Collections

photograph

LMGLM:1992.221.2

Summary: photograph, taken from glass positive, of boatbuilding on the Lymington River at Inman's Yard, Lymington, Lymington and Pennington, Hampshire, before 1875Identification note: Alarm was originally built as a 193-ton cutter by Inman for £30,000 for Joseph Weld in 1830. She was extremely successful winning numerous races during the 1830s and 1840s. In 1851 she...

Read More

Description

Summary: photograph, taken from glass positive, of boatbuilding on the Lymington River at Inman's Yard, Lymington, Lymington and Pennington, Hampshire, before 1875

Identification note: Alarm was originally built as a 193-ton cutter by Inman for £30,000 for Joseph Weld in 1830. She was extremely successful winning numerous races during the 1830s and 1840s. In 1851 she took part in the first ‘America’s Cup’ which was organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes. The yacht America was built by a syndicate of American businessmen to show the best of American yachting. She came over from the United States to huge interest from the yachting fraternity and was allowed to compete in the Round the Island Race for a Cup of One Hundred Sovereigns. The race was organised by the RYS and unusually opened up to boats from all nations. Three of the 18 yachts entered for the race, Stella, Alarm and Arrow, were built by Inman in Lymington. However, America outclassed all the other boats and easily won the race. The competition had an immediate effect on British yacht design and building. As a direct consequence, in 1852 Alarm was lengthened twenty feet by the bow and rigged as a schooner. The race around the Isle of Wight was to become the first race of the ‘America’s Cup’, sport’s oldest competition and arguably the world’s most prestigious yachting race.

Share this:

Follow us on social media or join our newsletter

Get in touch with St Barbe

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.