I make no apology for introducing this month what many may unkindly see as an unworthy contender for the title of a “great yacht design”; by the end of this article I will hopefully have persuaded you otherwise.
Enduringly inventive and energetic, Robert Arthur “Robin” Balfour (later Lord Riverdale), was an enthusiast whose tenacity to follow an early love of sailing lead him from the canals of Sheffield out onto the oceans of the world via the tidal estuaries of the north of England. Best friends with Jack Hope (son of Linton) and meeting at the Humber Yawl Club designer George Holmes, his enthusiasm, connections and training as an engineer had him ideally placed to realise his first full-sized sea-going yacht, Bluebird.
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The Need For Speed
Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today
ROW YOUR BOAT
There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?
Traditional Tool
JOINER’S NAME STAMP
Classic misuse of a word
Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward
SCUD MISSILE
Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez
BOSUN'S BAG
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.
