BEKEN OF COWES


Above: Coweslip sails past HM Yacht Britannia in 1960


circumstances had changed and he agreed to sell her to the ISC. The laying of the new Dragon’s keel on 12 May 1948 renewed Camper & Nicholson’s links to the royal family: the yard had refitted Britannia for George V and built the two schooners Hildegarde and Aline which had been owned by Edward VII.


As work progressed in Gosport, the royal couple considered how to strike the right balance between the perceptions of royal yachting, created by George V’s Britannia, and the more modest style of the Dragon class. Prince Philip wanted a name that reflected the Dragon’s smaller size and arrived at the name Bluebottle through a careful association of Dragon – Dragonfly – Blue (her colour) – Bluefly – Bluebottle. Sadly, the choice attracted criticism that it was flippant and an insult to the donors.


BLUEBOTTLE BLUE Fortunately, Bluebottle’s colour scheme proved more straightforward. Initially, it was decided to adopt the ‘royal blue’ previously used for Britannia, but Charles Nicholson thought this was too dark for a small hull and recommended a slightly lighter shade of blue instead, with red below the waterline, and a red cove line. These colours were complemented by the suit of royal blue sails and the daffodil yellow spinnaker (the second suit were plain white). The ‘Bluebottle blue’ was later used for the hull of the new HM Yacht Britannia, while Bluebottle’s red cove line was changed to match Britannia’s gold line. The royal couple’s commitments enabled them to attend only a few regattas each year, yet Britannia had clearly demonstrated how the presence of a royal yacht at any


60 CLASSIC BOAT MAY 2012


regatta could help to generate interest in the sport of yachting as a whole. The Admiralty agreed to appoint a naval officer as a part-time sailing master to race Bluebottle on the royal couple’s behalf. The role evolved into a full-time job in the summer months as Bluebottle’s programme became increasingly adventurous. The seven sailing masters were supported by Clive Smith, who joined Bluebottle in 1948 as the paid hand. During her 14 seasons of competition, Bluebottle became one of the most travelled UK-built Dragons, with visits to Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Monaco, Italy, Portugal, and France. The highlight of her career came in 1956 when she won the bronze medal at the Melbourne Olympic Games at the hands of her sailing master, Lt Cdr Graham Mann. Bluebottle also raced extensively in home waters, providing Prince Philip with a few opportunities to race her himself in between his naval and, later, royal commitments. Prior to the commissioning of HM Yacht Britannia in 1954, Prince Philip chartered a small motor yacht for accommodation during Cowes Week and met local boatbuilder Uffa Fox, who offered his assistance. The pair subsequently became close friends and regularly sailed together on Prince Philip’s various boats. Eventually, Bluebottle was no longer competitive with the newer Dragons, so in 1961 the Queen and Prince Philip decided the time had come to withdraw her from racing rather than watch her slip gracefully down the result sheets. Bluebottle’s final series of races on the Medway that autumn provided the perfect conclusion to her racing career with two first prizes.


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