Billie Box sponsors FFSC safety boat
Last Updated on October 4, 2023
Billie Box is sponsoring the Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club (FFSC) Safety boat named: Carl Giles. Yes that’s right Carl Giles OBE, the world famous Cartoonist!
Carl Giles safety boat at FFSC
But why Carl Giles? Carl Giles was the President of the FFSC from 1984 to 1995.
FFSC own the second largest collection of Carl Giles cartoons and many of the characters in the cartoons were members of the club. The largest collection is owned by the Daily Express, which is the newspaper Carl used to work for.
FFSC is based at Felixstowe Ferry, Suffolk, at the mouth of the River Deben. The racing is very challenging both in the river and out to sea. Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club has a large Youth sailing section who sail on Saturday mornings. The club also offers RYA sailing training. The club racing turns out a good fleet. There is a yacht cruising section and many social events on offer. The FFSC also hosts many sailing Open meetings, National championships and even the occasional World championships.
Jane Billing of Billie Box has been a member of FFSC since 1966, in fact she was born in Deben Week (1 week’s sailing on the River Deben, which no longer runs). Jane’s father sailed with the White family in Firefly dinghies during the 1960’s and Jane followed in her father’s footsteps and started sailing Mirror dinghies in the 1970’s.
Jane, with the help of her father, won the ‘Ladies cup’ at Felixstowe in 1978 And that same year won the ‘Ladies cup’ with Andrew Johnson at Waldringfield. Later on, Jane became social secretary of FFSC and successfully raised funds for FFSC through various social events. Jane sailed Lark dinghies around that time.
In 1994 Jane, on behalf of FFSC, worked alongside the East Suffolk Waterski Club to fundraise for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). That year, with the help of the FFSC and ESWSC members they raised £1,700 for the RNLI. Also helped by Red Arrows flypast, Warren Mitchell (friend of Carl Giles) and Griff Rhys Jones making an appearance. Every year FFSC fund raise in aid of RNLI.
Over the last 52 years Jane has been part of the FFSC and has many family and friends there.
Nowadays, Jane helps out in the Crow’s nest on a Wednesday night sailing race night. The crow’s nest is where races are started and finished. Jane also helps with the various sailing Open meetings,National and any World championships that FFSC host.
When Jane was asked to sponsor the FFSC Safety boat; Carl Giles, it was a no-brainer.
Jane said; “Here at Billie Box we are proud to support the FFSC, and hope to be able to continue our support for many years to come.”
If you would like to know more about FFSC and find out how to get involved, then please drop in and have a chat with one of the committee members or visit their website. The club is open Wednesday & Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays from Midday to 5pm.
Thanks to Ben Hawkes for this photo
About Jane Billing
Jane Billing has over 30 years in shipping container supply. During that time Jane has earned a very broad knowledge of the whole shipping container industry. From construction, to shipping, to adaption and conversions, if you have a question about any aspect of the shipping container industry Jane will likely have the answer for you. After many years working for some of the biggest names in the shipping container industry Jane set up her own company, Billie Box Ltd in 2012. Since launching in 2012 Billie Box Ltd has sold well over 1500 new and used containers.
