sailscotland 2020

The Fife Yachts From the Clyde to the America’s Cup and back again

 Fife Yachts © Marc Turner PFM Pictures

The Firth of Clyde has long been associated with high quality boat building and tenacious sailors. The Fife classic yachts are a shining example of the amazing skill and determination of the local people here in Ayrshire. In 2020, we will see the Fife Regatta return to Largs as part of the celebration of The Year of Coasts and Waters. This gives anyone lucky enough to be in the area from the 4th-11th June the chance to see these world-class iconic yachts in action.

Being from Fairlie myself, I’ve always been fascinated by the history of these beautiful wooden yachts. As a child, I used to peek into the derelict sheds which still stood on the beach and imagine the draughtsmen, carpenters and other skilled workers beavering away, crafting these amazing vessels right there on the beach my small village. When William Fife I started his boatbuilding enterprise, there was only a sawpit and a blacksmith’s smithy on the shore and the boats were constructed in the open on the beach. From these humble beginnings, grew a great yacht building business using cutting edge design and the techniques of master craftsmen. William Fife II joined the business when he was 18 and built yacht Stella in 1849 followed by many other notable yachts. By 1902 when William Fife II died, the yard took

sail scotland 2020

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