Tag: Racing sailing craft

The yachting photos of JS Johnston

JS Johnston photo collection Osprey and Sirene

JS Johnston photo collection Mayflower JS Johnston photo collection Merlin JS Johnston photo collection Volunteer

These fabulous old photos of old racing yachts come (with permission) from the JS Johnston collection of photographs taken by John S Johnstone of New York in the 1880s and 90s.

Although his work is widely acknowledged – he’s recognised for his cityscapes as well as yachting photos – but not too much seems to be known about the man, except that he lived until 1899, and was a keen canoeist.

An obituary described him as an old-time disciple of the legendary leisure canoeing pioneer MacGregor, and as having taken up the sport as a boy in England.

Johnston died of heart trouble at Niagra Falls after catching a cold photographing racing between Columbia and Shamrock – apparently he travelled there to recuperate. Photos of these races appear on the collection website.

For more posts about MacGregor and his canoes, click here.

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.

Keep Turning Left at the Three Rivers Race

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A Brown Boat at the start of the Three Rivers Race, 2010

Troubled as I am by continuing problems with our Internet connection – please get on with it Plusnet and BT, it’s been more than two weeks now! – I can’t actually look at Dylan Winter’s videos of the start of the Three Rivers Race this year.

Still, I’m more than sure they’re well worth seeing; those starts must be a sight in themselves, and it’s difficult to imagine any where else in the UK where one could see so many well kept traditional craft on the water in one place.  Dylan would like information about the boats in the videos, if anyone can help.

If he was watching the start of the Three Rivers, he must have been in the area at the same time we were at Barton Turf, enjoying the good company of the HBBR meet there this year, and sailing the Barton Activity Centre’s boats on Barton Broad.

Now, though, apart from getting a decent Internet service, I want to hear how he gets on sailing around the North Norfolk coast, the Wash and the southern end of the long Lincolnshire coast.