“It was easy, it was cheap; GO AND DO IT”

So urged a punk band called The Desperate Bicycles, back in the 1970s. Who remembers The Desparate Bicycles? Who had even heard of them at the time?! Their ditty, delivered in a monotone and accompanied by a single note played on one string of a guitar, was about going and making a record. They had seemingly no musical talent or ability, but they did not let this put them off. They went and cut a record and it was released. My mate bought it and I heard it.

“What has this got to do with the NWF?” you might ask. Well, one of the things that was what was so exciting about Punk at the time was that it was the music made by and for the ordinary ‘punk’ on the street. It was for everybody – and anybody could have a go! This is exactly the ethos of the competition at the NWF. Unlike the Pro- and National Race circuit, NWF is aimed at the ordinary, recreational sailor.

NWF founder Allan Cross told me that his vision of the NWF is simple. “It should be fun, cheap and based around intermediates.”

I always remember being interviewed by a sales manager who said “I don’t like the word cheap…” I hastily reviewed my response to “Value for money” but I don’t think that that saying that something is cheap necessarily devalues it. And “It was straightforward, affordable, value for money and accessible to all” doesn’t pack quite the punch.

So, The Desperate Bicycles – where are they now? I don’t think they hit the big time and I don’t think that they are around today. But they are still calling to us nearly 35 years later – and so they live on. It was easy. It was cheap. They went and did it… and in doing so, became a part, albeit small, of the history of punk rock. And let’s face it, I wouldn’t be talking about them now if they had never had a go!

Be memorable. The NWF is easy and it’s cheap – so GO AND DO IT!

Jackie Lambert

Enter the NWF online before 10^th August to get your exclusive, free NWF Rash Vest worth £20!