A sailboat as a royal wedding gift
Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth 2 of England, who passed away on April 9, 2021, enjoyed sailing. If royal yachts are known more generally for their splendor and size, in the image of the Britannia the Windsor fleet also includes some smaller boats! On their wedding day in 1949, the royal couple received a small sportsboat, called Coweslip, from the inhabitants of the town of Cowes.
A successful sport keelboat
It is a Flying Fifteen, a model designed by the successful British naval architect Uffa Fox in 1947. Intended for double-handed racing, this 6 meter long keelboat has slender lines. Its shallow 182 kg ballast allows it to keep a limited draft of 76 cm. With a displacement of 329 kg, the Flying Fifteen remains transportable and has attracted many yachtsmen around the world, particularly in the Commonwealth, with class associations in nine countries: Australia, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain. More than 4,000 have been built since 1949, and new yachts are still being built today.
Its modern shape for the time, combined with its 13.93 m² of sail area, offers the possibility of nice downwind surfs. A precursor for its time, it has a spinnaker swallower to facilitate delivery and lowering.
A photogenic royal ship
Coweslip is without a doubt the most famous Flying Fifteen. Carrying the number 192, she is one of the oldest, with a nice varnished wooden deck. After first sailing in Malta where Prince Philip was, she joined the United Kingdom in 1951. Coweslip regularly participated in major regattas, such as the Cowes Week, with the Queen's husband and the architect Uffa Fox himself as crew. She was immortalized several times by the famous photographer Beken.
Coweslip is also used for the nautical training of Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
The boat gave its name to the Coweslip Trophy which rewards the Australian champion of Flyintg Fifteen.
