Phyllis

Current boat name

Phyllis

Boat class

7440

Number

137065

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

7.92 / 26ft

Beam (m / ft)

2.46 / 8ft 1in

Leeward

Keel - long

Masts

1 Wood

Rig type

Gaff Cutter

Propulsion

Sail/engine

Designer

Wilmer G H

Date of build

1913

Place of build

Rock Ferry, Birkenhead

Present use

Restoration

Built to the design of G H Willmer by Samuel Bond of Rock Ferry, Birkenhead in 1913. Her first owner was F W Whitely and named after his eldest daughter. PHYLLIS is the last of the Wilmer-designed Mersey Restricted class. Her design was based on that of the Lancashire 'nobby'. Bond's built four of the eleven Royal Mersey Restricted Class yachts for club members. Bond's yard was alongside the RMYC clubhouse. PHYLLIS was originally rigged as a gaff cutter fitted with a lifting keel, but she was bermudan rigged with a cast iron keel when the present owner found her in 2001. In 1931 she was recorded as being changed from a centre board cutter to auxilary cutter, while in 1936 she was recorded as a bermudan sloop. In 1956 shewas said to have been altered from a gaff cutter to aa auxialary sloop! In 1991 she aws reirigged as a bermudan cutter and fitted wit a Perkins Perama M30 diesel. She was bought by her present owner in 2001 and are-build was started by David Moss. With some good luck the aluminium mast and sails were sold and a wooden mast, boom, gaff and sails procured from a sister vessel in the same RMRC class, 'Avis' which was in the process, sadly, of being broken up. During our research it came to light that 'Avis' was indeed the first of the class which made it even more poignant when we found that out but it was good to know that PHYLLIS will have been restored using some spars from the very first of the class. Her restoration was completed in July 2010 GH August 2010 She is thought to be the sole remaining vessel of this Edwardian racing class, although she has the mast, boom and bowsprit along with a set of sails from AVIS (the first of the class). She has her picture on the wall of the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, under the name of MYFANWY BACH. Restoration completed 2010 Aug 2010 GH (Archive)