Sail Number: 2
Vessel Type: Solent One Design (Gaff Cutter)
LOA: 63′ 6″ / 19.35m – LOD: 57′ 6″ / 17.52m – LWL: 38′ 0″ / 11.58m – Beam: 11′ 6″ / 3.50m – Draft: 7′ 6″ / 2.28m – Displacement: 20,800kg – Identity No.: Y053790 – Yard Number: 85 – Hull material: Planked in pitch-pine fastened with iron dumps to grown oak frames at around 3’ centres and copper fastened to 2 heavy steam bent Rock Elm timbers between on an oak back-bone. The external lead keel is secured with bronze bolts. Iron strap floors on the grown oak frames. – Designer: Alfred Mylne – Built by: J.G. Fay Co. of Southampton – Year Launched: 1904
Historical:
KELPIE, the yacht’s name relates to a supernatural shape-shifting horse that haunts the rivers and streams of Scotland. Disenchantment with rule-makers is not the sole preserve of the modern era and at a time when the Linear Rater Rules were not entirely popular as they tried to grapple with dissatisfaction at length and Sail area rules. The main complaint was that the Linear Raters were too lightly built – designers and builders might have liked them but owners took a dim view!
KELPIE was designed by Alfred Mylne as a Solent 38 foot class to race with the 42 foot Linear Raters and the fact that she survives today is testament to how Mylne would have created a yacht when unconstrained by the rule. The story goes that owners who commissioned the new class decided to do so with a dinner honouring the passing of Queen Victoria.
With the introduction of the Meter rule in 1907, she was classed as a 12 Metre and raced with the 12s well into the 1920s.
In 1922 KELPIE was involved in the Erskine Childers’ plot to run guns into Ireland to use against the Irish Free State government. Childers was captured and executed but 600 carbines aboard KEPLIE were transferred to a fishing boat off Howth and she slipped away undetected.
KELPIE survived World War II with her keel intact – many yacht owners were encouraged to give up their lead keels for the war effort. After a string of South Coast owners she returned to the Dartmouth Yard of Nash & Holden where she benefited from 15 years of careful renewal and thorough maintenance ensuring her survival and present impressive condition.
Restoration:
Fairlie Restorations Ltd new wood keel, floors and lower frames, a new deck and deck structures to the original design; a new interior more sympathetic to the original intentions. extensive weight reduction exercise to the spars and rig. A new boom and gaff have been built by Nobel Spars and the yacht re-rigged by ‘Martins Rigging’* Current Name: Kelpie * Original Owner: * Current Owner: Pelham Olive
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner: (1904-1908) – George Coats
Owner: (1908) – James Paterson
Owner: Thomas Burt
Owner: Donald G Freeman
Owner: Richard Bendy
Owner: Brian Keelan