We are very pleased to report that Coweslip, is now on display alongside the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh.
The 15 foot, two-person keelboat is on loan to the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust and is now on display in Edinburgh for visitors to enjoy. Designed and built by legendary sailor Uffa Fox, the Flying Fifteen was launched in June 1949 and, in the words of Uffa, it was “a sensible, safe boat, that was fun to sail as well, for the rough and tumble of tidal waters around the UK”.
Coweslip is the most famous of the Flying Fifteens keelboats, having been presented to Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip as a wedding present in 1949. Prince Philip frequently sailed on Coweslip with Uffa Fox and, together, they had great success sailing competitively, including winning the Britannia Cup in 1952 and in fact, in 1962 at Cowes, Coweslip nearly sank when she was hit by a gust of wind and capsized, throwing both Uffa and The Duke into the water.
Uffa Fox was born on the Isle of Wight and raised in East Cowes and was responsible for many of the developments which have contributed to the modern popularity of Dinghy sailing.
Chief Executive of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, Bob Downie said, “We are delighted to have Coweslip on display, particularly in the 70th Anniversary year of the Flying Fifteens. We are extremely grateful to have the opportunity for this famous yacht to be viewed alongside Britannia.”
Mark McNeill, Director of the Classic Boat Museum added, 'I am so glad that Coweslip has safely arrived in Edinburgh and will be seen by many thousands of visitors every year. The Royal Yacht Britannia is one of Scotland's leading visitor attractions and we are thrilled that the Cowes Classic Boat Museum is able to connect from afar with more and more people'
For more information regarding Coweslip and the Royal Yacht please visit their website at: http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/about/coweslip/