bay of Napes at the 1960 Olympics. After winning race two they were in a medal-winning position until race five, before eventually finishing seventh overall. Also in the Olympic year, Dawes finished third in the European Championships in Sweden.

Dawes later became president of the International Flying Dutchman Association, and in his memory in 2015 the Whitstable Yacht Club´s committee boat was named “Slotty”. Dawes was a member of the Whitstable YC for many years and was at one time their rear commodore. At the time of his death in 1985 he was the club´s honorary president.