Letters LETTER OF THE MONTH SUPPORTED BY OLD PULTENEY WHISKY
Greatest racing yacht? Britannia, surely… I picked up a copy of CB last weekend and am rising to your
following the restoration of a single yacht – Endeavour – by
editorial challenge about the greatest racing yacht. Surely this
Elizabeth Meyer. I was lucky enough to go aboard her on her way
has to be the King’s Britannia?
through Southampton in 1989 and to see her sail in company with
She was designed by GL Watson and built on the Clyde in 1893
an unrestored Velsheda from the Parade in Cowes. They weren’t
by Hendersons for the then Price of Wales, later Edward VII,
allowed to race for insurance reasons but they were a glorious
whose intention it was to
sight all the same. I had
rejuvenate the ‘Big Class’
hoped that Sigurd Coates’
which was very much in the
efforts to recreate Britannia a
doldrums at that time with
few years ago might be a
yachting journalist Dixon
catalyst to re-start the Big
Kemp lamenting that “no
Class but it was not to be
more large racing yachts
and as far as I know his
would be built”. Royal
replica languishes in
patronage certainly did the
Southampton still. We have
trick and the launch of
now seen recreations of a
Britannia heralded the way for
number of the great
some of the finest racing
schooners, and Lulworth – a
yachts we have ever seen
contemporary of Britannia
around our shores.
– is back on the water again,
Britannia had a racing
so the skills are there to
career spanning the next four
recreate and sail these
decades before finally going
magnificent cutters. Would
to her rest in 1936 off St
it be too farfetched to hope
Catherine’s Point on the Isle of
Above: Britannia, seen here leading Meteor II
that the Big Class might be
Wight. Her sail-plan and rig
Below: Running Tide, as featured in last month’s issue
the next big thing for
were altered no fewer than
yachting›s entrepreneurs?
seven times to maintain her competitiveness against younger
I’m looking forward to seeing the Fifes race again in the Solent
and more modern arrivals and she ended her career with 231
this summer and read of the plans of Team Fife in Brest with great
firsts and 129 places out of 635 starts. I’d be most interested to
interest. Maybe one day soon we will see more of the big classic
hear if there is any other yacht with such a career record.
cutters race around our coasts.
In recent years we have seen the revival of the J-Class,
Richard Clarke, Truro, Cornwall
Where is Coral? Last year I was mortified to read on Google that Coral had sunk off Crete. I tried to find out if she was salvaged, as she sank in pretty shallow water. Have you any information on what has happened to her? I worked on her restoration for six years in Cape Town and have been keeping track of her until now. Herb Phillips
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CLASSIC BOAT MAY 2022
