Velsheda
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Velsheda is the name of a sailing yacht that was built in 1933 by the Camper & Nicholsons shipyard in Gosport according to the J-class rules . Her sail number is J-K7.
The commissioner of the American businessman William Stephenson, owner was a chain of British Woolworth - branches . Stevenson named the yacht after the first syllables of the first names of his three daughters Vel ma, She ila and Da phne.
Today the Velsheda is owned by the Dutch businessman Ronald de Waal .
Emergence
Before the Velsheda, Stevenson already owned the White Heather II , which he had converted in 1930 according to the J-class rule. In regattas , however, this ship was not competitive with modern designs and so he had a new ship designed by Charles Nicholson . The lead of the keel of the White Heather II was melted down and reused for the keel of the Velsheda.
The design was state-of-the-art: the riveted mast was made of aluminum , the sails were made of Terylene fiber and the deck fittings included winches for operating the sails. The rod rig was way ahead of its time , but it had so much horizontal bar that even a moderate breeze would break the mast.
Sporting successes
Between 1933 and 1936 the Velsheda sailed in various races, including against the J-Class yachts Britannia , Endeavor and Shamrock V . In 1934 she won over 40 races, including a speed record at the Southend to Dartmouth regatta . She also competed in Torbay , Swanage and on the Solent . During this time the Velsheda would be commanded by Captain Mountfield.
In 1935 the Velsheda was modified for the first time; the bow became slimmer in the area of the waterline and the stern was also improved. The following year she won the King's Cup at Cowes Week . The regular crew consisted of 16 men, which were increased to about 30 men in regattas. The additional crew was mainly needed for changing sails and stayed mostly below deck for the rest of the time.
After being rebuilt in 1983, the yacht occasionally took part in the annual Round the Island regatta around the Isle of Wight . In 1999 she met the Endeavor and Shamrock V, which were also restored, in the Caribbean.
Disappeared into oblivion
After the Second World War , the Velsheda was initially used as a houseboat on the Hamble River . The hull sank deep into the silt and was thus protected from corrosion .
restoration
In 1984 the hull was lifted and restored by Terry Brabant. The Velsheda received a steel mast and limited interior fittings. The original character was largely retained - no machine was installed. Below deck there was the mess , the owner's chamber in the aft and the sail load as well as additional storage space for accessories in the foredeck . Brabant operated the Velsheda in charter operations on the south coast of Great Britain and occasionally in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean .
It was later sold to a Swiss owner. Still in charter operation, the Velsheda ran aground off the east coast of Great Britain at low tide in the early 1990s . The ship was salvaged without further damage. The new owner wanted to completely overhaul the ship. However, he could not raise the necessary money. The Velsheda was eventually moored at Gosport and stayed there until it could be sold.
In 1996 the current owner Ronald de Waal bought the Velsheda and in 1997 commissioned Gerard Dijkstra to rebuild it from scratch. Only the hull was preserved. The aim of the restoration was to build a fast and luxurious regatta ship. The deck was now made of aluminum and was covered with teak. State-of-the-art materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic for the mast and boom and high-tech cloth for the sails were used for the rig . The interior was designed from the finest materials. Little consideration was given to the original condition. In addition, an engine was installed for the first time.
In 2001, Elizabeth Meyer was commissioned to modernize the ship further. The work was carried out at the Royal Huisman shipyard .
criticism
The restoration of the Velsheda did not restore many aspects of its original condition, but changed it considerably. Originally the ship was designed for regattas. The interior - as far as it was available - was sparse and functional. Today the interior is comfortable and luxurious. In order to achieve the highest possible sailing performance, modern materials were used above deck that were not available during the original construction.
Web links
swell
- ↑ a b The history of the J class yachts - The greyhounds of the seas (English)
- ↑ a b The J Class Yacht Velsheda (English)
- ↑ a b c d e www.jclassyachts.com (English)
- ↑ Wiel Verlinden ( WDR ): Battle of the sailing giants . Television Documentation, 2004, ISBN 3-7688-7143-6
- ↑ Alessandro Vitelli: “ J Class Renaissance (PDF; 7 kB)”. Boat International USA. (English)
- ↑ Doyle Classic Sails (English) ( Memento of the original from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Erdmann Braschos: Save, maintain and sail the yacht classics, don't change them! . Interview with Albert Obrist
