Severn

Current boat name

Severn

Boat class

7425

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Yacht

Length (m / ft)

7.01 / 23ft

Beam (m / ft)

2.13 / 7ft

Propulsion

Sail/engine

Date of build

1912

Place of build

Arnside, Cumbria

Present use

Sailing

Severn was built in Arnside in Cumbria in 1912 by William Crossfields & Sons. In 1912 she was brought by Arnside Sailing Club in March 2018 with the help of a Heritage Lottery Grant and returned to the village where she was built. A Friends Group has been set up to fund, maintain and sail her. Crossfields were the leading builders of Morecambe Bay Prawners. They also built yachts, rowing boats and sailing dinghies, including Arthur Ransome’s Swallow and Coch-y-bonddhu. Severn is one of ten Rivers Class Yacht built for the River Mersey Yacht Club as a one design boat. They were designed for short evening races on the Mersey and raced for prize money. Owners of Rivers Class boats included members of the Liverpool merchant elite. Three were silver medallists in the 1908 Olympics. In 1926 the Earl of Derby, who was Commodore of the Club and Secretary of State for War 1916-18 brought Deva a sister yacht. Five Rivers Class yachts are thought to be still in existence: Severn, Dart, Deva, Esk and Styx