William Fife and Son closed in 1939- What happened next? At the beginning of World War II the Fife yard was taken over by the Admiralty as it had been in World War I. This time it was not to build boats for the war effort. The Admiralty’s under water research station at Portland on the […]
Classic Yacht Regattas 2021
Regattas from November 2020 – October 2021. It has been a year of cancellations and postponements on the global classic regatta circuit due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So here we are once again to announce the possibilities for classic yacht racing over the next 12 months. Not only is there a packed schedule but we […]
For the want of a keel the yacht was (nearly) lost
When Fred Meyer, the then Chairman of the International Eight Metre Class Association found Severn, a 1929 Eight Metre designed and built by William Fife III, he decided to restore her. There was only one drawback – her keel was missing! Many yachts laid up during World War II lost their keels to the war effort. […]
Bluebottle Crew Stories
The Royal Dragon Bluebottle has caught the attention of author David Goodday, but coming from an unusual angle. Much has already been written about the Dragon class yacht and her exploits but very little is available on her crew members, and the people behind the scenes. The author is particularly interested in Clive David Smith […]
Celebrating Traditional Boats
Brest: the world’s largest maritime festival in photographs by Nigel Pert & Dan Houston with a foreword by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Dan Houston and Nigel Pert launch a large-format high quality book of gorgeous photographs covering the Brest Festivals, which have occurred every four years, since 1992. The Fêtes Maritimes at Brest is the world’s […]