Letters LETTER OF THE MONTH SUPPORTED BY OLD PULTENEY WHISKY
The world famous Isle of Purbeck Yacht Club In the latter half of the 19th century, yacht clubs
the time dressed in the colours of the particular
proliferated along Britain’s coasts. The most famous
yacht club, accompanied by a colour illustration of
was, and still is, the Royal Yacht Squadron. Less well
the club’s burgee. Amazingly, among some of the
known was the Isle of Purbeck Yacht Club in
very famous clubs of the time was the Isle of
England’s south coast, founded in 1875 and defunct
Purbeck. The card, number 91 in the series, had an
by the early 1890s, after a smattering of regattas and
illustration of one Estelle Clayton, a Broadway star.
races during its 15 years’ existence. Unknown to the
The club’s red-and-black burgee is shown and Estelle
club, thousands of miles away in the USA, James
is wearing a red-and-black hat to match. The burgee
Buchanan Duke had established the Dukes Tobacco
clearly shows a swan: is this because of the Swanage
Company which rapidly expanded to become
connection?
American Tobacco in 1890. James Duke ran a series
I am mystified as to why this local Dorset club in
of cigarette cards called ‘Yacht Colors of the World’.
England was chosen for an American cigarette card
It included the Royal Bermuda, Royal Canadian, and
series. The cigarettes would have been distributed
the St Petersburg Imperial among others, and the
worldwide no doubt and the name of the Isle of
Royal Yacht Squadron, incorrectly titled ‘The Royal Squadron
Purbeck Yacht Club would have been a complete mystery to
Yacht Club’.
most when the packet was opened! Michael Scott, Poole, Dorset
Each card had a colour illustration of a well-known actress of
Peter Poland’s well researched and
locals would have watched the
Clinker launch identification
informative recent article describing
cumbersome loads trundling to the
I wonder if you could help finding out the origin of
the work of J Francis Jones made brief
launch site. Manufacture started in
my mahogany day cruiser? I bought her in
reference to the Fleur De Lys motor
1959 and ended in 1979 when it
Amsterdam three years ago. The owner had restored
yachts. The location chosen for the
became apparent that costs could
it for a decade but was not sure about her origin. He
production of these excellent craft my
compete with building in glassfibre.
guessed she might be built in the 1940s or early
Fleur de Lys motorboats
appear strange, 12 miles inland from
The three-year sandwich course in Yacht and Boatyard Management
cruising in Dutch grachts and canals. The boat is
requirement to provide a large
(later HND Yacht Manufacturing and
now based near Berlin on the Havel River.
building to
Management)
increase
was based at
production
what is now
should the
Solent
necessity
University. It
arise. In the
required
event, a man
students to
of drive and
spend two
vision, Jim E
six-month
Dagless, took
industrial
over
78
1950s when such boats were typically used for
the Wash. This was dictated by the
experience
premises of 25,000sqft near Wisbech
placements interspersed with their
in Cambridgeshire, eventually
studies.
employing 100 craftsmen there. Motor
As lecturer in charge, I had the
yachts ranged from 50 to 78ft (23.8m)
pleasure of meeting Jim Dagless
by the end of production. The
while following up a student
production facility was not only far
placement in 1968. I was most
from the sea; it was a mile from the
impressed by the organisation of the
nearest slipway on the River Nene. Jim
production run and the cheerful
Dagless and team met the challenge
disposition of the work force, of
enthusiastically, building custom
which he was rightly proud.
trailers. I’m sure a large crowd of
Jim Hazel, Fareham, Hampshire
CLASSIC BOAT SEPTEMBER 2022
Winfried Meissner, Jena, Germany
