Category Archives: Big Class

Britannia – a rather special yacht

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Peggy Bawn Press

Probably G.L. Watson’s most famous and successful design, the cutter yacht Britannia was launched 20 April 1893 at D.&W. Henderson’s Meadowside Shipyard, Partick, Glasgow. It’s where the River Kelvin meets the River Clyde, opposite the present day Riverside Museum. She … Continue reading →

Posted in America's Cup, Big Class, boatbuilders, Britannia, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson clients, Glasgow, object of desire, other yacht designers, ship launch, shipbuilding, shipyards, yacht design, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reviews

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

We’ve recently been enjoying undertaking a long overdue update to the Reviews page at this blog. As the northern hemisphere days shorten – and more often than not darken – it’s often a time to reflect. This time three years … Continue reading →

Posted in America's Cup, Big Class, book, Britannia, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson & Co. Ltd., Glasgow, Hal Sisk, Irish yachting, leather-bound, Lifeboat, limited edition, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, photography, River Clyde, RNLI, rowing, Sail and oar, shipyards, Steam Yacht, tank testing, yacht clubs, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The schooner Rainbow: “Design, copyright and exhibition”

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

An inherited fortune from the Turkey Red textile dyeing and printing industry of the Vale of Leven, Scotland, paid for 37-year-old Charles Orr Ewing’s magnificent G.L. Watson-designed schooner Rainbow, launched at Partick, Glasgow in 1898 – and now being replicated … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Baltic Germany, Big Class, book, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson clients, gift, Glasgow, object of desire, photography, replica, River Clyde, shipbuilding, shipyards, Uncategorized, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

… Watson, I presume

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

The pot of gold is secured: the Rainbow II replica project is official, and spectacular. Naval architecture is by Dykstra Naval Achitects, with launching and completion set for 2016. Holland Jachtbouw of Zaandam, Netherlands, has secured the project contract, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Baltic Germany, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, Clyde yachting, film, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., Glasgow, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, replica, shipyards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A special arrival in Cowes

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

As Irish and Scottish sailing teams based at Cowes, Isle of Wight, this week attempt to carry off the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s prestigious Brewin Dolphin Commodores’ Cup, little do they know, we imagine, what an important role some of … Continue reading →

Posted in America's Cup, Big Class, book, Britannia, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, Dublin Bay - The Cradle of Yacht Racing, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., gift, Hal Sisk, Irish yachting, leather-bound, limited edition, Martin Black, object of desire, RNLI, shipbuilding, shipyards, Steam Yacht, tank testing, yacht clubs, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wind of fortune

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

  Snippets of news slipping out online more than strongly suggest that one of the most exciting of classic yacht replica projects is well underway: a reincarnation of G.L. Watson’s design for the fabulous and fast schooner Rainbow, later Hamburg, … Continue reading →

Posted in archives, Baltic Germany, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, Captains, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson & Co. Ltd., G.L. Watson clients, gift, Glasgow, leather-bound, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, photography, replica, River Clyde, sailmakers, shipbuilding, shipyards, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Britannia behind the scenes

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

We’ve been spoiled rotten of late by wonderful footage of G.L. Watson’s masterpiece, Britannia, from the recently fully released Pathe archive. This, from 1931, is particularly fine – and rare because she’s in passagemaking mode: the galley stove pipe and … Continue reading →

Posted in archives, art, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, book, Britannia, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., Glasgow, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, replica, River Clyde, shipbuilding, shipyards, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Speed, grace and beauty – The Clyde Fortnight 1923

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

For 13 tantalising seconds in the newly released Pathe archive newsreel above, we are treated to the full broadsides beauty of King George V’s G.L. Watson-designed cutter, Britannia: the special one; probably the most famous racing yacht there will ever be; … Continue reading →

Posted in archives, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, book, Britannia, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., gift, Glasgow, Irish yachting, leather-bound, limited edition, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Scotia’s “Thistle”

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

Inevitably, a 127 year-old challenge from Glasgow, Scotland to New York, USA for yachting’s Holy Grail, the America’s Cup, has left lingering family memories and mementoes. It was a big deal, as it would be now, and is still within … Continue reading →

Posted in America's Cup, archives, Baltic Germany, Big Class, book, Captains, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson clients, gift, Glasgow, Martin Black, object of desire, photography, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Was but a muddle at the best

Posted on April 12, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

Apologies to subscribers to this blog who received a sneak email preview of a future post by mistake today. Sometimes the technology can get the better of one… We hope you will all memorise your lines, excuse any unedited typos … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Class, book, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, Glasgow, naval architect, photography, River Clyde, shipbuilding, shipyards, Steam Yacht, yacht design, yacht designer | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment