Small Craft

Late 19th & Early 20th Century British Yachting

The Sailors: Amateur British & Irish Yachtsmen Before World War One


A corinthian sailor...is one capable of managing a craft either single-handed (if she is small enough) or with the assistance of other amateurs....

Frank Cowper, Sailing Tours

One of the areas of research I am particularly interested is an ever evolving list of men who regularly contributed to The Yachting Monthly and similar newspapers in the years prior to World War I. These men were largely professional artists and writers (book or newspaper) though the list includes a wide range of professions (teachers, businessmen, even soldiers). Rarely were they professional sailors. Some were amateur yacht designers, others designed boats as a profession. There were a number of commonalities among these men—membership in the same sailing clubs, education at the same schools, a love of cruising the eastern coasts of England and the rivers and waterways of Holland (and sometimes France and Germany as well), and of course a willing service to their country during the war. The one thing all of these men had in common was an admiration for, and aspiration to, that class of yachtsmen known as the Corinthian sailor.

As I collect information about individuals I'm interested in I'll post it within this section of the site as a list of biographies with associated bits of writing and artwork for each. My ultimate goal is to describe an overall picture of the lives and interactions of these men during the early years of the twentieth century in an attempt to understand how they knew and influenced each other.

If you are a descendant of one of these men and are willing to share insights and information about their lives I'd love to hear it. If you feel that information or images posted here is in violation of copyrights held by yourself, your family, or the estate of any of the individuals listed please let me know.