05 CARLOTTA

We were thrilled when Carlotta – an 1899 Bristol Pilot Cutter – won the prestigious Classic Boat Best Restoration Award for extensive restoration work done at two yards on different continents – here at the Elephant Boatyard, and Abernethy and Gaudin in Canada's Pacific Northwest.

Carlotta came to us with a restoration job list which included replacing planks in the stern, fixing leaking seams, deck caulking, ballast, fitting a new stove, plumbing and extensive rigging work.

She has an incredible history, having been owned and sailed by pilots, princesses, viscounts, lords, criminals, Churchill’s cousin and even an illegitimate line of the royal family. She made a daring escape from Guernsey in World War II, has been laid over by hurricane force winds and has raced successfully against Twelve-metres.

With her sleek lines and traditional rigging, Carlotta embodies the enduring spirit of 19th-century sailing and is now preserved for years to come.