Month: August 2009

Ierne on the BBC

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Ierne on the water – image from the Classic Sailing Club weblog

There was a big treat for Fife yacht fans on TV on Sunday evening – recent film footage of the fabulous Ierne flying along the Humber Estuary.

If you missed it and are in the UK you will be able to catch it on the BBC iPlayer for the next few days.

It turned up on the Griff Rhys Jones series Rivers,  in which our hero visits various interesting and often beautiful locations and attempts something dangerous, cold and painful, such as wild swimming in the Tay, swimming across the Mersey or canyoning down Scottish mountain streams. I can live without all the nonsense in this series, but the photography is superb and the the Ierne moment at the end of the second episode is the best thing so far. Get on to the iPlayer now and make sure you don’t miss it, I say!

For more on Ierne at intheboatshed.net, click here.

Fore more info including a weblog record of Ierne’s restoration, click here.

For mastmaker Collars’ announcenent that Ierne’s restoration won the Classic Boat Restoration of the Year Award, click here.

Finally, non-UK readers might like to search YouTube for some Ierne footage reported by Dale – see his comment in the link below.

Can anyone help find the first 5.5 Metre class racing yacht The Deb?

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5.5 Metres race at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 (image taken from the Wikipedia)

British National Yachting Archive (BNYA) project officer David Elliott has been in touch to appeal for information about the 5.5 Metre racing yacht The Deb. Apparently she was last seen sailing with the Castle Cove Sailing Club, Weymouth.

A little investigation reveals that she is a particularly important 5.5 Metre. The International 5 Metre Class website reveals she was the first example of the class to be built in 1948 by Camper & Nicholson, and that since 1998 a cup named in her honour – The Deb Cup – has been presented to the winner of the first race in the world championships.

A Wikipedia entry for the 5.5 Metre class says that Charles Nicholson designed the 5.5 metre in 1937 as a cheaper alternative to the 6 Metre class.

If you have any information please contact David at david.elliott@bnya.org.uk or post it using the comment link below.


Photos of Hathor under sail

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Hathor sailing on the River Ant, on the Norfolk Broads

Kind HBBR member Ian Ruston has sent in some shots proving that Egyptian-style wherry yacht Hathor is indeed still sailing the Norfolk Broads.

Just look at that magnificent sail – it must be an awesome sight if you see her coming your way on the river.

For more on Hathor, click here.