'Ancora'
Would you like to sail her?
And will you help save her?
She is an important part of our maritime heritage - for her design, and for winning Olympic Gold in 1920!
Designed and built by Morgan Giles in 1913
Won Gold in 7m class at Antwerp Olympics 1920
Olympions: Robert Coleman, Dorothy and Cyril Wright,
William Maddison
How can you help?
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By joining in on a shared ownership scheme and a unique opportunity to restore, sail and enjoy this wonderful yacht that will ensure that she passes on to future generations?
A co-operative group is to be formed that will first help manage and fund the necessary restoration work on the boat. In so doing they will form a cohesive team that will meet the challenge of again seeing the boat in the water - an enthralling prospect for all involved who can eagerly look forward to the delights of sailing this marvellous yacht.
A N C O R A
The Opportunity - a rare one - to join the team
There are but few occasional chances to find the means to sail a classic boat today, but here is an exceptional one, here right now, and one you could now join.
Think about it, for here is a proposition not to miss, but seize – I am forming a team of like minded sailors who will draw on each other’s experience and interests to make this proposal work. No need to worry about all the problems and expense that might flood into your mind when thinking about owning a classic boat. Instead, join a friendship that will share the cost, the expense and the management of the boat.
It’s the sensible thing to do, for it will take a crew of maybe four to sail the boat in race conditions, or heavy weather, so this could be the ideal number to form a partnership that will look after the boat and share the responsibility.
Just imagine, you could be stood in the cockpit of Ancora, leaning back against the combing with the tiller tugging at the grasp of your hand, looking up at the huge belly of the main sail driving the boat on relentlessly whilst you keep the bow steady lining up the next headland,
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About ANCORA
1913 Designed and built by Morgan Giles
Dimensions: 40ft (12m) LOA
24ft (7.2m) LWL
6ft 4ins (1.9m) Draught
6ft 4ins (1.9m) Beam
Built at Hythe Yard on Southampton Water for
Colonel Bucknell
Construction: carvel mahogany planking below water line, pine above.
Sail plan originally gunter rigged as photographs.
Sail Number K3
1920 Won Gold Medal for 7m class at Antwerp Olympics
crewed by Robert Coleman, Dorothy and
Cyril Wright, William Maddison
1967 Listed at Lloyds register and shown belonging to
N R Barkwell junior from Teignmouth. Rebuilding of some sort in 1958 and 1964, and referred to in
Lloyds No 165875
Change of rig likely at this point to Bermudan
Sail Number changed to 1135
Redecked to accomodate new dog house.
1987 New owner Barry McIlroy - Wilmslow.
Undertook further restoration work.
2007 New owner Stephen j Hall- Newcastle upon Tyne
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Teignmouth and Shaldon Museum, Devon
were able to provide a copy of the sail plan for Ancora, a fortunate find in their surviving Morgan
Giles records. Records from the Hythe
boat yard where Giles operated from in his early years
were mostly lost in a fire.
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W E L C O M E
The Team
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Firstly, everyone will be equal in status, no matter what their background. All experience will be pooled to form a partnership along the lines of the RYA boat owner share scheme that sets down how the ownership of the boat will be managed, such as work to be undertaken, maintenance, distribution of costs, sailing time, etc..
The assumption will be that there should be unilateral agreement on all decisions.
Also, there will be provision for passing on or selling a team member’s share should circumstances require it.
The Aim
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The aim is to bring back to life an important part of our marine heritage from the days when yachts were designed to seduce and look beautiful as well as sail with grace and elegance. At a time of great changes in leisure activities and life style, boat designers and builders in Britain were a major influence on the world sailing scene.
The rarity of these stunning yachts today only makes us appreciate the skill of their craftmanship and the sheer excitement of sailing them again to relive the pleasure and competitive sailing world they were built for.
Just imagine, you could be stood in the cockpit of Ancora, leaning back against the combing with the tiller tugging in the grasp of your hand, looking up at the huge belly of the main sail driving the boat on relentlessly whilst you keep the bow steady, lining up the next headland, weaving your way through the succession of white tops and feeling the chill of the wind on the quarter buffeting your sou’ wester. What more joy?
This project may well be an important example for others to follow, who are thinking of taking on a similar task, in this case, an important yacht, and maintaining it for future generations to enjoy.
Consequently, the project may benefit from the status of a trust or charitable organisation, which the partnership should consider.
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The Shipwright and Yard
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David Moss has undertaken preliminary work on the boat and will carry on with the restoration in his yard at Thornton-Cleveleys. His work on wooden boats is of an exceptionally high standard and his knowledge of building them and restoration work absolutely invaluable. This project will be another exemplary example of his dedicated work over the many years he has been restoring and building classic wooden boats.
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