The Story of the Yacht Elver 1930 - Part One

Travels of the Yacht 'Elver' on the Essex and Suffolk coast including Harwich regatta with J-Class racing yachts

One of a series of films recording the travels of the schooner Elver, her owner V.B. Harrison, crew and guests. Scenes are shot from the Elver including adjustment of sails, sea, waves, buoys, coastline and passing boats, sometimes close enough to see crew in detail. Scenes include: crew emptying boxes of provisions at Oulton in readiness for a trip; sailing to West Mersea, past the Cork lightship; sleeping on deck (this suggests there are five on board); dinghies at West Mersea; Harwich Regatta with steamer Erin, yachts Lulworth, Shamrock and Candida (here spelt Candidia) with competitive racing of 12 metre yachts, and passing motorboats and seaplane, watched with friends on board (including two women); the yacht Patrona; Elver returning to Mersea through spray with wet decks.

Featured Events

Harwich Regatta 1930

Keywords

Boats; Sailing; Yacht racing; J Class yachts; 12 metre class yachts; Sea

Intertitles

Spelling as it appears on the intertitles: The story of the Yacht “Elver” 17 ton schooner Year 1930. Part One “Elver” 1930 taking cargo aboard Oulton Bound for West Mersea The exhausted crew Sunday morning West Mersea and some of the dinghys [dinghies] Harwich Regatta May 1930 The “Erin” The “Lulworth” The start of the big ‘uns Candidia [Candida] The 12 metres jockying [jockeying] for position Winnie B The Longs and Hugh Harrison watching the racing Homeward bound to Mersea The Patrona Nearing Mersea but Oh! H---! the wet sea!! End of Part One

Other Places

Oulton Broad, Suffolk Harwich, Essex

Background Information

Elver - “V.B. Harrison’s wishbone-rigged schooner Elver was built at Lymington in 1923 and was a familiar sight in the Blackwater, with moorings at West Mersea until the 1940s.” John Leather, The Salty Shore, Seafarer Books 2003. A published photograph of the yacht refers to Skipper Ron Pullen. Cork lightship - lightvessel on Cork Bank off Harwich. Erin – the Clyde-built steam yacht Erin owned by Sir Thomas Lipton. Lulworth – racing yacht built in Southampton 1920. Shamrock – a succession of racing yachts owned by Sir Thomas Lipton. Shamrock V was built and started racing 1930, the first British yacht to be built to the new J-Class Rule. Candida – racing yacht built 1929 and converted to the J-Class. Patrona – a smaller yacht