Rare Yacht fitting; Clock, Barometer and Themometer Set

Clock and barometer with thermometer mounted on silver plated anchor circa 1895 with ‘lifebelt’ emblem, surrounding a navigation light, bearing bronzed applied initials RTYC (Royal Thames Yacht Club) and the yacht name AILSA.

The clock face in Roman numerals with seconds dial and trade name for Geo. Edward & Sons, Glasgow.

The racing cutter AILSA was designed by William Fife Jnr, of Fairlie on the Firth of Clyde, and built in the early 1890’s for Andrew Barclay Walker the fifth son of Sir Andrew Barclay Walker who was created the 1st Baron of Gatecare in recognition of his public munificence in Liverpoool which included being the principal benefactor for The Walker Museum.
As a large rater AILSA competed with the Royal yacht Britannia, and other contemporary ‘Big Class’ racers including Satanita, Valkyrie II and the Kaiser’s Meteors.
On March 7th 1895 the New York Times reported “The new yacht Ailsa sailed her maiden race to-day, and won it, fully justifying the confidence of her owner, Mr. A.B. Walker, and her designer, Mr. Will Fife, that she would give a good account of herself. She not only did this, delighting her partisans, but she also surprised and discomfited the admirers of the Prince of Wales's cutter, the Britannia, which they believed invincible."
She went on to be successful over three seasons of sailing in the Mediterranean.

These large racing yachts were the precursors of the J Class yachts of early Americas Cup fame. There are several images in the public domain, including some of Beken of Cowes iconic photographs, of AILSA in full sail with Britannia and the other competitors.

Dimensions 43 cm/17 inches (width) x 39.5 cm/15½ (height) x 16.5 cm/6½ (clock diameter)