Name Bloodhound

This historic 1930s ocean-racing yacht, owned by Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip in the 1960s and aboard which Prince Charles and Princess Anne learned to sail, was purchased by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in 2010.

She is usually on display alongside BRITANNIA in Edinburgh as part of the Royal Sailing Exhibition. During July and August, BLOODHOUND sails to Oban, where she is available for a day sail around the Western Isles, crewed mainly by former Royal Yachtsmen from BRITANNIA.

Built in 1936 by Camper & Nicholsons yard in Gosport, BLOODHOUND was one of the most successful ocean-racing yachts ever built, winning scores of races in the south of England and also crossed the Atlantic to compete in Bermuda.

On the back of this outstanding race history, BLOODHOUND was acquired by the Royal Family in 1962 and Prince Philip had much success competing with her at the Cowes Week Regatta around the Isle of Wight. During this sailing festival BRITANNIA hosted not only the British Royal Family, but members of other Royal Families and many dignitaries.

During Royal ownership BLOODHOUND would also accompany BRITANNIA in the Western Isles when the Royal Ramily had their one true family holiday every year. She had a permanent crew of three and one Skipper was a descendent of Sir Francis Drake. It was suring these times that the young Royals learned to sail on on BLOODHOUND and when she was not in use, her crew were made available in yacht clubs across the country, used to teach thousands of young people how to sail.

In 1969 BLOODHOUND was sold and not replaced by the Royal Family and the vessel effectively retired from racing. over time she gradually fell into disrepair and very nearly became beyond salvage until in 2003 she was purchased by Tony and Cindy McGrail of Poole, a yacht surveyor and classic yacht restorer. At the time the vessel was in urgent need of restoration but it was felt that the amount of work involved might make such a project uneconomical.  However, Tony and Cindy embarked on a four year reconstruction bringing BLOODHOUND back to pristine condition.