Morning Cloud

Morning Cloud was the name given by the British politician Edward Heath to a series of five yachts which he owned between 1969 and 1983.[1][2]

Contents

The yachts

No. 1

Sparkman and Stephens S&S 34, length 34 ft, year of launch 1969. Edward Heath won the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race with this boat in the same year.[2]

No. 2

Designed by Sparkman and Stephens, length 42 ft, hull material wood (mahogany), constructed by Lallows[1] (UK), year of launch 1971. Heath used the boat in the Admiral's Cup of that year as part of the winning British team.[3] At least two copies of the boat were built under licence from him.[4]

No. 3

Designed by Sparkman and Stephens, length 45 ft, hull material wood, constructed by Lallows[1] (UK), year of launch 1973. It was used in the Admiral's Cup of that year, but Heath was only on board for the Fastnet race because of other commitments.[5] It was lost at sea on 5 September 1974 when it was hit by a large wave while en route to Cowes from Burnham-on-Crouch.[6] Heath was not on board but two of the seven crew drowned.[1][7] Just two days previously, the first Morning Cloud yacht Heath had owned was wrecked off the coast of Jersey.[6]

No. 4

Designed by Sparkman and Stephens, length 44 ft, hull material aluminium, constructed by Allday Aluminium of Gosport, year of launch 1975.[8]

No. 5

Designed by Ron Holland, length 44 ft, hull material composite,[1] year of launch 1977.[9] It lost its rudder and failed to finish in the 1979 Fastnet race in the Admiral's Cup. Heath sold the boat in 1983.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Jeffery, Tim (30 May 2008). "Article ''Morning Cloud rises again''". Blogs.telegraph.co.uk. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/timjeffery/4330791/Morning_Cloud_rises_again/. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c Laven, Kate (23 December 2009). "Sir Edward Heath made history 40 years ago by winning Sydney Hobart Race". The Daily Telegraph. London. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/sailing/6874534/Sir-Edward-Heath-made-history-40-years-ago-by-winning-Sydney-Hobart-Race.html. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  3. ^ "1971: Admiral's Cup triumph for Heath, Admiral's Cup website". BBC News. 11 August 1982. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/11/newsid_2974000/2974996.stm. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  4. ^ "www.morningcloud.se". www.morningcloud.se. http://www.morningcloud.se/. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  5. ^ "1973: German Consistency, Admiral's Cup website". Admiralscup.rorc.org. http://admiralscup.rorc.org/history/119.html. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  6. ^ a b "Heath Yacht – Search for Sailor Stops". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1974. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OtRYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HOUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3027,1190284&hl=en. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  7. ^ "Heath's Yacht Sinks", Reading Eagle (Google News), 3 September 1974, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CQsrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZJoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6365,1653881&hl=en, retrieved 10 March 2011 
  8. ^ "Ajax Yacht Pictures". Ajaxyachtpics.blogspot.com. 13 April 2004. http://ajaxyachtpics.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 
  9. ^ "1979: The Aussies thrive in the heavy air, Admiral's Cup website". Admiralscup.rorc.org. 13 August 1979. http://admiralscup.rorc.org/history/116.html. Retrieved 10 March 2011. 

External links

Photographs of Morning Cloud