A Scottish naval architect, born in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, son of Thomas Lennox Watson, a doctor at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, grandson of Sir Timothy Burstall, engineer and entrant at the 1829 Rainhill Trials.
1850s Watson often spent holidays at Inverkip on the Firth of Clyde, it was here through his friendship with local skipper William Mackie he developed his passion for yachts, and naval architecture. In 1867 Watson, at the age of 16, served as apprentice draughtsman with the Clydeside ship builders and engineering firm, Robert Napier & Son. This equipped Watson with all the skills he needed and in 1873 at the age of just 22 he set up the world’s first dedicated yacht design office.
His early success in the racing classes of the day soon expanded his client base and brought his name to the fore as the most innovative designer of the day. Watson would receive orders to design yachts for the eminent families, industrialists and socialites of the age as well as famous Royal yachts for both the English and German Royal families. His designs became iconic and many were involved in some of the most notable moments in history.
Watson designed 432 yachts, lifeboats and other vessels during his 32-year career, an output which averages one new build launched every 3.5 weeks. Of those he designed the following represents some of the more noteworthy sailing yachts.
Peg Woffington (8-ton cutter, 1871)
Vril (5-tonner, 1876)
Madge (10-tonner, 1879)
Vanduara (90-ton first class cutter, 1880)
Doris (5-tonner, 1885)
Thistle (First class rater, 1887)
Dora (10-rater, 1891)
Queen Mab III (40-rater, 1892)
Rona (5-rater, 1892)
Britannia (first class rater, 1893)
Valkyrie II (SCYC 85-footer, 1893)
Valkyrie III (SCYC 90-footer, 1895)
Meteor II (first class linear cutter, 1896)
Rainbow (A-class schoner, 1898)
Gleniffer (A-class schooner, 1899)
Kariad (first class linear cutter, 1900)
Sybarita (first class linear yawl, 1900)
Shamrock II (SCYC 90-footer, 1901)