Category Archives: Martin Black

Sensuous and mental joys

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

It’s pleasing to hear about yacht designer, surveyor, sailmaker, yachtsman, paragon of octogenarian health and prolific author of really useful yachting books, Ian Nicolson, rubbing shoulders with fellow media and literary ‘heavyweights’, Sally Magnusson, James Robertson and Kirsty Wark, at … Continue reading →

Posted in boatbuilders, boatyards, book, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., gift, Glasgow, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, sailmakers, Uncategorized, yacht clubs, yacht design, yacht designer, 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 Macintosh of yacht design”

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

The October 2014 issue of Scottish Field magazine (out now) features Scottish sports journalist Roddy Forsyth’s entertaining take on the G.L. Watson story and Martin Black’s biography G.L. WATSON – THE ART and SCIENCE of YACHT DESIGN, likening Watson’s career … Continue reading →

Posted in America's Cup, art, book, Clydebuilt, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., gift, Glasgow, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, River Clyde, shipbuilding, shipyards, yacht design, yacht designer, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Float your boat

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

Martin Black’s biography of Scottish yacht designer G.L. Watson pays homage to the side of his work that, reading between the lines, he found most worthwhile: improving the design of rescue lifeboats.* Both the design of lifeboats and their deployment … Continue reading →

Posted in film, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson clients, Lifeboat, Martin Black, object of desire, RNLI, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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

All mod cons: the steam yacht Hermione, 1891

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

When the elegant G.L. Watson-designed steam yacht Hermione arrived at the Newfoundland port of St. John’s on 2 July 1895 on passage from Gourock, Firth of Clyde, to New York, she naturally turned heads. The seafaring citizens of such a … Continue reading →

Posted in America's Cup, Clydebuilt, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson clients, gift, leather-bound, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, replica, River Clyde, shipbuilding, shipyards, Steam Yacht, The Weekend Watson, yacht clubs, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The first match racers?

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Peggy Bawn Press

As Women’s Match Racing World Championship competitors prepare for a second lovely Cork Harbour sailing day at the Royal Cork (the world’s oldest yacht club), meet Gipsy and Brunette of 1893. G.L. Watson designed them specifically for racing against each … Continue reading →

Posted in America's Cup, book, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson clients, gift, Glasgow, Irish yachting, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, replica, The Weekend Watson, yacht clubs, 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