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Heckstall-Smith was an absolutely pivotal person in British as well as international yacht racing. He was secretary of the RYA, he was initiator and co-founder of the IYRU, now World Sailing. He was absolutely pivotal in the initiative and development of the International Rule from its founding in 1906 until 1944. He was the first to publish the yacht racing rules, he managed the ratings for all classes and was esteemed author of countless of the very best books ever written on yachting and yacht racing.

He was afterguard on the King’s Britannia, Ingomar, Westward, Cambria and many other big boats. From 1920 until the passing of King George V in 1936 he managed big boat racing. Through his intimate knowledge, wisdom and vision, his leadership was undisputed and so secured a hugely diverse group of yachts racing as one.

In short; An amazing character who shaped yachting from the late 19th century until his passing in 1944.

When Sir William Berry (the Fleet Street magnate publisher) considered ordering a big yacht he engaged Major Heckstall-Smith as an advisor. He recommended Sir William Berry to order an Int. 23-Metre yacht from William Fife and so it happened. Heckstall-Smith stayed on as afterguard of Cambria until then Lord Camrose sold her.

QUESTION:
Does anybody know if the personal files and archives of Heckstall Smith have been kept and if so where? Would anyone have any connections to the family which we could contact ?

Oct 2024

Oct 2024

Does anyone know where there might be historial information/archive material about this famous yard which designed and built Thames ‘A’ Raters, etc.

NB: the Kingston Archives only have some paper about the lease on the premises in the High Street.

Oct 2024

The British National Yachting Archive is campaigning to save this historic boat.

Clarion of Wight was destined for the chain saw but thanks to the intervention of a benefactor it can be saved. However, we urgently need to fund the cost of the boat (more or less the scrap value of the lead which is what the owner was hoping to get) and the cost of shipping it back to the UK from France where it has languished ashore for a few years. We have somewhere safe to put it (free of charge) until its restoration can be undertaken.

• Phase I: Keeping the man with the chain saw at bayURGENT

  We do need to cover the yard costs until we have sufficient funds to move the boat which if course we’d like to do as soon as possible

  So do please donate straight away and if you are a UK taxpayer, do please Gift Aid your contribution. We need to reach our Phase I target fairly quickly.
  Contributions may be made through our Just Giving Campaign page

  Why Save Clarion of Wight

  Clarion of Wight is an important boat in the history of our sport — the top scorer in the 1963 Admiral’s Cup (Derek Boyer) along with Max Aitken’s Outlaw and Ron Amey’s Noryema III — the winning team — both restored and actively sailing. Clarion also won the Fastnet Challenge Cup in that Admirals Cup series. The Cup was a big deal in 1963 because the UK had won the first two (in 1957 & 1959) but then lost to the USA in 1961 so it was imperative to win it back, and as a consequence fourteen boats took part in the UK trials. It was later owned by Sir Maurice Laing and again competed in the Admirals Cup in the 1970 Irish team. It is significant as the first Admirals Cup boat in the UK team not designed by a British designer. It is a Sparkman & Stephens boat, built by Lallows in mahogany and teak, and probably the first successful S&S boat designed to the RORC rule. Clarion of Wight is 43ft 6in LOA, 31ft 6in LWL, 11ft beam and 6ft 8in draft.

  So, we urge anyone concerned about our sailing heritage to contribute to the rescue fund. BNYA will collect the funds and claim any Gift Aid and award a grant in due course.

Spring 2024

From: Archivist at Yacht Club ArgentinoAre there any references to the “Centre-board Gigs” by Burgoine (Kingston) from 1871, like the Ruby, described by Dixon Kemp in his treatises and of which there was a half model, now apparently lost. I would appreciate any information or help on this last matter because it also pertains to Argentine as well as British nautical history. Mar 2024

Note from BNYA:  have checked with the Science Museum (previously the South Kensington Museum) and they tell me that according to their model ship registers it was removed from the Museum on 6th March 1886 by its creator, Burgoine. Seems unlikely to have survived then – shame as it was an important development at that time

Peter Brett, is known for his designs of the Dee series and Rival series of boats.  He founded Rival Yachts in the late 1960’s.Does anyone know the whereabouts of his design archive?Message us if you have any information – thanks.Feb 2024

Bembridge Sailing Club on the Isle of Wight has an amazing collection of large yacht tillers dating back to the late 1800s. Other than knowing that some were presented to the Club by one of its founding members, Blair Cochrane, between 1900 and 1920, and the ‘rumour’ that the larger ones came from Portsmouth Dockyard in the 1930s, sadly little more information on the yachts that they came from is known. One of the large tillers has CZARINA carved on the stock. BSC would love to know more about these tillers, so if you have any clever thoughts, then do please forward them to Mike Samuelson mikesam06@gmail.com . Many thanks.