One of the most famous yacht names in history owes its origins to Sir Francis Chichester’s previous life as an aviator, particularly as a pioneer of developments in aerial navigation. In a way, GIPSY MOTH III might really have been named GIPSY MOTH IV as “I” and “II” were de Havilland Gipsy Moth biplanes. Chichester took up sailing after the second world war with the purchase of a pretty Whisstocks of Woodbridge designed and built sloop he renamed GIPSY MOTH (II) after his second plane in which he’d flown solo half way round the world in 1930.

Never one to do anything by halves, and finding himself living in London next to the Royal Ocean Racing Club, he's said to have walked along and asked how to start ocean racing; the rest is history. GIPSY MOTH (II) had never been designed with far horizons in mind, as Chichester had perhaps discovered while taking on deep sea competitive adventures that might have shocked its architect. But he learned fast and got fast, though at the expense of much comfort. It was at the end of one particularly boisterous mid-1950s Cowes-Dinard race that Chichester’s wife, Shiela, proposed a more comfortable boat, and GIPSY MOTH III was conceived, as recounted by her captain: “sketched on the back of an envelope...” and “passed to Robert Clark...”

Concept and design were made reality at Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland, by the John Tyrrell & Son yard, which since the 1930s, and in particular under the post second war leadership of naval architect and RORC member Jack Tyrrell, had gained a significant number of orders for yacht construction to drawings by some of England's best known designers, built alongside the yard's bread and butter work of fishing vessels, pilot cutters and other commercial craft, and Jack Tyrrell's own yacht designs - all beautifully built.

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You can watch a video by clicking here to learn more about the build.

According to retired Beaulieu River Harbourmaster and long time friend, Bill Grindley, GIPSY MOTH III was to become, “Sir Francis’ favourite yacht, his most personal one”. Putting serious illness behind him, Chichester won the first Singlehanded Transatlantic Race with her in 1960, and in 1962, after rig optimisation by John Illingworth, set a solo east to west transatlantic record - arriving in the USA on 4th July. In 1964 Chichester and GIPSY MOTH III again took on the Singlehanded Transatlantic race, beaten into second place by Eric Tabarly’s PEN DUICK II, but beating their own 1962 record. The passage home was boat and owner's 6th crossing in 5 seasons.

After the 1966 delivery of her Illingworth-designed record breaking circumnavigation successor, GIPSY MOTH III began a series of ownerships, one of whom apparently ended up buying her at a 1981 Bonhams auction having arrived from Switzerland to bid on furniture. This second phase of her life culminated in rescue from Gibraltar in 1991 from where she’d been purchased in poor condition by Roland Machin, an old school friend of Chichester’s son, Giles. She was shipped to Venice for restoration by Cantiere Nautico dei Fratelli Marchi di Campalto and on relaunching embarked on an ambitious 1990s sailing programme of attending classic regattas including Antigua in 1994 and La Nioularge in 1995.

From 2001 she was berthed at Musée Maritime, La Rochelle, France, and in 2005 came into present ownership, the same year she attended the start of the OSTAR.

Since 2005 GIPSY MOTH III has enjoyed a programme of upgrades culminating in a major refit at Plymouth by RB Shipwrighting followed by a period of family cruising in western Greece and recent return to UK waters.

[Quotations are from Ian Strathcarron's highly recommended book, "Never Fear: Reliving the Life of Sir Francis Chichester" (Unicorn, 2016)]