Illingworth & Primrose/ Camper & Nicholsons 53 ft Bermudan Ketch 1966/2005 - Sold

It is hard to think of a yacht better known beyond the wider yachting community than GIPSY MOTH IV, and that has continued to inspire generations of young sailors more than fifty years after Sir Francis Chichester’s epic - then unimaginable - 1966-1967 single-handed, one-stop voyage around the world with her. Rescued in 2004 from 37 years out of her element, and rebuilt and restored in 2005 by her original builders - among the last wooden boat works performed by Camper & Nicholsons - GIPSY MOTH IV has subsequently circumnavigated again in the ownership of a trust. Now it's time to pass on this iconic and beautiful yacht to a similar body or individual to spread or be inspired by Chichester’s spirit of challenge and adventure.

2020
- Masts completely overhauled by Allspars, Hamble
- New Chain Plates fitted by Hamble Yacht Services

2006
- Hull repairs at Auckland, New Zealand by Brin Wilson Boat Builders at Team NZ

2004-2005
- Fully restored by Camper & Nicholsons to original condition
- Including new, laminated longitudinal structure and associated work
- Much new and refurbished Lewmar deck hardware
- All new B&G navigational instruments
- New sails

CAMPER & NICHOLSONS YARD No. 916
On the completion at Plymouth on 28 May 1967 of their solo circumnavigation witnessed by a crowd estimated at over 250,000, Francis (soon to be Sir Francis) Chichester and GIPSY MOTH IV became two of the most famous names in the United Kingdom and further afield, and GIPSY MOTH IV, having served her purpose, was placed on display at Greenwich, London, beside another UK maritime icon, the tea clipper CUTTY SARK.

In some respects it was appropriate: Chichester's personal challenge had been to beat the times of the clipper ships in a vessel of five times less waterline length. But in reality it was the worst thing that could happen to a living, breathing, wooden yacht. As the late Paul Gelder, then Editor of Yachting Monthly magazine and co-ordinator of the successful early 2000s campaign to rescue her from this fate, wrote in his book 'GIPSY MOTH IV - A legend sails again':

"Boats like GIPSY MOTH [IV] belong in the ocean... They are meant to be sailed, not entombed or exhibited in museums. A wooden boat is a living entity, imbued with the spirit of those who built and sailed them."

GIPSY MOTH IV was designed by John Illingworth and Angus Primrose - then one of the leading UK performance yacht design offices - and built by Camper & Nicholsons at Gosport in 1966 specifically for Francis Chichester to complete the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe. Succeeding in this was always going to be epic - at the time unimaginable. Not long after leaving Portsmouth in August 1966, Chichester came of pension age (65) and was a cancer survivor. The list of achievements of man and boat is long (from Paul Gelder's book):

- Fastest voyage around the world by any small vessel - approximately twice as fast
- Longest passage made by a small vessel without a port of call - 15,500 miles
- More than 2 x the distance of previous longest singlehander who'd sailed 7,400 miles
- 2 x broke the record for a singlehander's week's run by more than 100 miles
- Set a singlehanded record by sailing 1,400 miles from point to point in 8 days
- 2 x exceeded the singlehanded speed record for a long passage
- 131.75 miles per day for 107 days, and 130.25 miles per day for 119 days
- Third true circumnavigation by a small vessel via Cape Horn

Paul Gelder's rescue campaign succeeded. She was purchased in 2004 for £1 and a gin-and-tonic (Chichester's favourite drink) from the Greenwich Maritime Trust, and in June 2005 GIPSY MOTH IV emerged from a major and honourable rebuild by her original builders with some veterans of the 1966 build having volunteered their assistance. The money had been raised by crowdfunding with donations in kind from the marine industry, including companies like Lewmar and B&G who had supplied some of her original equipment.

GIPSY MOTH IV then commenced her second circumnavigation over almost two years, returning to Plymouth exactly 40 years after Chichester had, on 28th May 2007.

In 2010 ownership transferred to the Gipsy Moth Trust in order to keep her in sailing condition, keep her visible to the public by allowing as many people as possible to sail or visit her, and to use Chichester’s legacy of challenge to inspire a new generation of sailors and adventurers.

GIPSY MOTH IV is listed on the UK National Historic Ships register, and such has been the longevity of her fame that she is pictured in the current UK EU passport.

©2022 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd

- Cold moulded 6 x layers Honduras mahogany hull
- Fibreglass outer skin
- Laminated one piece hardwood backbone
- Steamed timbers
- Laminated hardwood floors
- Fibreglassed plywood deck

- Flush deck with deep cockpit and 'blister' deckhouse
- Tiller steered
- 4 x Large storage lazarettes
- Mix of original, in-period and modern Lewmar deck fittings
- 2 x Modern Lewmar hatches over saloon
- Electric anchor/ warp trailing windlass
- Danforth anchor

- Down 4 x steps over engine box to accommodation
- 'Treadmaster'-covered cabin sole throughout
- Individual bunk spot lights (LED)
- Red/White lighting throughout (LED)

LARGE SERVICE AREA AFT
- Quarter berth immediately to port with instrument repeaters
- Adjacent stowage bin
- Galley immediately to starboard
- Work surface and inset stainless steel sink bowl
- Stowage under, and over outboard
- Fresh and salt water taps
- Interchangeable (original) paraffin stove
- Or new gas, LP Tasman 4500 - 2 burner hob & grill
- Stowage under
- WC Compartment to port
- Original Baby Blake sea toilet
- Large chart table and navigation area to port
- Original / period B&G Instruments
- Lift up panel with Marconi Kestrel radio telephone
- Revealing modern B&G Instruments
- Red/White chart light
- Further work surface to starboard
- Original paraffin heater to starboard with flue running aft

FWD VIA SEMI BULKHEAD TO SALOON
- Settees port and starboard with pilot berths outboard
- Stowage under pilot berths accessed from back settee backrests
- Shelves outboard
- Drop leaf saloon table
- Sideboard fwd port

FWD VIA OFFET PORT KEYHOLE BULKHEAD DOOR TO LARGE WC COMPARTMENT
- Vanity unit to port with inset sink; whale manual water pump
- Stowage under and outboard
- WC to starboard
- Hanging locker; lifejacket stowage

FWD TO FORECABIN/ FOREPEAK
- Slatted sail bin and shelving to port
- Berth to starboard
- Forehatch in deckhead

RIG
- Cutter-rigged bermudan ketch
- Original Proctor Masts
- Most recently overhauled and refurbished by Allspars, Hamble (2020)

SAILS
- 2 x complete suits of sails by Crusader Sails
- Current suit is brand new and unused
- Mizzen x 2
- Mainsail x 2
- Staysail x 2
- Yankee #1 x 2
- Yankee #2 x 2
- Yankee #3 x 2
- Storm Staysail x 1
- Storm Main x 1
- Spinnaker x 2

CANVASWORK
- Sprayhood over cockpit (2019)
- Dodgers with vessel name (2019)
- Sail Covers with vessel name (2019)



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MECHANICAL
- Yanmar 4JH4 40HP diesel engine

ELECTRICAL
- House and engine batteries with isolator
- 12 V and 240 V (Shore power) systems
- 2 x 12v sockets
- 4 x USB charging sockets

TANKAGE
3 x Water Tanks
- Aft Water - 54 L
- Mid Water - 62 L
- Forward Water - 82 L
2 x Diesel Tanks
- Aft Fuel – 140 L
- Forward Fuel – 155 L
Waste
- Grey Water Tank
- Black Water Tank

All new fitted 2020 and unused
B & G equipment throughout
- V60 Fixed mount VHF and wireless handset
- Hydra 5000 Chartplotter
- Zeus 3 Chartplotter
- Back up independent GPS display unit
- WS310 Wind sensor
- NSPL 500 AIS/VHF antenna splitter
- Halo 30 Dome radar (mast mounted)
- Wind, speed and depth instruments with repeaters above skipper’s bunk

- 2 x RFD Seasava Pro-ISO 6 man liferafts
- Inflatable Jonbuoy
- 2 x Horseshoe life rings with light and drogue
- MOB recovery sling
- Floating throw line
- 6 x Spinlock deckvest lifejackets (with personal Ocean Signal RescueMe MOB transmitters)
- 10 x safety Harness
- Jackstays full deck length port and starboard
- Climbing harness and helmet
- 6 x sets Henri Lloyd foul weather gear (good condition) in medium large and extra large
- Grab bag and distress flares (4 Red parachute, 6 Red Handheld and 2 Orange Smoke)
- Engine bay automatic fire extinguisher system
- Fire extinguishers in all cabins and deck lazarette
- Jabsco 23920 Run Dry Puppy Bilge pump
- Gas and fire certified 2020
- Commercially coded until Mar 2021

- Tender
- 4HP Yamaha outboard motor (3-years-old; regularly serviced)
- Oars, bailer, anchor and 25 L separate fuel tank

- Sailing images where noted: Theo Stocker/ Yachting Monthly
- Other sailing: Gipsy Moth Trust