Lots of social and cultural history surfaced on Sunday at the 70th Anniversary Luncheon of the West End Sail Boat Club.The moving spirit behind the founding of WESBC was a man named George Osrola Philpott. Better known and reverred as “Ossie”, he was a charismatic, hard working master carpenter whose passion was to inspire young men to learn a trade and establish themselves as community leaders.His carpenter shop is a Sandys landmark, still standing on Long Bay Lane directly across the street from the Wesley Methodist Church. Itwas a centre of influence in the parish particularly during the early post-First World War years.Ansby Perinchief said when his invitation to the club’s 70th Anniversary arrived, he had a jolt, asking himself "How Old Am I? That's because it seemed like it was only yesterday that he was one of nine young men attending that initial organisational meeting in Mr Philpott’s shop. Some 17 men showed up for the next meeting and the enthusiasm was so overwhelming, it was decided to hold a third meeting at the Odd Fellows Hall just up the street, recalled Mr Perinchief, who is now 92, and the last survivor of those original sessions.Prospective members came from all over Somerset and from as far away as Paget and Pembroke. Ralph Jennings came from Devil’s Hole, and others from St George’s, especially Elton Millett, who sailed from the East End every Sunday to race in the Great Sound.They decided to adopt the ”Comet” class boat for their purposes, after the Lusher Brothers in Warwick launched one for Somerset grocer Elliott (Nick) Swan which he named “Pelthia”. It caught on after a sea dog named “Shorty” Bassett raced it for Nick, so spectacularly for onlookers.Ossie's nephews, Sinclair, Canute and Leon (Bully) Lambert in competition with other young master craftmen of the day, like Lumbly Burt, to name one in particular, worked overtime building their own Comets and for others in their backyards.'Sea Spray' was the name Ansby gave the racer Sinclair Lambert built for him. As keen a competitor as he became, Ansby said he never succeeded in placing first in the major races. He had three second place finishes; capsized one year in a particularly spectacular race, but was guaranteed always to be in the top ten finishers.Another noted Comet builder was Edward (Dingback) Cross. He was the donor of the “Cup'” for WESCB’s major annual event, the long distance race tbetween Somerset and StGeorge’s, which is named after Cross.Ossie Philpott's nephew Norbert Simmons, WESBC's public relations officer, was master of ceremonies at the 70th. He launched the proceeding on a good note, calling on Pentecostal Pastor Stephen Jones to invoke a blessing from the Almighty, and to lead off in a minute's silence in memory of club sailors who had passed away. Immediately coming to mind were the late Leon Wilson, a Commodore for six years, and internationally renowned yatchsman Howard Lee.Lee was funeralized only last month. He will be remembered for how he graduated from competing with WESBC in the Great Sound and around Hamilton Harbour to representing Bermuda in South America, Europe and Hawaii and in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, the same games at which boxer Clarence Hill put Bermuda on the map,winning the country's first and only O;ympics medal.Lee always recalled how his seafaring exploits began at age eight when his father gave him a punt which he sailed around Red Hole in Paget with flour bags as his sails. He credited such heavyweights as Willard (Sparky) Lightbourne, after the Bus Terminal in Hamilton in named, Gates Smih and Edwin Wilkinson, with inspiring him to become a Comet racer.