2009 Mylne Classic Regatta
4:51 AM
On Sunday, July 12th over twenty classic and elegant yachts designed and built by Alfred Mylne will gather together in Scotland, at Rhu near Helensburgh. Their common cause: to celebrate the design and work of Alfred Mylne (1872 – 1951). Alfred Mylne started out in the yacht design business working for another famous Scottish yacht designer George Lennox Watson. One of Mylne’s jobs in 1892 was to draw up the plans for the Royal Yacht Britannia, and his initials can still be seen on the original plans for this yacht.
In 1896 Mylne left Watson, and at the age of 24 set up his own yacht design business at 81 Hope Street Glasgow, near Central Station. Mylne quickly gained a reputation for building fast and seaworthy yachts and became one of the leading instigators of the International Metre Rule in 1906. Mylne designed and built over 400 yachts in a career that spanned two world wars. In 1945 he handed the reigns to his nephew, also named Alfred Mylne, who continued the business through austere times.
In 1959 he was joined by a yachting journalist and enthusiastic designer and sailor, Ian Nicolson. Ian, after an apprenticeship in Canada, decided to spend his airfare home on building his own yacht and sailing single handed across the Atlantic. Ian is now the author of over 23 books on yachts and yacht design, and has regular columns in many yachting publications. In 2007, David Gray, an enthusiastic naval architect based in Fife, bought the business from Ian, and with Ian’s help, started the enormous task of digitising and cataloging the entire archive of over 10,000 drawings and documents.
It can earnestly be said that A.Mylne and Co. is the oldest continually operating yacht design business anywhere in the world. So what makes a Mylne special? Mylne’s designs are often confused with those of William Fife, a close personal friend and friendly rival of Mylne. To the trained eye, one would notice a slight increase in sheer (the deck line is not so flat), and slightly fuller sections. The reason? Mylne felt that a yacht should last for 50 years.
He recognized that the racing life of a yacht is short – and the cruising life long. Therefore he designed his yachts to be fast racers, but also to have space below to make them capable and seaworthy fast cruisers in their later years. And that is one reason over 100 original Mylne-designed yachts are still afloat today, with the 1899-built Tigris still sailing competitively in the Mediterranean.
These yachts now cover the globe, from New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Argentina, the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, India, and of course England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. There are over twenty yachts coming to the event, including Eileen II (ex Albyn), a 1935 Ketch of 95 feet coming over from Norway (see www.eileen.no). There is also Kelpie, a 1904 52-foot Rater, which after re-measurement now holds the title as the world’s oldest 12-meter.
The 1935 motor yacht Faith (www.yachtfaith.co.nz) is coming from New Zealand, a most able and seaworthy vessel of 75 feet in length, who sailed much of the way across the Pacifi c using her auxiliary sailing rig. Four 25-foot Glen class yachts, built in Bangor, Northern Ireland in the 1940s and ‘50s are coming from Strangford Lough and Dublin. There are also representative coming from the Royal Mersey Mylne class, and the River class among many others.
There is palpable excitement from the owners and crew for this first ever gathering of Mylne yachts. The racing will start on Monday, July 13 with a run from Rhu to Rothesay. Tuesday will see a Round Bute race. Wednesday’s race will be around Great Cumbrae for the larger yachts, and the fi nal race on Thursday will be back to the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club (RNCYC) at Rhu for the Prize giving. First prize is the Keepsake Trophy, presented for the first time at last year ’s Fife Regatta.
This is a very special trophy, being the last ever design by William Fife, a 12-meter that was never built because of the war. When Fife retired in 1939, he telephoned Mylne and asked if he would like something to remember his old friend by. Alfred asked for this model which he knew to be hanging on Fife’s office wall – and the model duly arrived entitled “A Keepsake”. This then represents a great friendship between the two great designers of the time.
It is now presented “for Scottish Classic Yachting on the Clyde”. The winner of last year ’s Fife regatta The Truant is attending by special invitation to defend her prize. The social program for the event includes some very special moments. On the Sunday there is a hog roast in the grounds of the RNCYC clubhouse during the registration of the yachts. Silvers Marine, who are sponsoring the first race, will have an open house day.
They will shuttle people back and forth across the narrows to visit their yard to witness boatbuilding old and new in their excellent facility. One of the original Silvers motor launches will be taking part as a “Sponsors” entry. Tuesday night sees a special reception hosted by the Isle of Bute Sailing Club, supported by Homecoming Scotland. The Isle of Bute is where Mylne had his own yard, The Bute Slip Dock Company, at Ardmaleish Point, so there are strong historical connections between the island and many of the Mylne yachts.
There is a free evening on the Tuesday night, where crews can relax in the many bars and attractions of Rothesay. On the Wednesday night there will be a tour of Mount Stuart, the home of the Marques of Bute, including a whiskey tasting by Adelphi Distillery who will be launching the new Adelphi’s “Fascadale” 10 year-old single malt this year. Returning to the RNCYC for the final night’s awards, there will be a Ceilidh and Scottish Dinner, plus a charity fund raising event for the Regatta’s official charity, The Ellen MacArthur Trust – “helping young people regain their confidence through sailing after serious illness and leukemia.”
The Mylne Classic Regatta 2009 promises to be an exciting gathering and celebration of some of the fi nest yachts ever produced and designed in Scotland. Come along to Rhu and Rothesay, where you’ll get a chance to walk among the yachts and appreciate first-hand the craftsmanship and beauty of these floating works of art. Meet and talk to the people who spend so much time and money enjoying them. When Alfred Mylne designed these yachts they were cutting edge race winners. They were always beautiful - now we see them as true classics.
In 1896 Mylne left Watson, and at the age of 24 set up his own yacht design business at 81 Hope Street Glasgow, near Central Station. Mylne quickly gained a reputation for building fast and seaworthy yachts and became one of the leading instigators of the International Metre Rule in 1906. Mylne designed and built over 400 yachts in a career that spanned two world wars. In 1945 he handed the reigns to his nephew, also named Alfred Mylne, who continued the business through austere times.
In 1959 he was joined by a yachting journalist and enthusiastic designer and sailor, Ian Nicolson. Ian, after an apprenticeship in Canada, decided to spend his airfare home on building his own yacht and sailing single handed across the Atlantic. Ian is now the author of over 23 books on yachts and yacht design, and has regular columns in many yachting publications. In 2007, David Gray, an enthusiastic naval architect based in Fife, bought the business from Ian, and with Ian’s help, started the enormous task of digitising and cataloging the entire archive of over 10,000 drawings and documents.
It can earnestly be said that A.Mylne and Co. is the oldest continually operating yacht design business anywhere in the world. So what makes a Mylne special? Mylne’s designs are often confused with those of William Fife, a close personal friend and friendly rival of Mylne. To the trained eye, one would notice a slight increase in sheer (the deck line is not so flat), and slightly fuller sections. The reason? Mylne felt that a yacht should last for 50 years.
He recognized that the racing life of a yacht is short – and the cruising life long. Therefore he designed his yachts to be fast racers, but also to have space below to make them capable and seaworthy fast cruisers in their later years. And that is one reason over 100 original Mylne-designed yachts are still afloat today, with the 1899-built Tigris still sailing competitively in the Mediterranean.
These yachts now cover the globe, from New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Argentina, the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, India, and of course England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. There are over twenty yachts coming to the event, including Eileen II (ex Albyn), a 1935 Ketch of 95 feet coming over from Norway (see www.eileen.no). There is also Kelpie, a 1904 52-foot Rater, which after re-measurement now holds the title as the world’s oldest 12-meter.
The 1935 motor yacht Faith (www.yachtfaith.co.nz) is coming from New Zealand, a most able and seaworthy vessel of 75 feet in length, who sailed much of the way across the Pacifi c using her auxiliary sailing rig. Four 25-foot Glen class yachts, built in Bangor, Northern Ireland in the 1940s and ‘50s are coming from Strangford Lough and Dublin. There are also representative coming from the Royal Mersey Mylne class, and the River class among many others.
There is palpable excitement from the owners and crew for this first ever gathering of Mylne yachts. The racing will start on Monday, July 13 with a run from Rhu to Rothesay. Tuesday will see a Round Bute race. Wednesday’s race will be around Great Cumbrae for the larger yachts, and the fi nal race on Thursday will be back to the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club (RNCYC) at Rhu for the Prize giving. First prize is the Keepsake Trophy, presented for the first time at last year ’s Fife Regatta.
This is a very special trophy, being the last ever design by William Fife, a 12-meter that was never built because of the war. When Fife retired in 1939, he telephoned Mylne and asked if he would like something to remember his old friend by. Alfred asked for this model which he knew to be hanging on Fife’s office wall – and the model duly arrived entitled “A Keepsake”. This then represents a great friendship between the two great designers of the time.
It is now presented “for Scottish Classic Yachting on the Clyde”. The winner of last year ’s Fife regatta The Truant is attending by special invitation to defend her prize. The social program for the event includes some very special moments. On the Sunday there is a hog roast in the grounds of the RNCYC clubhouse during the registration of the yachts. Silvers Marine, who are sponsoring the first race, will have an open house day.
They will shuttle people back and forth across the narrows to visit their yard to witness boatbuilding old and new in their excellent facility. One of the original Silvers motor launches will be taking part as a “Sponsors” entry. Tuesday night sees a special reception hosted by the Isle of Bute Sailing Club, supported by Homecoming Scotland. The Isle of Bute is where Mylne had his own yard, The Bute Slip Dock Company, at Ardmaleish Point, so there are strong historical connections between the island and many of the Mylne yachts.
There is a free evening on the Tuesday night, where crews can relax in the many bars and attractions of Rothesay. On the Wednesday night there will be a tour of Mount Stuart, the home of the Marques of Bute, including a whiskey tasting by Adelphi Distillery who will be launching the new Adelphi’s “Fascadale” 10 year-old single malt this year. Returning to the RNCYC for the final night’s awards, there will be a Ceilidh and Scottish Dinner, plus a charity fund raising event for the Regatta’s official charity, The Ellen MacArthur Trust – “helping young people regain their confidence through sailing after serious illness and leukemia.”
The Mylne Classic Regatta 2009 promises to be an exciting gathering and celebration of some of the fi nest yachts ever produced and designed in Scotland. Come along to Rhu and Rothesay, where you’ll get a chance to walk among the yachts and appreciate first-hand the craftsmanship and beauty of these floating works of art. Meet and talk to the people who spend so much time and money enjoying them. When Alfred Mylne designed these yachts they were cutting edge race winners. They were always beautiful - now we see them as true classics.
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