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Houri

Basics

Class:	International 6 Metre Rule: First metre rule
Sail no:	GBR3	Home port:	Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Year designed:	1911	Country:	United Kingdom
Year built:	1911	Current Status:	Not in commission: Mid-restoration
Designed by:	Arthur E. Payne
Built by:	Alexander McDonald & Co., Woolston, Southampton, United Kingdom

Rig: Originally Lug Sloop, but will be Bermudan
Construction: Originally 33'0" (Bowsprit 2'6")ûOriginal sail area = 570 sq. ft.ûCarvel: Mahogany planking on American Elm framesûBowsprit: 2'6"

Measurements

Specify units

LOA:	33ft 0"in	Displacement:	d/k
LWL:	22ft 420in	Trim tab:	No
Beam:	d/k	Wings on keel:	No
Draft:	4ft 204in	L (Measured):	d/k
Luff (A) IRC (P):	d/k	Date of last measurement certificate:	d/k
Fore triangle (J):	d/k	Measurer:	d/k
Foot (B) IRC (E):	d/k	IRC Rating:	d/k
Sail area:	d/k	n year:	d/k

History

This section records what is known about the past history of the boat.
Complete one row for each change of name, sail number, location and/or owner and the year in which the change(s) occurred. The current owner is not displayed unless permission has been given.

Year acquired: 2000; Current owner: Mr David Seer,

Year: 1985; Previous owner: Peter Sillet
Year: d/k; Previous owner: Maj. Henry Maitland Kersey DSO
Year: 1965; Previous owner: Leonard. C. House
Year: 1957; Previous owner: Donald P. Bunday
Year: 1945; Previous owner: Mr. Harrington
Year: 1936; Previous owner: Fredman Ashe Lincoln Q.C. R.N.V.R.
Year: 1932; Previous owner: D. F. R. Evans & R. W. Aldridge
Year: 1912; Previous sail no: changed
Year: 1911; Previous sail no: L13; Previous owner: Edward John "Jack" Baker & Harold Richard William Wintle FRGS

Restorations & Modifications:

Year

Name, Address of restorer

Details

Story

Use this section to note any anecdotes, successes, etc. or add any notes

Houri was the last International Rule yacht designed by Arthur Edward Philip Payne, and the first of two built by Alexander MacDonald & Co. at the Ferry Yard, Woolston, on the East bank of the River Itchen, roughly where the Itchen Bridge now stands. She was comissioned by a young Edward John "Jack" Baker of Hasfield Court in Gloucester, and his tutor and friend Harold Richard William Wintle FRGS. Originally the pair were reportedly planning to build a Seven Metre.

Through a number of her previous owners, Houri has links (some more tenuous than others) to a number of well known people, places and events:

Edward Baker was the son of William Meath Baker, of Hasfiled Court. He in turn was a close friend of Edward Elgar, and is said to be the subject of the fourth of the Enigma Variations, entitled WMB.

Later, she was owned by the one time British representative to the America's Cup commitee, Maj. Henry Maitland Kersey DSO (see http://www.angloboerwar.com/DSO/k/kersey_hm.htm), who lived at the same address as Phileas Fogg. He was a close aquaintance and business associate of Sir Hugh Andrew Montagu Allan CVO (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagu_Allan), and a director of the Allan Royal Mail Line. Subsequently, he appears to have been instrumental in the takeover of the Allan Line by Canadian Pacific (see http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/cp04.html). Sir H. M. Allan's wife and two of his three daughters were also aboard the RMS Lusitania when she was torpedoed and sunk off The Old Head of Kinsale during the first world war.

Shortly before the second world war, she came into the ownership of Fredman Ashe Lincoln, a prominent member of Jewish society, a well known Queens Counsel, a member of the RNVR, and latterly a conservative MP. His son is now Senior Rabbi at the Park Avenue Synagogue in New York. There is a short biography, and a very good photograph at http://www.dangoor.com/72page24.html and his obituary can be found at http://www.oldhabs.com/Obits/Lincoln_FA.html

Unfortunately, her short racing career was less than illustrious. Initially, Harold Wintle put this down to a mixture of bad luck, poor equipment, and a poor mainsail. Firstly, to redress the issue of luck, she had her origninal Sail Number changed from L-13 for the 1912 season, then she had a new suit of sails form Ratsey & Lapthorn, the originals having been made by Cranfield & Carter. As for the issue of poor equipment, one can only speculate. However towards the end of her fisrt season, she had a particularly bad day, about which Wintle commented, "Each day she carried away something, and then finally her mast".

Lloyds Register holds only a first entry report, and no drawings are known to exist. Beken of Cowes holds three photographs, all taken in 1948. Plate Nos. 28312, 28313 & 28314. At the time of writing, the owner also has the original sail cutting templates, from the Cranfield & Carter archive.

Uploaded Pictures & Documents

Sources & References

Use this section to note any web resources or published references to this boat


Registers/Yard Lists:

• Basil Carmody's 6mR Research, edited by Tim Street & Pekka Barck : 192

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