Westward (racing schooner)

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john sefton
Posts: 1816
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Westward (racing schooner)

Post by john sefton » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:35 pm

Westward was launched on March 31, 1910 as hull number 692 at the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. in Bristol, Rhode Island, USA. She was arguably one of the most famous and best known racing schooners in the world. She was designed by Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, the ‘Wizard of Bristol’, the designer of the America’s Cup defenders which turned back all six challenges from 1893 to 1920. Westward was undoubtedly the fastest schooner in the world in 1910 and in the following years. With Captain Charlie Barr, who was one of the finest racing skippers in the world at her helm, she sailed successfully against racing yachts like Britannia, Lulworth, Meteor II, and won numerous trophies. For thirty seven years, Westward had graced the yachting scene and represented all that was best in yacht design and workmanship.
http://www.yachteleonora.com
Jersey SG405/08
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aukepalmhof
Posts: 7791
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: Westward (racing schooner)

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:05 am

Built as steel hulled yacht under yard No. 692 by Herreshoff Manufacturing Co. Bristol, R.I. for Alexander S.Cochran from New York.
31 March 1910 launched under the name WESTWARD, christened by Mrs. A. Livingstone Beekman.
Tonnage 323 gross, dim. 41.4 x 8.3 x 5.1m.
Schooner rigged. Sail area 13.455 square feet. About 75 ts keel ballast
Crew 32. Her flag signal was KSNP

Nathaniel G Herreshof designed the yacht. Under skipper Charles Bevis she sailed from Brenton Reef to Southampton in April 1910 in fourteen days. Then she raced very successful in the Kiel Regatta, Germany in June, where she won the Emperor's Cup in a four-race series.
During one of these races she came in collision with German's Kaisers yacht the METEOR VI, the latter got a broken bowsprit in the collision.
The WESTWARD returned to the English south coast, and continued to win, until an arbitrary midseason change in her handicap rating made her unable to compete realistic.
When suddenly her skipper Bevis died the next year, Cochran sold the yacht in 1913 to a rich North German yacht syndicate the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein in Hamburg, who renamed the yacht in HAMBURG II.
During World War I she was laid up until 1919

1919 Bought by Mr. Clarence Hatry, who did give back her old name WESTWARD. She was not raced much by him.
1923 Bought by the wealthy South African sport- and yachtsman Thomas Benjamin Davis. (on Jersey 1985 13p sg 377 http://doug-jersey.freeservers.com/TB%2 ... 0intro.htm ) He was born on Jersey, and most of his crew on board the yacht were from Jersey.
Under his command she raced against competitors like the "ASTRA", "BLUENOSE", "BRITANNIA", "CAMBRIA", "WHITE HEATHER" and "SHAMROCK V". 5 August 1935 she beat every other vessel in the Royal Yacht Squadron's Regatta including a clutch of J-yachts.
When in 1936 King George V died a friend and racing rival of Davis, he declared the racing days were over for the "WESTWARD", and used her only for cruising. An Ailsa Craig auxiliary engine was fitted in.
During World War II the yacht was laid up at Dartmouth.
Davis died in 1942 in South Africa; the WESTWARD was 5 years later on 15 July 1947 at 12.45 pm sunk at Hurd Deep in the English Channel.

Source Ships of the World by Lincoln Paine. .http://www.schooner-eleonora.com/famous.htm http://doug-jersey.freeservers.com/Westward.htm
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