page_title: Alexander Robertson & Sons
section_title: Winds of change
hierarchical_section_title: Alexander Robertson & Sons / History of Robertson's Yard / Winds of change
caption_attribution_description: English: Loch Long brochure, circa 1965
context_page_description: Alexander Robertson & Sons was a boatyard in Sandbank, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, from 1876 to 1980. The yard was located on the shore of the Holy Loch, near the world famous Royal Clyde Yacht Club at Hunter's Quay, in the building that is now the Royal Marine Hotel which was the epicentre of early Clyde yachting. Alexander Robertson started repairing boats in a small workshop at Sandbank, Argyll in 1876, and went on to become one of the foremost wooden boat-builders on Scotland's River Clyde. The 'golden years' of Robertson's yard were in the early 1900s when they started building some of the first IYRU 12mR & 15mR racing yachts. Robertson's was well known for the quality of its workmanship and was chosen to build the first 15-metre yacht designed by William Fife III. More than 55 boats were built by Robertson's in preparation for the First World War and the yard remained busy even during the Great Depression in the 1930s, as many wealthy businessmen developed a passion for yacht racing on the Clyde. During World War II the yard was devoted to Admiralty work, producing a wide range of large high speed Fairmile Marine Motor Boats.
context_section_description: Boatbuilding and yachting in particular changed direction dramatically after the war.  Larger boats with crews all but disappeared and they were gradually replaced by more economical cruising and racing yachts.  The 'one-off' design/building work that the yard specialised in was replaced by 'one-design' yachts, which began with Uffa Fox's Flying Fifteens in 1948 and the successful Loch Longs in 1949.
  In September 1956 a Royal Yacht Squadron syndicate was formed to build a 12-metre for the 1958 America's Cup. The challenger was selected based on model tank testing and David Boyd's second design was chosen.  In October 1957 Sceptre was beginning to take shape at Robertson's yard in Sandbank. She was officially launched on 2 April 1958. Some initial testing took place in the Holy Loch, but more extensive trials were carried out in the Solent before she was shipped to America. The Sceptre lost to the New York Yacht Club yacht Columbia in September 1958.
  The luxuriously appointed 65 ft (20 m) Lone Fox was built in early 1957, in the same shed as Sceptre, and was Colonel W. H. (Bill) Whitbread's personal yacht for a quarter of a century. Colonel Whitbread was head of the well-known brewery firm, and sponsor of the famous round-the-world race. She later won many races in California, and competed regularly in the Caribbean Classic yacht races. Lone Fox took top honours in the 2011 Antigua Classic Regatta winning; class, fleet, and fastest overall boat. Duran Duran presented the Panerai Trophy to Lone Fox for fastest time in the 2012 Antigua Classic Sailing Regatta.
  During the late 1950s major business problems started to appear, and during a slow period the yard found work building fast launches for the RAF. They undertook fixed-price contracts for two 63-foot General Service Mk 1 Pinnaces, but delays, design changes and escalating cost of materials put the yard in financial difficulties. At the AGM held on 4 June 1963, discussion took place regarding the adverse outcomes of these contracts, and it was agreed efforts should be made to sell the yard.
  David Boyd was again chosen to design a new 12-metre challenger for the 1964 Americas Cup. The Sovereign was launched on 6 June 1963, but by August the Royal Thames Yacht Club Committee was anxious about her performance and David Boyd was asked to design another boat similar to Sovereign, which was named Kurrewa V. Before the two yachts left British waters they conducted trial races in May/June 1964 and the Sovereign was officially selected as the challenger. Although the New York Yacht Club yacht Constellation won the America's Cup off Newport, Rhode Island, Sovereign was much admired for her graceful lines and magnificent teak deck.
  In addition to the financial losses building the two RAF Pinnaces, the much anticipated work following the three high-profile 12-metre projects failed to materialize. The Robertson family finally sold the yard in 1965 for £27,750, and it became a subsidiary of the Auchinleck Investment Co of Glasgow (comprising a syndicate of 5 well-known Clyde yachtsmen), essentially ending wooden boat-building there.
caption: Yard brochure for the successful Loch Longs
exif: {}