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Our
Contacts |
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Portsmouth UK |
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8 Hatherley Cresent
Portchester
Fareham
Hants
PO16 9DE |
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Tel: +44 (0)
1329 510051
E-mail: contact@victoryclass.org.uk
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History |
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The Victory Class was
founded in 1934 to race dayboats out of
Portsmouth Harbour. The boats have their
origins in the Bembridge One Design boats
designed by Alfred Westmacott. The class was
formed under the auspices of the
Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir John Kelly,
the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Sir Harold
Pink and Mr Harry Brickwood.
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The Victory Class had
its first race on Saturday, June 2,
1934. On the same day, Endeavour 1
made her bow in a big boat regatta at
Harwich. She was designed and built at
Gosport by the same Charles Nicholson
who designed the new Victory rig - and
was destined to come closest to taking
the America's Cup from the Americans
before the Australians succeeded 49
years later. |
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Several boats from
Bembridge formed the nucleus of the
Class in 1934. A design was agreed
which closely resembledthe Bembridge
boats and was described then as a 20'
9" clinker built boat with a beam of
5' 10", draft 2' 6" carrying 195 sq.
ft of sail and with half a ton of
ballast on the keel. Roller reefing
was provided for the mainsail.
Bermudan rig was adopted in place of
the Bembridge gaff. At the time the
Portsmouth Evening News considered
them "Among the finest, safest and
sturdiest racing boats in the world."
Current members still believe this to
be the case! |
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The class remains
very much in Portsmouth with a small
fleet raced in Gibraltar. Due to the
close ties with the Royal Navy many of
the Victory boats were sold to
Gibraltar and we understand a fleet of
approximately 12 boats still race
there regularly, but there is little
contact between the two fleets. The
only surviving boat to race in the
first race in Portsmouth in 1934, Z12
Waterwitch, now races with the
Gibraltar Victory Fleet. |
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The fleet were at Cowes for
the first time in 1934 and have raced there
continually since. Developments took place
and boats were permitted to fly spinnakers
in the second season in which 21 boats were
available. Racing has been continous but
there is a poignant note in the racing
secretary's copy of the race for 2nd
September 1939 -"Not sailed - war imminent".
There has been a total of 65 Victory boats
built and the class is proud to be able to
trace all but a few. |
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