Above photos courtesy of Sandeman Yacht Company
The UK IOD fleet began on England’s east coast just before the Second World War at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, Burnham-on-Crouch, and when the RCYC opened a “southern” clubhouse at Cowes in 1948 the class regrouped and flourished there through the 1950s and 60s.
MITZI was one of the last boats commissioned from Bjarne Aas for the by then c.20-strong Cowes fleet in 1958 by Air Vice Marshall John Grandy, and owned by him until 1961, probably during a period when he was more UK based than in the 1950s, and would be through the 1960s en-route to becoming Marshall of the Royal Air Force, Sir John Grandy, one or the leaders in the management of the Cold War. In 1961 her ownership at Cowes passed to UK-based Dane, Hans Heyman.
Under the ownership of Harry Holmes, in 1969 MITZI became the second boat to move north to the Royal Forth Yacht Club at Granton near Edinburgh where the UK fleet became established through the 1970s and into the early 1980s, afterwards splitting between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde and eventually strongest on the Clyde, culminating in the World Championships at Royal Northern & Clyde YC in 1990 and 1998. MITZI participated in all six Scottish-based IOD Worlds between 1975 and 1998. She was a west coast boat from 1987, still owned by Harry Holmes with Charles Connor and K. Maclintosh, followed by Campbell McAuley from 1994.
The Clyde fleet declined after the 1990 Worlds with many of the remaining active IODs gradually returning south, to St. Mawes in Cornwall where a small fleet of these gorgeous yachts has been active through the early years of the 21st Century.
– Scottish Fleet Champion 1997 and 1999
– Participated in the Worlds at Royal Forth YC: 1975, 1979, 1984
– Participated in the Worlds at Royal Northern & Clyde YC: 1990 & 1998
In present ownership, MITZI has placed in the top 3 in the Classics Class at all events attended with several line honours and first places on corrected time.
Information courtesy of Sandeman Yacht Company
