The steel hulled VELSHEDA thundering along off Harwich in 1934. She is preparing to round a mark before squaring away on a run to the finishing line. The spinnaker boom is raised by its lift, ready to be swung out to port and the six hands and the mate, by and forward of the mast, have the spinnaker ready to send up in stops of light yarn whihc kept it in control as a sausage-like shape during hoisting, with its tack and clew ready while its halyard was set up taut, all in a few seconds. At the same time the spinnaker was broken out by the clew as the tack was set taut at the spinnaker boom end, the yarns parted and the sail, of 5,000 square feet or more, filled and increased the rigs power before the wind.
A group of hands at the lee quarter are slacking off the lee shifting backstay which will be brought forward to the shrouds when the VELSHEDA bears away in a few moments. The bow and quarter waves tell her speed on this fine, breezy day as being near maximum, perhaps 11 - 12 knots. The owner, Mr W.L. Stephenson is at the wheel with Captain Mountifield from Gosport, her skipper, by his side. A fine study of a racing yacht which still exists. [JL]
Plate.20 in SWW.
Date: 1934