Pond Yacht 'Comet'

A sleek scratch built Edwardian gaff-rigged pond yacht. This type of set up is often referred to as a Bermuda Sloop. Perhaps more typically seen with a long bowsprit on a relatively short hull. The 'plank on frame' hull has been repainted in the original colours and replacement sails have been made that are copies of the originals. It has a lead keel and basic steering gear, in that you can secure the tiller in a fixed position. The rigging has been replaced, but the sliders and hooks are the originals. The pond yacht sits on a newly made stand that utilises old timber.

Dimensions: 160cm/63 inches (height on stand) x 25cm/9⅞ inches (max width) x 130cm/51⅛ inches (length).

The history of pond yachts originates in the early 19th century in Great Britain. During the early 1800s fisherman and sailors carved primitive wooden boat models for their children to sail on regional British ponds. Other craftsman enthusiasts then started making and racing small model sailing boats in London, on public park ponds like Green Park and the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens.

By the 1870s these model sailing boats had become a lot more serious with gentlemen commissioning skilled craftsmen to create one off examples. The Model Yacht Sailing Association was established 1876 formalising rules, class sizes, and competitive regattas. Then, in 1884, the London Model Yacht Club was founded, establishing formal racing on the round pond in Kensington Gardens.

From the 1920s onwards, commercial model workshops were making racing examples that fulfilled specific requirements for the different classes of model yacht. There were technical developments including hull carving techniques ("bread and butter" laminated wood construction) and self-steering mechanisms like the Braine gear, which used weather vanes and pulley-controlled lines to keep boats on a straight course. Also, by this time, many pond yacht sailing clubs existed across the UK, Europe and the USA.