Every five years there is a gathering on the Clyde of boats designed and built by William Fife Jr at his Fairlie yard. The third of a line of yacht designers and builders, Fife was a contemporary of Nat Herreshoff and Charles Nicholson. Among the famous racing yachts he designed and built were Tommy Lipton’s America’s Cup challengers Shamrock I and Shamrock III – and also Eric Tabarly’s original Pen Duick, which started life in 1898 under the name of Yum.
This year’s Fife Regatta included five races during the week of 21-27 June, divided into two classes according to size. Among the boats in Class 2 (the wee yins) was the gaff cutter Ayrshire Lass. 24 feet overall, 22 feet 3 ins on the waterline, 7 foot beam and 3 foot draft, she was built in 1887, making her the oldest boat in the Regatta, and the second smallest. She’s no slowcoach, though – four boats were rated slower by the handicap system.
Ayrshire Lass won the opening Class 2 race on the Sunday, but while others were having a lay day on Monday, she was out sailing again – this time with her former owner Lizzie Todrick on board, and taking her turn at crewing and helming. Now 94 years old, Lizzie bought Ayrshire Lass in 1939, shortly after she became the only female shipwright at the McGruers yard at the mouth of Loch Long. She repaired and maintained the craft for the next 40 years, and until 1977 she was a regular sight sailing Ayrshire Lass on the Clyde and to the Western Isles. Locals still talk of seeing her with the tiller wedged under her arm, knitting as she sailed.
For a full report on the Regatta, and the chance to buy a superb calenadr or a limited edition print of a watercolour by Alastair Houston, go to the Fife Regatta 2008 official site.
