William Umpleby Kirk Collection (page 19)

The American three mast schooner Karina, 1912. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The American three mast schooner Karina at anchor, 1912

The 46 ft yawl Chinkara under sail, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 46 ft yawl Chinkara under sail, 1913. Chinkara was designed by Frederick Shepherd and built in 1903 at the Hanson yard on the Isle of Wight for Colonel Potts

The schooner Joyance at anchor, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The schooner Joyance at anchor, 1913

Norada after launching, Portsmouth Harbour, 17th June 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
Norada after launching, Portsmouth Harbour, 17th June 1911. Norada was designed by Charles Nicholson and launched from the Camper & Nicholsons boat yard in Gosport

Border Pride No3 Mitcham Launch. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
Border Pride No3 Mitcham Launch

The cutter Monara under sail, 1914. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The cutter Monara under sail, 1914

The 6 Metre Cni, 1921. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 6 Metre Cni, 1921

The 15 Metre sailing yacht Pamela searching for wind, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 15 Metre sailing yacht Pamela searching for wind, 1913. Pamela, designed by Charles Nicholson and launched in 1913, was fitted with the innovative Marconi topmast

The One-Design Solent Sunbeams Joy, Mayfly, Wimsey and Sally racing, 1927

The 19-metres class Mariquita Corona & Octavia, racing at Cowes, 1911
The 19-metres class Octavia, Corona & Mariquita racing downwind at Cowes, 1911

The gaff rigged cutter Bloodhound sailing close-hauled, leaves wake, 1911. Creator
The gaff rigged cutter Bloodhound sailing close-hauled, leaves wake, 1911. The 40 ton cutter, Bloodhound was designed by William Fife and built in 1874

The 8 Metre sailing yachts Endrick and Spero racing downwind, 1911. Creator
The 8 Metre sailing yachts Endrick and Spero racing downwind, 1911

The 8 Metre yacht Antwerpia (H19) sailing with spinnaker, 1911

The 8 Metre yacht Gundred (H7) heeling upwind, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 8 Metre yacht Gundred (H7) heeling upwind, 1913

HMS Broke, 1914. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
HMS Broke, 1914. HMS Broke was a Faulknor-class destroyer leader of the Royal Navy, initially built for the Chilean Navy as the Almirante Lynch-class destroyer Almirante Gon i

HMS Safeguard. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
HMS Safeguard

HMS Faulknor, 1914. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
HMS Faulknor, 1914. HMS Faulknor was a British destroyer of the First World War. She was purchased by the Royal Navy whilst still under construction in Britain for the Chilean Navy who had ordered

The 135 ft barque sailing ship Modwena, 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 135 ft barque sailing ship Modwena, 1911. Modwena was built in 1908 by John Reid in Glasgow. In 1912 she was bought by the sewing machine magnate Mortimer Singer to use as a private yacht

Auxiliary sailing ship Garina under sail, 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
Auxiliary sailing ship Garina under sail, 1911

The auxiliary schooner La Cigale at anchor, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The auxiliary schooner La Cigale at anchor, 1913

The yawl Betty, 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The yawl Betty, 1911

The American three mast schooner Karina at anchor, 1912. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The American three mast schooner Karina at anchor, 1912

A 45 ft Wolseley cabin launch. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
A 45 ft Wolseley cabin launch. The Wolseley Motors company, a British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in early 1901 by Vickers, also built marine power-units for a variety of watercraft

The 7 Metre yacht Strathendrick (K5), 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 7 Metre yacht Strathendrick (K5), 1913

The 12 Metre Vim sailing close-hauled, 1939. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 12 Metre Vim sailing close-hauled, 1939. Designed in 1939 by Olin Stephens, Vim had numerous innovative features including a trim tab on the rudder

Americas Cup challenger Shamrock III. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
Americas Cup challenger Shamrock III. The yacht was designed by William Fife, and was built by William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton, Scotland. The yacht was launched on 1903

The cutter Shamrock beating upwind, 1912. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The cutter Shamrock beating upwind, 1912. Shamrock, designed by William Fife, was Sir Thomas Liptons first (1899) challenger to the Americas Cup

The 23 Metre Candida, 1935. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 23 Metre Candida, 1935. Candida was designed by Charles Nicholson for the banker Mr. Herman Andrae. She was launched in 1929

The Prince and Princess of Wales at the Royal Naval College, Osborne, Isle of Wight, 1908
The Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Victoria and Prince Edward at the Royal Naval College, Osborne, Isle of Wight, 1908

Cowes Castle, Isle of Wight, c1930. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
Cowes Castle, Isle of Wight, c1930. The clubhouse of the Royal Yacht Squadron

The 12 Metre sailing yacht Westra racing on upwind leg, 1936. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 12 Metre sailing yacht Westra racing on upwind leg, 1936. Westra, designed by Charles Nicholson, was the winning yacht in 1934 when she won 15 out of 35 races. She came second in 1935 and 1936

The Truant racing upwind, 22nd May 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 8 Metre racing yacht The Truant racing upwind, 22nd May 1911

The gaff rigged cutter Wych under sail, 1914. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The gaff rigged cutter Wych under sail, 1914

The 6 Metre sailing yacht Caryl (K12), 1921. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 6 Metre sailing yacht Caryl (K12), 1921

The schooner Cetonia under way, 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The schooner Cetonia under way, 1911

The 250 ton schooner Germania reaching in stiff wind, 1912. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 250 ton schooner Germania reaching in stiff wind, 1912. Germania was designed by Max Oertz and owned by the German industrialist Count Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach

The Lady Anne 15-metre cutter, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The Lady Anne 15-metre cutter, 1913. The Lady Anne, was designed by William Fife III and launched in 1912. The Lady Anne was restored in 1999 by Fairlie Restorations

The 19-metre Octavia sailing close-hauled, 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 19-metre Octavia sailing close-hauled, 1911. Octavia was designed by Alfred Mylne and launched in 1911. Its one of the four British built, 19-metre class yachts

Istria sailing close-hauled, 1912. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
Istria sailing close-hauled, 1912. Istria, was designed by Charles Nicholson and originally owned by the architect Sir Charles Allom

The 6 Metre class Alarm (K15) heeling upwind, 1921. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 6 Metre class Alarm (K15) heeling upwind, 1921

The 6 Metre class Sheila (US4) sailing upwind, 1921. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 6 Metre class Sheila (US4) sailing upwind, 1921

The 6 Metre class Cni sailing close-hauled, 1921. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 6 Metre class Cni sailing close-hauled, 1921

Ostara and Sophie Elizabeth racing downwind, 1911. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
Ostara and Sophie Elizabeth racing downwind, 1911. The 15-metre cutter Ostara sailing close-hauled 1912. Ostara, launched in 1909 was designed by Alfred Mylne and Sophie Elizabeth

The 8 Metre Ierne running down wind under spinnaker, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 8 Metre Ierne running down wind under spinnaker, 1913

The steam yacht Shemara under way, 1912. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The steam yacht Shemara under way, 1912. Shemara was built by Ramage & Ferguson at Leith in 1899

The majestic Pamela sailing close-hauled, 1914. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The majestic 15 Metre class Pamela sailing close-hauled, 1914. Pamela, designed by Charles Nicholson and launched in 1913, was fitted with the innovative Marconi topmast

HMS Zealandia, 1913. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
HMS Zealandia, 1913. HMS Zealandia was a King Edward VII-class battleship of the Royal Navy. She was originally named HMS New Zealand but was renamed HMS Zealandia in 1911

The 6 Metre Lanka sailing close-hauled, 1914. Creator: Kirk & Sons of Cowes
The 6 Metre Lanka sailing close-hauled, 1914

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William Umpleby Kirk was a renowned yacht designer and builder, known for his exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. His company, Kirk & Sons of Cowes, created some of the most iconic yachts of their time. One such masterpiece was the 205 ton J-class yacht Velsheda, captured in all her glory sailing close hauled in 1933. The sleek lines and impressive size showcased Kirk's expertise in creating powerful yet elegant vessels. Another notable creation by Kirk & Sons was the steam yacht Boadicea, gracefully anchored and exuding timeless charm. This vessel stood as a testament to Kirk's ability to combine luxury with functionality. In 1913, Cremona crashed through a wave with sheer force, displaying both her strength and the skillful design by William Umpleby Kirk. The image immortalized this momentous event that highlighted the durability of his creations. The steam yacht Joyeuse also bore witness to Kirk's ingenuity in boat building. Launched in 1914, she epitomized elegance on water while boasting cutting-edge technology for her time. Kirk's designs were not limited to motor yachts alone; he also excelled at crafting magnificent sailing vessels like White Heather and Shamrock racing downwind. These images captured thrilling moments during races where speed met artistry. Shamrock IV, an America's Cup challenger from 1914 without its topsail displayed another side of William Umpleby Kirk’s talent - designing competitive racing yachts that pushed boundaries. However, not all moments were triumphant; RMS Olympic suffered damage after colliding with HMS Hawke in the Solent waters in 1911. This incident demonstrated how even well-crafted vessels could face unexpected challenges at sea. The steam yacht Surf painted a serene picture as it rested peacefully at anchor in 1912 – showcasing yet another facet of William Umpleby Kirk’s versatility as a designer.