THE WATKINS TROPHY
Sadly, the BTYC Saddington club, which has been the home of the trophy since they last won it in 1989, is having to fold, and now, WHSC as successors to BTYC London, are to become its custodians.
It is an important trophy as regards sailing on the Welsh Harp and needs to be preserved carefully. However, we intend to resurrect its use for a prestigious GP14 event sometime in the future in order to continue its history.
The trophy was presented to The British Transport Yacht Club (BTYC) in 1959 by J.W. Watkins C.V.O D.S.O M.C for interdivisional competition between the three divisions which comprised The British Transport Yacht Club. They were: Leicester (Saddington), London (Welsh Harp) and York (River Ouse).
The trophy was competed for annually at each division in turn over a period of 31 years by teams of four from each club until The BTYC (in its original form) was disbanded around 1990. Saddington division was the final winner of the trophy in 1989 and so this magnificient trophy stayed with the Saddington club until that club closed and it came to the Welsh Harp (as WHSC) in 2022.
The winning team in 1989 (see photo below) was comprised of: Terry Elliott, Kevin Always, Ian Lambert and Andy Potter.
A video of the competition in 1964 can be viewed here on the BFI website.
This trophy is made up from a model of a traditional maltese boat (Dgħajsa Tal-Latini) from the island of Gozo. It is hallmarked with maltese silver hallmarks denoting a silver purity of 800 parts per 1000.
The Gozo Boat history and heritage
The tal-latini boat, as it's name implies was primarily a sailing vessel. The early boats might have been lateen rigged but there were some which were provided with a sprit.
By the end of the 19th century the Gozo boat was definitely rigged with a settee type of sail on two masts with the foremast slightly higher than the mainmast. A jib was hoisted at the foremast secured to a bowsprit normally lashed to the lower part of the foremast. The sheet of the jib was secured to the different bitts according to the wind. Apart from the normal great sails, the Gozo Boat carried a small storm sail. The masthead was painted white and an antenna was strong enough for a sailor to climb onto it when required, to adjust sections of the rigging. With a good wind, the boat was rigged with goose winged sails. The simple lateen rig on the Gozo Boat required just one or two adjustable shrouds. Oars were always carried and were used when entering harbour or manoeuvering to a berth. By 1919 engines were installed with success on Gozo Boats but sails were retained up to circa 1950.
A little about J.W. Watkins C.V.O D.S.O M.C from the London Gazette:
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