Sail Number: 8
Vessel Type: Gaff Cutter
LOA: 105’4″ / 32.10m – LOD: 95′ 2″ / 29.00m – LWL: 65′ 0″ / 19.83m – Beam: 16′ 9″ / 5.10m – Draft: 12′ 0″ / 3.90m – Displacement: 74 Tons – Built By: William Fife & Son, Fairlie, Scotland – Sail Area: 5452 ft² / 506.6 m² (excluding balloon jib) – Designed by: William Fife III – Launched: 1914 – Hull Material: Teak Planks on steel frames – Yard Number: 653 – 3D Animation: Moonbeam 3D – Flag: Malta (MT) – Club: Monaco – Location: Marine Traffic
Historical:
Uffa Fox – “No matter whether she is under way or at anchor, Moonbeam is beautiful to look upon, and combining the speed of a racer with the comfort of a cruiser, is a vessel any seaman would be proud to own.”
Eric Tabarly – “The most beautiful yacht ever built.”
Fourth in a line of ships of the same name, built on behalf of Charles Phumptre Johnson, the son of Queen Victoria’s personal physician.
Moonbeam IV was first launched in 1914 and commissioned after the Great War in 1920. She was built out of teak and steel. In his first regatta season in 1920, Moonbeam IV made her mark on the water by winning the King’s Cup, which she won again in 1923. Sold by his first owner in 1926, the boat then passed between the hands of several owners, before being bought by Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1950, whereupon the Prince and Princess (Grace Kelly) spent their honeymoon sailing the Med.
The second life of Moonbeam IV starts on July 31, 1998, when the boat leaves Antibes for Burma, where it is fully restored at the Myanmar shipyard under the impetus of John and Francois Murray, its owners at the time. An identical restoration. Once the restoration is complete and the boat is back in the water, Moonbeam IV sets sail for New Zealand, which he reaches shortly before the start of the America’s Cup. Once the America’s Cup is over, Moonbeam IV returns to the Mediterranean and returns to racing. A winning return punctuated by many victories on the AFYT circuit. the boat keeps shining on the water. Winner of the Vela d’Epoca of Imperia in 2006, Moonbeam IV and his crew win three times on the Bailli Trophy of Suffren (2009, 2010 and 2011), succeed a nice double on the Calanques Classic (2010, 2011) and won numerous stages of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge in 2009, the year in which he won the Traditional Yacht of the Year Award.
Known Restoration:
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner/Guardian: (1914-1926) – Charles Plumtree Johnson, member of the RYS and the RTYC, son of the Queen’s personal physician
Owner/Guardian: Henry Sutton
Owner/Guardian: (1950) – Prince Rainier of Monaco, re-christened Deo Juvante (with God’s aid) The sovereign and Grace Kelly honeymooned onboard.
Owner/Guardian: (1960) – Count Scotti of Italy. rechristened Moonbeam 4
Owner/Guardian: (1995) – John and Francois Murray, major restoration in Burma