FIFE REGATTA 2022
This 10-17 June, the biggest gathering of Fife yachts ever seen will gather on the waters of the Clyde estuary in only the fth ever iteration of the Fife Regatta
The event is, of course, the occasional spectacular known simply as ‘the Fife Regatta’. It has been held previously in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013, and this year has a new sponsor in the form of luxury watch brand Richard Mille. Those occasions saw, respectively, fleets of 11, 22, 20 and 20 yachts partaking, but this year, there are 24 on the entry list, making it probably the largest fleet of yachts built by the Fife boatbuilders ever gathered. In fact, with the exception of one or two boats, all those on the list (and most ‘Fife’ yachts worldwide) are the creations of the third, most famous of the family of yacht designers and boatbuilders – William Fife III. The first two William Fifes, however, should not be overlooked. It was the first of the them who, in the early 19th century, started the boatbuilding tradition, moving across from his work as a mill and cartwright. He built not only fishing and other working vessels, but the big yacht Lamlash as early as 1812, and Industry (a steam paddle ship) just two years after that, before settling down to concentrate on “fast and bonnie” sailing boats, the quotation that became the title of May Fife McCallum’s book about the Fife dynasty – as well as the mantra that would drive the business forward, through the next two generations. These days, Fife yachts are venerated around the world for their beauty and craftsmanship, and have been the subject of perhaps more big restorations than vessels from any other designer.
The Fife Regatta is a peripatetic one, with the fleet starting, and eventually returning to, Largs. From
Largs, the boats race around Great Cumbrae and home on 11 June. The next day, they race to Rothesay, where they stay until 14 June, when they have a parade of sail to Kames before the Kyles Race to Portavadie, where they remain for two days. On 16 June, they partake in the Bute Race from Portavadie back to Largs, with the final race of the regatta, the King’s Course (Largs to Largs) on 17 June.
The oldest boat in the fleet of 24 this year is Red, a 19ft Clyde Class yacht, built in 1886. Ayrshire Lass (24ft LWL), built the year after, is notable for being a rare extant Wm Fife II creation. Both the famous, big Moonbeam gaff cutters will be present: Moonbeam III (1903) and Moonbeam IV (1914). The largest boat in this year’s fleet will be Kentra, the gaff ketch of 68ft 10in (LWL) built in 1923. Also present will be the ‘last Fife’ Sonata, cover feature in this issue. For more information, see fiferegatta.com