Left: Jolie Brise’s skipper for her first transatlantic crossing, Sid Briggs, greases the jaws of the gaffs prior to departure, and (top left) later in life with one of many models that he made of his favourite yacht over the course of a long seafaring life. Mid-Atlantic (centre) and an off-watch Martin keeps a friendly eye on things... Warneford (above) taught himself to navigate in order to join Jolie Brise for her first Fastnet victory in 1925
in a large dining hall filled with 200 members ‘thoroughly enjoying themselves’. Prohibition may have been the law but a cordon of policemen ringed the grounds to ensure the revelries were not disturbed. Warneford called it ‘pandemonium’, set
to the music of a quartet of musicians who marched round tables strumming banjos. ‘The bar was more or less in a condition that you wanted seaboots. They have strap hangers over the bar to hold themselves up to the job and any amount of cuspidors [spittoons], but I don’t think they used them much…’ The weary crew were invited to visit many yachts but pleaded sleep and returned to Jolie Brise. They were all offered life membership of the Larchmont Yacht Club which George thought ranked as ‘a sort of American Royal Thames’. ‘So began a time of entertainment and
thousands of miles of voyage were done. And they were welcomed with open
arms. The captain of the Carol, a fine Canadian schooner yacht, rowed over in his dinghy, wishing to assist; John Black- more, back in England, could have offered no more. Jolie Brise was soon stocked up with ‘beautiful pork sausages, greenstuff,
42 SEAHORSE
butter, bacon and fresh bread’, even before they braved the customs paperwork. Soon the yacht club launch, packed with cheer- ing revellers, appeared alongside carrying an invitation to dine with the Commodore at a party to celebrate the opening of the 1926 season. It was very strange, after over seven weeks at sea, to find themselves
sociability’, which lasted until they sailed from New London in the Bermuda Race, give or take time on the slips overhauling Jolie Brise’s gear and the task of revict- ualling her for the voyage home. Major Maclean-Buckley arrived from England by mail boat and George’s cousin, Cyril Holland Martin, appeared along with Herbert Stone, chairman of the Bermuda race committee. All eyes were on the visit- ing oddity, Jolie Brise, as she finally left for New London and the start of the race with an augmented crew of nine. Martin and his men set sail with a deep
sense of gratitude for the kindness and hospitality that had been offered them by yachtsmen from a nation as fascinated and excited as their own. The new era of ocean racing was about to dawn. Next month: from Newport to Bermuda q
MARTIN FAMILY
TEIGN HERITAGE MUSEUM
MARTIN FAMILY
WARNEFORD FAMILY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96
