Phoenix

Current boat name

Phoenix

Boat class

7330

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Launch

Propulsion

Engine

Designer

Not Known

Design date

Circa 1934

Date of build

1934

Place of build

Cowes

Present use

Sailing

1934. Known then only as "Tender to Viva II", the boat was built as a high speed tender to M.Y. "Viva II", formally "Vita", a 178 ft. motor yaht designed and built by Messrs. Camper and Nicholson at Gosport in 1929 for the aviation pioneer Mr. T.O.M.Sopwith. 1937. Accompanied her mother ship, "Viva II" acrosss the atlantic to America. "Viva II" was one of two escort ships accompanying the yachts "Endeavour" and "Endeavour II", owned by Tommy Sopwith, in their respective challenges for the America's Cup. 1939. "Viva II" was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and commissioned as a submarine chaser. At that time Phoenix was removed from the mother ship. 1940. It is believed but not yet proven, that Phoenix, then capable of a speed of 20 knots, of shallow draft and capable of carrying in extremis some 15 persons, and was thus of a type urgently sought by the R.N. and being in their possession, would have been used in Operation Dynamo- the evacuaution of Dunkirk. 1990's. The Boat was found abandoned and derelict on the Essex marshes and the hull professionally rebuilt to the origional specifications. The origional 95 hp engine was removed and a modern diesel unit installed. 2015. Further restoration work undertaken by Messrs Stanley and Thomas at Tom Jones' Boatyard, Romney Lock, Windsor.