Classic Boat — November 2017

(Barré) #1
BEKEN OF COWES

CLASSIC BOAT NOVEMBER 2017 29

O


n 6 April, 1963, two new boats were
launched in Cowes, both with the same
purpose in mind: to win the Admiral’s
Cup. Outlaw was launched at Souter’s,
while around 25 minutes later and less
than half a mile downstream, Clarion of Wight was
launched at Lallow’s. They were part of a new crop of
boats built specifically to win the cup, which in 1963 had
taken place just three times, but which was having a
galvanising effect on yacht racing internationally. The
Admiral’s Cup series comprised the Channel Race, two
inshore races during Cowes Week and then the Fastnet
Race. Each nation’s team was made up of three yachts.
The inaugural Admiral’s Cup in 1957 had been won
by Great Britain, which retained it in 1959, but lost to
the USA in 1961. British yachtsmen were determined to
win it back and so it was that in 1963, no fewer than 14
yachts, more than half purpose-built, including Outlaw
and Clarion of Wight, took part in the British trials.
The Illingworth and Primrose-designed Outlaw was
built for newspaper proprietor Sir Max Aitken and
Robert Lowein, and the Sparkman & Stephens Clarion
for industrialists Dennis Miller and Derek Boyer, and
both boats showed early promise. Two months later
Yachting World reported that “after weeks of anxiety for
the owners”, the British team would be Outlaw, Clarion
and Ron Amey’s Noryema III.
They were up against France, Sweden, Germany,
Holland and the USA. Britain was in last place after the
Channel Race, but did better in the inshore Britannia
Cup to move up to third overall. In the third race, the
New York YC Cup, Clarion was first, with Outlaw and
Noryema second and third. The British were now second
overall. So it was all to play for in the triple-scoring
Fastnet Race, but things started badly for the two
Cowes-built British boats. Outlaw broke her gooseneck
and she crossed the start line under headsails alone,
while the crew effected a repair; and Clarion (on
starboard tack) had a collision with the French
Primevere (on port but claiming water). Both lodged a
protest and carried on racing. British luck endured:
Outlaw finished seventh after her gooseneck repair held,
Noryema was ninth after winning her protest, and
Clarion was declared the overall winner of the 127-boat
Fastnet fleet. Britain had won back the Admiral’s Cup.
I was just nine years old at the time and the three
yachts’ names have been etched in my mind ever since. It
was a thrill when recently I got the chance to sail on two
of them, Clarion and Outlaw, both well looked after and
still being raced, but neither in their home waters.
The last Admiral’s Cup was in 2003, however Cup
fever is high in Australia, where there is a major regatta
in Sydney in December marking the Australians’ first win
in the event, 50 years ago. Perhaps it’s the perfect time to
look back at two historic British yachts...

Outlaw, launched in Cowes on 6 April, 1963, also
went on to win the Admiral’s Cup that summer!

CB353 Clarion/Outlaw.indd 29 26/09/2017 13:17

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