HRH The Duke of Edinburgh RIP

[Frogmogman]

I think it worth a mention of the Duke of Edinburgh crossing the bar.

As most of us know, as well as his distinguished career with the Grey Funnel Line, he was an enthusiastic sailor, with his Dragon "Bluebottle" and his 1936 Nicholson 63' "Bloodhound". For many years he raced at Cowes with Uffa Fox on his flying fifteen "Coweslip", and was often seen at the helm of Owen Aisher's Yeoman series of yachts.

When Keith Beken died, I read a lovely story of the Duke bumping into him in Cowes High Street, with " Ah! Beken. Do you know, you are the only photographer who I'm always happy to see" ?

RIP

 

[KompetentKrew]

This thread needs more pics.

‘I know you will never think much of me. I am rude and unmannerly and I say many things out of turn which I realise afterwards must have hurt someone. Then I am filled with remorse and I try to put matters right.’​

 

[Kukri]

There’s a thread next door,

https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?threads/prince-philip-rip.563467/

but let’s by all means have a sailing one here.

 

[MADRIGAL]

A fine man, a fine sailor, and a fine example of a life of duty and service. The UK and the Commonwealth are fortunate to have had Prince Philip among us for most of his 99 years. RIP, HRH.

 

[Frogmogman]

This thread needs more pics.

​

Here you go. Seen sailing here at Cowes on Yeoman XXVIII in 1993 with his 1st cousin once removed, 1960 Dragon Olympic Gold medallist, King Constantine II of Greece

 

[Mark-1]

I've always loved the shots of the Royal Family Sailing Holiday in Scotland. I can certainly relate to that:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1032621380934754305

 

[Frogmogman]

Princess Anne is looking a bit sulky in those photos. Ironic really, as she seems to be the only one of his children who really got bitten by the sailing bug.

 

[doug748]

She does not seem to mind letting her feelings be known : -) .

I don't think the Duke had any time for people pissing about. Anne is the only one that really matches his mettle.

.

 

[Bajansailor]

Here you go. Seen sailing here at Cowes on Yeoman XXVIII in 1993 with his 1st cousin once removed, 1960 Dragon Olympic Gold medallist, King Constantine II of Greece

Was that a Sigma 38, one of the last (or the last?) Yeomen?
I wonder if he invited the rest of the crew to stay on board Britannia as well?

Having Britannia moored off Cowes must be the ultimate way to 'do' Cowes Week!
Especially so when racing Dragons (I think he had one called Bluebottle?)
I remember that Britannia was always a familiar landmark during Cowes Week in the 80's and early 90's.
HMY Britannia - Wikipedia
And she was a regular visitor to the Caribbean during the winter seasons.
I do think it is a crying shame that no Govt saw fit to replace Britannia when she was retired.

 

[Frogmogman]

Was that a Sigma 38, one of the last (or the last?) Yeomen?

I do think it is a crying shame that no Govt saw fit to replace Britannia when she was retired.

Spot on, it's a Sigma 38. You win a cookie.

One of my acquaintances, Richard (also a Southampton Naval Architect, but of the Solent variety), surveyed Britannia, and did the calculations for her new role as a permanently berthed tourist attraction in Leith. He told me that the ship was structurally in fantastic condition, that he'd seen new builds on slips in worse nick. He maintains that it could have been perfectly viable to massively cut her operating costs by removing the steam turbines and replacing them with diesels, as there was no longer any need for her to be able to do 20kts, her role having evolved from being a means of transport for the Royals to being a floating residence that could be moved from place to place.

I do remember when I was living down in SW France what a stir it caused in Bordeaux when HM the Queen came on an official visit in 1992. Britannia was moored in the Gironde, Mitterrand dined on board, and many of the local great and good were entertained. Certainly an invitation that nobody would turn down; an excellent tool for diplomacy.

I always felt it was rather mean spirited to take Britannia away, (even more so when one sees how Presidential our Prime Ministers seem to have become, painting up planes to their own greater glory etc.) Clearly the annual summer cruise in the Western Isles was one of the great pleasures of the Queen and the Duke. Maybe politically it was a mistake that Britannia didn't go to the Falklands as a hospital ship, which secondary role was always ascribed to her in Jane's fighting ships. It might have been easier to justify her continued service had she gone to the South Atlantic.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Maybe politically it was a mistake that Britannia didn't go to the Falklands as a hospital ship, which secondary role was always ascribed to her in Jane's fighting ships. It might have been easier to justify her continued service had she gone to the South Atlantic.

There was, as I recall, a suggestion that because she was so old, she used a different fuel from all modern naval ships and would therefore have required special bunkering arrangements to go to the Falklands. I would have like to see her refurbished or replaced - though in the latter case not by something as irredeemably vulgar as most "superyachts".

 

[Deleted member 36384]

... I always felt it was rather mean spirited to take Britannia away, (even more so when one sees how Presidential our Prime Ministers seem to have become, painting up planes to their own greater glory etc.)

It is symptomatic of the way our whole maritime heritage is managed today. There is no interest in it, or at least very little whether from schools that are by the sea to shipbuilding to marine tourism. I don't know why that is, as an island nation it just appears to be short sighted that our love of the sea is not more ingrained.

 

[E39mad]

A little anecdote following the passing of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh:

1989 Cowes Week, I have finished at Southampton college and I am crew on the on Fraggle, a First Class Europe (Beken picture below). Our fleet started 10 minutes behind the Sigma 38 fleet one of which Yeoman was helmed by HRH. Our boats were quicker and we would usually pass their fleet on the first downwind leg. There were some gobby guys in our fleet and one shouted over when passing HRH on the first spinnaker leg: "Oi Stavros....don't gybe in my effing water" to which there was an immediate retort from Prince Phillip who didn't even turn to look at the offender "It's my wife's water and I can gybe where I bloody well like" The gobby guy didn't have a response to that!

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Here you go. Seen sailing here at Cowes on Yeoman XXVIII in 1993 with his 1st cousin once removed, 1960 Dragon Olympic Gold medallist, King Constantine II of Greece

King Constantine was often sailing the Finns at the sailing club I used to sail when I was just about a teenager; down to earth and one of the ladds.

 

[SaltIre]

Was that a Sigma 38, one of the last (or the last?) Yeomen?
I wonder if he invited the rest of the crew to stay on board Britannia as well?

Having Britannia moored off Cowes must be the ultimate way to 'do' Cowes Week!
Especially so when racing Dragons (I think he had one called Bluebottle?)
I remember that Britannia was always a familiar landmark during Cowes Week in the 80's and early 90's.
HMY Britannia - Wikipedia
And she was a regular visitor to the Caribbean during the winter seasons.
I do think it is a crying shame that no Govt saw fit to replace Britannia when she was retired.

Yup:

Royal Yachting Association pays tribute to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

 

[KompetentKrew]

Any chance we could keep this thread to a celebration of Phil's life, and save the politics for the lounge?

 

[Moderator]

Any chance we could keep this thread to a celebration of Phil's life, and save the politics for the lounge?

The posts regarding the politics of a new Royal Yacht are in a new thread in Current Affairs here:
https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?th...ory-of-hrh-relocated-from-scuttlebutt.563589/

Rod

 

[Frogmogman]

Yup:
View attachment 113323
Royal Yachting Association pays tribute to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

I seem to remember that HRH ended up giving Bluebottle to BRNC Dartmouth. She was certainly on a mooring there in the late 70s.

 

[Frogmogman]

Any chance we could keep this thread to a celebration of Phil's life, and save the politics for the lounge?

I agree. My apologies; I allowed myself to be sidetracked.

 

[SaltIre]

I seem to remember that HRH ended up giving Bluebottle to BRNC Dartmouth. She was certainly on a mooring there in the late 70s.

She was at BRNC for ~40 years, apparently:
Royal Yacht Bluebottle to feature at 2020 British Dragon Open National Championship
Edinburgh Cup Dragon Championships 2021 on the Forth | British Dragon Association