Bear of Britain or Bob?

[emsworthy]

Am I the last one to spot this but it seems that much reviled ex-BP boss and supposedly super-rich playboy Tony Hayward may not have kept the yacht he apparently "owned" for too long.

As I recall his yacht "Bob", a Farr 52 dry sailed from Cowes, competed in the Round the Island watched by Hayward during the height of the US oil-spill under sail number GBR521R. I'm sure I read somewhere that this was actually the boat formerly known as Bear of Britain and was now owned by his syndicate. (Including the boss of Centrica I believe)

It seems today that GBR521R is once again called Bear of Britain and is under the management of UKSA. Looking at the two photographs it seems an extremely expensive paint job and renaming has occurred for a relatively short period of time.

Can anyone shed any light on this or is this an aspect of big bucks sailing that goes on all the time?

Bob

Bear of Britain

 

[farmerdan79]

I could swear that I saw Bob (as per 1st photo) in Cowes Yacht Haven on the day of the royal wedding, she was the same graphite color as the top picture, and had her name on the stern too...

 

[flaming]

Am I the last one to spot this but it seems that much reviled ex-BP boss and super-rich playboy Tony Hayward may not have kept the yacht he apparently "owned" for too long.

As I recall his yacht "Bob", a Farr 52 dry sailed from Cowes, competed in the Round the Island watched by Hayward during the height of the US oil-spill under sail number GBR521R. I'm sure I read somewhere that this was actually the boat formerly known and Bear of Britain and was now owned by his syndicate. (Including the boss of Centrica I believe)

It seems today that GBR521R is once again called Bear of Britain and is under the management of UKSA. Looking at the two photographs it seems an extremely expensive paint job and renaming has occurred for a relatively short period of time.

Can anyone shed any light on this or is this an aspect of big bucks sailing that goes on all the time?

Bob

Bear of Britain

The second photo pre-dates the first.

You can see this, as at the last re-fit a bowsprit was added (see pic 1) and even if you did go back to exactly the same paint job (inc sponsors) of a couple of years ago - they certainly wouldn't have removed the bowsprit.

 

[BobMod]

Was that Kitt Hobdays old boat originally.. I seem to remember he purchased a Farr 52 before his passing and didn't rename it to Independent Bear as he used to...?

Anyway.. Sounds like a nice duck and cover tax break.. Probably donated as a tax break/publicity and tracking separation..

 

[emsworthy]

I could swear that I saw Bob (as per 1st photo) in Cowes Yacht Haven on the day of the royal wedding, she was the same graphite color as the top picture, and had her name on the stern too...

I'm sure it was, it was there at the back end of last year too, but UKSA are definitely claiming she is with them now. Bowsprit included!

http://www.uksa.org/corporate/teambuild.asp

 

[flaming]

Was that Kitt Hobdays old boat originally.. I seem to remember he purchased a Farr 52 before his passing and didn't rename it to Independent Bear as he used to...?

Yes, was his, and it was apparently a condition of his estate that the boat not be called "Bear of Britain" by it's next owner.

Hence "BoB".

I did hear that Tony Howard had sold his share in the boat to the other syndicate holders as a result of the negative publicity surrounding the RTI.

 

[armchairsailor]

Can probably afford his own one after that golden parachute.

Perhaps UKSA leases/ charters it themselves for teambuilding days? I can't imagine that there are mant of those every year for them. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the sort of sydicate who would be savvy enough to do such a thing, captains of industry an' all...

 

[emsworthy]

Can probably afford his own one after that golden parachute.

Perhaps UKSA leases/ charters it themselves for teambuilding days? I can't imagine that there are mant of those every year for them. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the sort of sydicate who would be savvy enough to do such a thing, captains of industry an' all...

Totally agree, but I'm pretty sure they don't whip out the Awlgrip and stickers each time they do though. They'd therefore have to do some explaining to the booker each time that although I know it doesn't look like the one in the brochure it's the same boat... honest!!

 

[flaming]

I'm sure it was, it was there at the back end of last year too, but UKSA are definitely claiming she is with them now. Bowsprit included!

http://www.uksa.org/corporate/teambuild.asp

Well, if you're getting technical... The photo in that link features the oversize conventional pole stored on the deck, not the bowsprit, which was added at the same time as the graphite paint job - it's also an old photo!

I honestly have no idea as to the actual ownership of BoB, but it's hardly unusual for corporate charter companies to offer charters on boats that they don't actually own, but bring in from elsewhere to do the job. For example there are probably 10 companies claiming to be able to run events of up to about 20 boats in 40.7s. None of them own that many, they just charter them off each other and/or private owners looking for a little bit of income to pay the mooring fees.

 

[adam2b]

BOB was in its usual place on the hard at Cowes on Sunday, still Grey.

 

[emsworthy]

Well, if you're getting technical... The photo in that link features the oversize conventional pole stored on the deck, not the bowsprit, which was added at the same time as the graphite paint job - it's also an old photo!

I honestly have no idea as to the actual ownership of BoB, but it's hardly unusual for corporate charter companies to offer charters on boats that they don't actually own, but bring in from elsewhere to do the job. For example there are probably 10 companies claiming to be able to run events of up to about 20 boats in 40.7s. None of them own that many, they just charter them off each other and/or private owners looking for a little bit of income to pay the mooring fees.

Flaming -apologies I didn't mean to offend, the bowsprit comment was a little tongue in cheek I could see that it was actually a spi pole.

I'm also aware that if you added up the "theoretical fleet" of 40.7s and 44.7s in the Solent, if the various charter companies were to be believed, we'd not be able to move for the bloody things! A good friend's company does exactly the same thing.

My interest was more that either Tony Hayward wasn't the super-rich playboy he was portrayed as and had only chartered BoB for a season or two's campaigning, or UKSA have some explaining to do when their charterers pitch up and get given (what appears to be) a different boat to the one they paid for.

Idle curiousity on a quiet day!

 

[flaming]

My interest was more that either Tony Hayward wasn't the super-rich playboy he was portrayed as and had only chartered BoB for a season or two's campaigning, or UKSA have some explaining to do when their charterers pitch up and get given (what appears to be) a different boat to the one they paid for.

Idle curiousity on a quiet day!

I think anyone chartering on the basis of the photo, then turning up to the reality would probably assume they'd been upgraded! I had to look twice the first time I saw her afloat after the refit.

 

[emsworthy]

I think anyone chartering on the basis of the photo, then turning up to the reality would probably assume they'd been upgraded! I had to look twice the first time I saw her afloat after the refit.

I guess it depends whether the motivation was the name of the boat itself or the fact it was a Farr 52. (I suspect though the majority of "teambuilders" are non-sailors and therefore neither fact would have much relevance).

I suppose it would be a little different if you'd booked the Gipsy Moth experience and they stuck you on some other MAB!!!

 

[BobMod]

Hmmm a Farr 52 full of corporate types with no sailing experience (Sounds like the old racing crew of Kitts LMAO...) .... I'd reef that puppy down to a handkerchief.. and sling a drogue out back...

 

[farmerdan79]

Didn't Sunsail once have a couple of old America's cup boats for Corporate work? That must have been a bit interesting!