Eights in Britain

 

After World War I British yachting revived very slowly, but soon 8s were turning out regularly on the Solent and the Clyde. Great Britain was represented by an 8M in each of the pre-1939 Olympic regattas, in challenges for the International Seawanhaka Cup and annual matches against France for the Coupe de France. In the 1930s some nine 8s were racing on the Solent and eight on the Clyde. The 1938 Lloyd's Register of Yachts lists eight 8s designed by Fife, seven by C.E. Nicholson, two by Alfred Mylne, three by Johan Anker, one by Bjarne Aas, one by Frank Morgan- Giles, two by the amateur designer Sir Thomas Glen-Coats, who had already designed two successful 8s, and one by another amateur FJ “Wee John” Stephens. In that year nine 8s raced on the Solent; none sailed in less than 50 races and SASKIA ended on top with 14 firsts out of 56 starts.

Whilst attention has often been given to the dominance of the United States 12-Metre VIM (Harold S Vanderbilt) when she visited British waters in 1939, the USA's 8M ISKAREEN also came over that year and achieved great success.

 

After 1974 there were no events for the class in British waters, and boats continued to be sold off abroad. Then came the very enjoyable and highly successful 2007 Centennial World Championship regatta run by the Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club. In all 22 boats competed, the entries being from Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. The competitors started each race together but competed within three groups: Moderns, Classics and First Rule 8s. The most elderly entrant was THE TRUANT, a 1910 Fife gaff-rigged boat. The return of the now Australian-owned SASKIA to Scottish waters, after an absence of some 70 years, gave particular pleasure locally.

Immediately after the RN&CYC event the class had a place in the Centenary Metre Regatta run by the Royal Yacht Squadron on the Solent. Despite severe flooding cutting off some roads between the North and South of England, ATHENA and SASKIA arrived South in time to compete against six other 8s and two 8CRs. SASKIA ended her season in British waters by winning every race.

The 2007 events stimulated interest in the Eights, leading to a meeting of British Eight-Metre owners in London in December 2008 to form the British International Eight-Metre Association, and a first British Open Eight-Metre regatta was arranged for 2009. Sadly the financial crisis and other factors snuffed the new interest, and nothing the regatta did not draw sufficient support to take place. Although there are ten active British Eights they are widely dispersed geographically and class racing has not proved possible. On the Solent there are three boats - SIRIS, currently de-commissioned, and ATHENA, with the new boat FLIRT8IOUS awaiting completion. Only ATHENA is out and racing, and since 2007 she has been berthed for Cowes Week in the Royal Yacht Squadron Haven alongside the still highly successful MIKADO, a 1904 Clyde Restricted 30-footer belonging to the class which preceded the 8s in the North and which was permitted to race with the Eights under the First Rule. These elegant yachts attract much attention and admiration.