Category: Racing sailing craft

Round the Island shots

Round the Island Race start 1959 photo by Beken of Cowes

The Round the Island Race 1959: the schooner Seabill ghosts over the start line on a glorious calm summer’s day (photo by Beken of Cowes)

Round the Island Race 1971 photo by Beken of Cowes

The Round the Island Race 80th Anniversary Exhibition 1971: Sir Max Aitken’s smartly dressed crew on his successful Sparkman & Stephens designed IOR racer Roundabout. Roundabout had won the Gold Roman Bowl five years earlier (photo by Beken of Cowes)

The Round the Island in 80 Years Exhibition of photos from the race’s 80-year history had its officially launch at sponsor’s JP Morgan’s premises in London on Tuesday.

Featured sailing photographers include Frank and Keith Beken, Alistair Black and Eileen Ramsay who captured the race from the 1930s through to the 1960s up to the more recent work of Ken Beken, Peter Mumford, Rick Tomlinson, Thierry Martinez, Hamo Thornycroft, Paul Wyeth, Patrick Eden, Mark Lloyd, Cristel Clear and onEdition.

A recent discovery is the Kirk of Cowes archive: William Umpleby Kirk lived at Cowes on the Isle of Wight from 1870–1928, and captured an image of Queen Victoria’s yacht, which earned him a Royal Patronage. After his death, his son Edgar captured images of the race in the 1930s.

The exhibition will be at the Isle of Wight’s the Quay Arts Gallery (14-19 June) and the Race Village, Cowes Yacht Haven (24-26 June) during the race weekend. Exhibition images are available for purchase, with proceeds being donated to the official race charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

For more information and a very nice downloadable catalogue, click here.

 

Luke Powell’s Working Sail

Bristol Channel pilot cutter Amelie Rose built by Working Sail

Historian and writer Mike Smylie commented that I should see Luke Powell’s Working Sail website the other day – and he’s bang right. If your Monday morning needs a lift – and whose doesn’t? – I recommend you take a sneaky look as soon as you can.

While you’re there, check out the series of YouTube videos of the modern-built Bristol Channel pilot cutter Amelie Rose. But keep calm – if you’re in a public place, try to avoid exclaiming or singing too loudly or you may find people will start asking questions…

Two great postcard shots – but can anyone identify the yachts?

Laura Haggarty Katydids Cards postcards of yachts

Laura Haggarty Katydids Cards postcards of yachts

Click on the thumbnails for much larger images

These magnificent shots come from postcard dealer Laura Haggarty who would be grateful for some help identifying the vessels in these shots.

Does anyone know which 19th century yachts these might be please? Let me know at gmatkin@gmail.com and I’ll pass the message along. They may well be well known racers if someone has gone to the trouble of producing postcards, and it’s been suggested that the yachts in the lower photo might the J Class.

The cards will be available for purchase from Laura – if you’re interested, contact her at katydidscards@gmail.com.

PS – I have noticed the trailing line in the upper image. These embarrassing things can happen to professionals too, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing them down!

PPS – Intheboatshed.net reader Donan Raven has written in with some information relating tothe lower image of three cutters racing. Here’s what he says:

‘This was definitely shot between 1892 and 1906, and are most likely either 40-raters (for example Queen Mab if the photo is before 1893) OR 52-footers from the Linear Rating Rule such as  like Penitent, Gauntlet and a few more.

‘I think it’s too early for 15 Meters yet, and they are certainly not J-Class.

‘If they are 52-footers, they could be any of the following:

  • Penitent, designed by Arthur Edward Philip Payne, Jr, 1896
  • Gauntlet, designed by Arthur Edward Philip Payne, Jr, 1901
  • Lucida, designed by William Fife III, 1902
  • Britomart, designed by Alfred Mylne, 1905
  • Sonya, designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, 1905

‘Or they might be any of the earlier 40-raters, including Mohawk, Deerhound, Castanet, Reverie, Creole, Thalia, Corsair, White Slave, Lais, Vendetta, Queen Mab or Varuna. But I am quite sure you can omit the ones designed before 1891-1892, as they would have had clipper bows, not spoon bows as shown in the picture. Queen Mab, Lais
and Vendetta are the best candidates if this picture predates 1896.

‘See the table in the book Yachting in the Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes edited by His Grace the Duke of Beaufort KG and Alfred ET Watson for more on these boats.’

Thanks Donan – I’m sure Laura will be delighted.