Bloodhound (yacht)

Bloodhound is a 19.2-metre (63 ft) ocean racing yacht. She was designed by Charles E. Nicholson and built by Camper and Nicholsons in 1936. From 1962 to 1969 she was owned by the British Royal Family and in January 2010 she was purchased by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust.

This article is about the ocean racing yacht. For other uses, see Bloodhound (disambiguation).

Bloodhound
Bloodhound moored at Dolphin Marina, Poole in 2009.
History
United Kingdom
Owner:
  • Ike Bell (1936–1939)
  • Hans Hamilton and Patrick Egan (1939–1947)
  • Myles Wyatt (1947–1962)
  • Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (1962–1969)
  • Robert Cook (1969–2002)
  • Richard Carr (2002–2003)
  • Tony and Cindy McGrail (2003–2010)
  • Royal Yacht Britannia Trust (since 2010)
Builder: Camper and Nicholsons
Yard number: 438
Laid down: 1936
Launched: 1936
Identification:
General characteristics
Class and type: Ocean racing yacht
Tons burthen: 34 tons
Length: 19.2 m (63 ft)
Sail plan: Bermudan yawl[1]

Royal ownership

In 1962 Bloodhound was purchased for the Royal Family at the request of Prince Philip. In February she was sailed from Plymouth to Gosport to be refitted by Camper and Nicholsons and the work was finished by June. Prince Philip sailed Bloodhound with Uffa Fox at Cowes Week in August of that year.[1]

During royal ownership Bloodhound would accompany The Royal Yacht Britannia in the Western Isles when the royal family had their one true family holiday every year. She had a permanent crew of three, and one skipper was a descendant of Sir Francis Drake. It was during these times that the young royals learned to sail on Bloodhound. When not in royal use, Bloodhound and her crew were chartered to yacht clubs across the country at a daily fee of £1 (later increased to £2) per participant, used to expose thousands of people to offshore sailing.

In 1969 Bloodhound was sold by the royal family and Bloodhound then effectively retired from racing. Over time the boat gradually fell into considerable disrepair and very nearly became beyond salvage. However, in 2002 Richard Carr purchased Bloodhound and then later passed her into the ownership of [2] Tony McGrail, a yacht surveyor and classic yacht restorer, in 2003. Over the next 3½ years she underwent a major internal and external refit to bring her back to her original condition.

In January 2010 Bloodhound was purchased by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust and is now berthed alongside The Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith.

During July and August, the fully restored, 63 foot Royal Racing Yacht Bloodhound is available from Oban Marina for private day sailing around Scotland's West Coast for up to eight guests.

Racing accomplishments
This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Racing accomplishments[3]
Year Event Place
1936Channel Race1st
1936Morgan Cup1st
1937Fastnet Race3rd overall
1939Benodet Race2nd
1939Channel Race1st
1939Fastnet Race1st
1946Royal London Yacht Club Regatta (at Cowes Week)1st
1946Royal Yacht Squadron Race (at Cowes Week)1st
1947Fastnet Race2nd
1947Southsea to Brixton Race1st
1948Morgan Cup2nd
1948Round the Island Race1st
1948Royal Yacht Squadron Race (at Cowes Week)2nd
1949Fastnet Race1st
1949Morgan Cup1st (handicapped to 2nd)
1949North Sea Race1st
1949Portsmouth to Poole Race1st
1951Channel Race1st
1951Fastnet Race2nd
1951Harwich to Hook Race1st
1951North Sea Race1st
1951Round the Island Race3rd
1951St Malo to Dinard Race1st
1952Bermuda Race2nd overall
1953Cowes to Dinard Race1st
1953Fastnet Race1st (handicapped to 12th)
1957Fastnet Race5th overall
1958Channel Race1st
1959Lyme Bay Race1st
1965Lyme Bay Race1st
  • Bloodhound at Leith Docks in December 2011
  • Bloodhound at Leith Docks in October 2011
  • Bloodhound at Leith Docks in October 2011
  • Bloodhound at Leith Docks in October 2011
  • Bloodhound at Leith Docks in October 2011

Notes
  1. Johnstone-Bryden, Richard (2003). The Royal Yacht Britannia: The Official History. London: Conway Maritime Press. p. 97. ISBN 0-85177-937-9.
  2. http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/media/221306/the_royal_sailing_yachts_-_richard_johnstone-bryden.pdf
  3. "Royal Yacht Bloodhound – History". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
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