Category: Racing yacht

Does anyone have information about the New Zealand Mullet Boat Esma?

 

MULLET BOAT..... ESMA H4 001

Gillian Williamson, who is based in New Zealand, has been in touch asking for information about her father’s Mullet Boat, Esma

Read about the Mullet Boat class here.

Her dad’s name was Tom Hollows. He owned Esma from late 1950s to early 1960s, and lived in Whangarei, so she was moored at the Whangarei town basin. He sailed others including the Ronaki.

He added the small shelter over the cockpit of Esma, so in the shot she looks a bit different to the way she was in earlier photos.

Also, Gillian would be delighted to know if anyone has a copy of the book Mullet Boats and Quotes by Noel Mitchell that they would be happy to sell, as Esma appears in its pages. Contact me a gmatkin@gmail.com and I’ll pass any messages on to Gillian.

Original Velsheda hatch up for auction

Velsheda hatch 1

It’s amazing what comes up when you write a weblog like this… I thought someone might be interested in acquiring this little piece of J Class history.

Peter Davies was for many years sales director for Southampton Yacht Services, and was involved in rescuing many fine old classic yachts for refitting by the yard – and along the way accumulated a few interesting items.

Here’s one that’s for sale – legendary J class racing yacht Velsheda’s original hatch, replaced in her major refit a few years ago.

Velsheda was designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson and built in 1933 by Camper and Nicholsons at Gosport, Hampshire for businessman William Lawrence Stephenson. Between 1933 and 1936, she won many races and competed with other great yachts including Britannia, Endeavour and Shamrock V. She was laid up in 1937.

Velsheda was later rescued from her Hamble mud berth in 1984 and economically refitted for charter work with a new steel mast and
limited interior.

In 1996 she was sold to a new owner and relaunched after a complete rebuild in 1997 by Southampton Yacht Services
(SYS).

When her hull was delivered to SYS in 1996 it came with a shipping container containing deck furniture removed from her by a previous owner and partly restored by his crew at the time. However, during the 1997 restoration new hatches and a new deckhouse were constructed by SYS, so the old hatch was no longer needed…

Velsheda hatch 2