Blackpool and Fleetwood Jewel Class

The Jewel Class was an one design class promoted by the newly set up Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club. Six boats were built by William Crossfields and Sons in 1911.

Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club

The Club was set up in 1906 as the Blackpool Yacht Club, holding its first regatta off Blackpool Promenade in 1907. It became Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club in 1909 with boats kept at Fleetwood on the Wyre Estuary and a headquarters in Blackpool. By 1914 as well a running races for yachts at Fleetwood and passages race to Piel and other locations on the coast, it ran an annual regatta and an annual race to the Isle of Man. The Club had moved a long way in a relatively short period of time.  The Regatta included a race for Morecambe Bay prawners.

The Club drew its membership from a wide area including Manchester, Lancaster and Morecambe. Fleetwood offered sheltered moorings for yachts, was easily accessible by train and with an inshore fishing fleet, people who knew how to sail.

The Club moved to its present site further up the Wyre Estuary at Skippool near Poulton-le-Fylde in 1952.

The large number yachts moored in the Fleetwood channel in the below photo is an indication of the club’s success in the 1910s.

Yachts moored in Fleetwood Channel in 1913 (© Sankey Family Photography Collection courtesy of Cumbria Archives image no 1759)

One Design Class

Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club first looked at one design boat in 1908. One design classes were becoming popular on Merseyside with the designs such as Southport Star Class and Hoylake Opera Class. They asked three boat builders to quote for  a 23 foot yacht costing around £40. Armours of Fleetwood returned a quote of £76, Crossfield Brothers of Church Hill, Arnside £59 and William Crossfield and Sons of Beach Walk, Arnside £55. As all quotes were more than anticipated they decided to look at a 20ft version (Committee minutes post 1909 do not exist so the outcome is not known). It seems likely they went for the 23 foot version. Of the three Jewel Class boats listed in Lloyds Register of Yacht, Diamond and Emerald were 23 foot long, whilst Sapphire was recorded as being 20.5 feet long, which could well be a mistake.

Delivery

The boats were delivered to the club by Crossfields by sailing them across Morecambe Bay from Arnside to Fleetwood.

Names of boat

Whilst sixth boats were built, only Amethyst, Diamond, Emerald, Iolite and Sapphire are named in the local press. The name of the sixth boat is thought to be Ruby or Pearl, though nothing is known of her.

Lloyds Register lists a yacht called Peggy in 1930 and 1931. She was built in Arnside in 1911 and had the same dimensions as the Jewel Class. She was probably either Iolite, Amethyst or Ruby / Pearl renamed.

First Race – 15 July 1911

The first race for the Jewel Class was on 15th July 1911 over a 10 mile course out to the Fairway mark and back. The course was two laps. At this time only three of the six boats have been delivered. Only two boats took part in the race with Emerald beating Amethyst. Wind speeds increased during the race. Amethyst lost three minutes at start as she crossed the line early and was recalled, which left Emerald in the lead. As wind speeds increased, Emerald replaced her large jib with her small jib. Amethyst kept her large jib up in hope of catching Emerald, but was forced to retire as she could not cope with the conditions.

Racing programme

Fortnightly races were held at Fleetwood depending on the tide. The races were quite long, often taking 6 to 7 hours, for example out to the Lune No 1 Buoy and back.

There was a prize for winning the race series each year, In 1911 the prize was two smoking cabinets with pipes.

At the annual regatta at Fleetwood in 1913 races were shorter with the course taking about 2 hours. The regatta also featured races for larger yachts and fishing boats.  There was a further race at the end of day for the Jewel Class involving scratch crew.

The regatta at Wardleys further up the estuary offered a race for the Jewel Class, as well as village sports such as a swimming race, wrestling and walking the greasy pole.

Invitation Race for other clubs

An invitation race for other clubs, including the Royal Mersey to try the new one design class was held on 30th Sept 1911. The aim may have been to get other clubs to adopt the design, in which they succeeded with the Royal Mersey. The prizes for the race were provided by A.E.Penny, owner of Moya built by Crossfields in 1910. The race was followed by a hotpot supper and snooker at the North Euston Hotel. The race was repeated in 1912 and 1913. The Royal Mersey won the race in 1913 in Diamond.

Ladies Race

In 1913, a ladies race was held. Three yachts took part – Diamond, Iolite and Sapphire. Diamond went aground. Mrs Tatham (presumably the wife of Charles Tatham, the Club Secretary) in Sapphire had difficulty getting round the last buoy, which allowed Miss Ainsworth in Iolite to win.

Post War and replacement with International 14 Class

It is not known if the Jewel Class were raced after the First World War. In 1922 the Yacht Club ordered six International 14s from J.C.Sayers of Kirkcudbright as their new one design class. At 14 foot long there were much smaller than the 23 foot long Jewel Class,

By 1925 Emerald was on Merseyside and Sapphire owned by a resident of Barrow.

Jewel and Rivers Class

The Royal Mersey Rivers Class were based on the Jewel Class. The below picture compare Arnside Sailing Club’s Severn a Rivers Class yacht with Diamond, a Jewel Class Boat.

Severn – Arnside 2026

Diamond – Menai Straits 1990s

(The cabin would not have been original)