FORMER ROYAL YACHT TO BE DISPLAYED PERMANENTLY IN SCOTLAND

A RACE-WINNING YACHT FORMERLY OWNED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II IS TO BE PERMANENTLY DISPLAYED IS SCOTLAND. 'BLOODHOUND' WILL GO ON DISPLAY IN EDINBURGH BESIDE THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA. THE RACING YACHT, NOW MORE THAN 70 YEARS OLD, HAD A MAJOR REFIT IN RECENT YEARS BECAUSE IT HAD FALLEN INTO DISREPAIR. THE ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA TRUST BOUGHT 'BLOODHOUND' RECENTLY AND IS EXPECTED TO UNVEIL IT TO THE PUBLIC IN APRIL. BUILT IN 1936 AT THE CAMPER AND NICHOLSONS YARD IN GOSPORT, HAMPSHIRE, 'BLOODHOUND' IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OCEAN-GOING RACING YACHTS. SHE WON SCORES OF RACES IN THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND AND CROSSED THE ATLANTIC TO COMPETE IN BERMUDA. THE ROYAL FAMILY BOUGHT IN 1962 AND PRINCE PHILIP SUCCESSFULLY COMPETED WITH HER AT THE COWES WEEK REGATTA AROUND THE ISLE OF WIGHT. 'BLOODHOUND' ALSO ACCOMPANIED BRITANNIA IN THE WESTERN ISLES ON ROYAL HOLIDAYS AND THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE PRINCESS ROYAL LEARNED TO SAIL ON HER BEFORE BEING SOLD IN 1969. 'BLOODHOUND' COMPETED AT VARIOUS POINTS IN HER HISTORY UNTIL 2001 BUT THEN FELL INTO 'CONSIDERABLE DISREPAIR'. CLASSIC YACHT RESTORER TONY MCGRAIL BOUGHT 'BLOODHOUND' IN 2003 AND REFURBISHED IT OVER THE NEXT THREE AND A HALF YEARS. CHAIRMAN OF THE ROYAL BRITANNIA TRUST, REAR ADMIRAL NEIL RANKIN, SAID: 'WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE ACQUIRED SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF BRITISH YACHTING HISTORY AND LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING 'BLOODHOUND' ALONGSIDE BRITANNIA ONCE MORE, FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE WHAT A WONDERFUL OCEAN-RACING YACHT SHE IS AND WHY SHE WAS SO FONDLY REGARDED BY ALL ASSOCIATED WITH HER ILLUSTRIOUS PAST.'