Scottish Maritime Museum to celebrate Scotland's remarkable yacht building dynasties at special exhibition

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine is set to celebrates three remarkable yacht building dynasties of Scotland’s golden age of sailing in a new exhibition.The event, which opens on Saturday, February 22, draws on rare artefacts, original drawings and intricate models from the Mylne Archive and the G.L.

Watson Archive, which is held by Scottish Yachting Archives, Crafting Elegance: the Golden Age of Scottish Yacht Design brings to life the extraordinary designs of George Lennox Watson, Alfred Mylne I and II and William Fife I, II and III.The exhibition, which also features exhibits and historic vessels from the Museum’s own collection, explores how these pioneering designers combined traditional shipbuilding techniques with ground-breaking innovation to push the boundaries of yacht design in the late 19th to mid 20th centuries.Their designs included racing yachts competing in the legendary America’s Cup to luxury vessels commissioned by European royalty and high society.Held in the Museum’s Linthouse building on Irvine Harbourside, the exhibitions also looks at how George Lennox Watson, the world’s first dedicated yacht designer, revolutionised the field by introducing scientific principles to what was once a purely intuitive craft.And it follows the remarkable journey of the Mylnes, whose designs, like those of Watson and the Fifes, graced waters from the Clyde to distant shores across the globe.Visitors can also immerse themselves in the legacy of the Fife family, learning more about their legendary Fairlie yard and their mastery of design and craftsmanship.

On show are two yachts built by William Fife III – Vagrant and Powerful.The 1884 Vagrant, which recently underwent a major preservation in the Museum’s Scottish