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Launched in May 1928 Cambria was the first of a new generation of Big class cutters. Finally after years of racing a mixed class of yachts under an unsatisfactory handicap system there was an attempt to create a new harmonious Big Class. The years of austerity that followed World War I were over, the rating rules were well established and both Sir Mortimer Singer and Sir William Berry commissioned new cutters. Singer’s Astra was designed by Charles E. Nicholson and built by Camper & Nicholsons, Berry’s Cambria was designed and built by William Fife.

There could not have been a greater contrast between the owners of these twonew cutters. Singer was an established yachtsman from a wealthy family trading up from the 12 Metre Class, Berry was a newcomer and as such relied on the advise of experts. First among these was Brooke Heckstall-Smith, secretary of the Yacht Racing Association and editor of Yachting World magazine, one of many titles in Berry’s media portfolio.

Sir William Berry’s rise to prominence is one of the greatest rags to riches stories in the media and it is all the more so since he was one of only a handful of 20th Century newspaper owner-editors. Leaving school at 13 he was apprenticed to weekly newspaper in Merthyr, South Wales, six years later he moved to London. With a capital of 100 pounds he single-handedly edited, collected advertising and distributed his own magazine, within a few years he had secured a foothold in the publishing industry. In 1925 he borrowed money to buy the moribund Sunday Times and became its editor in chief. This was the start of phenomenally successful period of empire building. Within a few years he had acquired the Financial Times from Sir John Ellerman, The Hulton Press from Lord Rothermere and the Amalgamated Press (magazines) from the executors of Lord Northcliffe. These were followed by the purchase of the largest newsprint manufacturer and the ailing Daily Telegraph from Lord Burham by which time Berry had created the largest media empire of the time.

With business came a social position, a baronetcy-prior to his elevation to the rank of viscount, and the formation of one of the great British collections. Berry had tremendous taste, he bought avidly and eclectically; Old Masters, British Pictures and furniture, oriental carpets. Porcelain, glass and silver. The world began to take notice in 1927 when he bought van Dyke’s Portrait of Abbe Scaglia, one of the artist’s finest works. In 1935 he bought Hackwood Park from Lord Bolton to house his collection and it remained there until dispersed on the death of his son the 2nd Viscount Camrose in 1998.

It was in the midst of this whirl of collecting that Berry ordered Cambria, famously asking his wife if she too might like a similar yacht, an offer she declined. Success in yachting would bring an altogether new prestige, King George V dominated the Big Class with his Britannia and to enter this peer group Berry needed to be prepared. Heckstall-Smith was ideally placed to advise him on the choice of designer but was far from impartial, he and Charles E. Nicholson had crossed swords several times over rating rules, Alfred Mylne would have been a gamble so Heckstall-Smith directed him to William Fife. Fife’s star was no longer in the ascendancy but he thought a safe bet and eager to secure so prestigious an order was biddable. When contracts were exchanged on 1 August 1927 Fife was forced to write to Berry conceding, ‘that it is a term of the bargain that the specification is subject to such reasonable variations I may agree with Sir William Burton, acting on your behalf, without variation of price.’ Burton was another of Heckstall-Smith’s appointees, he considered him ‘the greatest master of sailing a plain level match’. Certainly Burton’s credentials were immaculate, he had dominated the 52 foot, 15 Metre and 19 Metre classes with his own yachts and helmed Shamrock IV in the 1920 America’s Cup. However, he was dedicated to Alfred Mylne and never reconciled himself to the choice of Fife as designer. Trouble was in the wings.

With trials completed on schedule Cambria made her racing debut in Harwich at the first event of the 1928 season. It was a close race and she won setting the tone for what Berry would expect from then on but it was not to be. Cambria, like Astra was built to the Second International Rule and had to rate between 21 and 24 metres and a time allowance to settle any differences. Had the class been limited to these modern Bermudan rigged yachts it might have worked. However, by necessity it had to include the King’s Britannia, built in 1893 and still gaff rigged, the old rule 23 Metre class yachts Shamrock and White Heather of 1908 and 1909, the one off cutter Lulworth and the schooner Westward. It was a rating officer’s nightmare and the racing was far from equitable.

Most significant amongst the problems that afflicted the new yachts was a limitation imposed on mast height and Cambria, built upper size limits of the class, was particularly handicapped. Burton steered immaculately but the prizes went disproportionately to yachts 10 to 25 years older than Cambria. The atmosphere on board deteriorated and whilst Berry may have retreated to the fully equipped wireless room he had had fitted on board for business purposes, Fife was left to lament that he knew all too well what was wrong.

For the 1929 season Fife designed a new gaff rig to circumvent the undue penalties applied to the Bermudan rig but a late alteration in the rules suddenly allowed a taller mast and the modern rig thus remained. Astra was withdrawn from racing following her owner’s death but class was joined by a new Nicholson-designed cutter, Candida. The old gaffers still dominated on handicap but amongst the new yachts Cambria led what was in effect a class within a class.

In making his fifth and final challenge for the America’s Cup, Sir Thomas Lipton heralded in the era of the J Class yachts. His Shamrock V outpaced all existing Big Class cutters creating in effect a third class within the Big Class but with this newcomer soon preoccupied with racing in America, Cambria shared honours with the much improved Candida and both dominated Astra now racing under new ownership. However, the British Big Class could not survive in such a fragmented form, the J Class had arrived and finally the older yachts were forced to do what they could to adapt to the new rule or give up. Again King George V led the way converting Britannia to Bermudan rig for the 1931 season but other veterans soon gave up. Of the more recent cutters only the smaller Astra was able to convert successfully.

For Sir William Berry the experience of racing Cambria was not the success he had hoped. He had benefited from the advice of some of the most talented and most informed persons in yachting and campaigned his yacht in up to 50 races a year for three years but his energies had simply been expended at the wrong time and like many others his efforts fell victim to rule makers that dominated the organisation of the sport. His most enduring contribution was Cambria herself, the supremely beautiful cutter that has never wanted for admirers. By 1934 she had passed into the ownership of Sir Robert McAlpine who renamed her Lillias and on whose death in 1936 she was bought by H. F Giraud.

In Giraud’s ownership the great cutter became a cruiser based in Izmir, Turkey. Well maintained she made regular passages to Pireus for periodic Lloyds Register inspections and though she inevitably fell out of class during World War II Giraud had her reclassified. The extent of Cambria’s cruising during this period is not known. It is rumoured that Turkish Premier Ataturk was a guest on board and certainly she remained in Turkish waters, mainly Cesme until the early 1960’s. In 1963 she was briefly owned by Belgian, Andre J.M.Verbeck, who soon sold her on to his compatriot Georges Plouvier. It was in Plouvier’s ownership that she began to voyage more extensively and came to the attention of American Michael Sears who acquired her in Marseille in 1972.

Sears embarked on a circumnavigation whose details remain sketchy, a dismasting off the Canaries is rumoured and certainly it was he who re-rigged her as a ketch in 1975. By the time she reached Australian waters Sears was forced to part company with her. Australian restaurateur Charlie Whitcombe took her over and mothballed her in Townsville near the Great Barrier Reef where she was eventually discovered by yachtsmen Iain Murray, Denis O’Neil and John David.

Cambria’s beauty seduced them, she had survived virtually intact, her deck structures and fittings were still pure Fife and below her original and elegant mahogany interior needed just polish to bring it alive again. In structural terms it was a different story, the mahogany planking on steel frame hull had degraded. A total rebuild was not required but the hull lacked strength. A compromise solution was adopted where, in Brisbane 1995, after extensive steel repairs and some planking renewed, the whole exterior of the hull was encapsulated in glass fibre. As a result Cambria is strong again and can sail. A new deck was laid over the original and her systems are light and perfectly in keeping with a racing yacht.

John David became sole owner in 2001 and shipped Cambria to Cowes where she was converted back to the Bermudan rig qualifying for the America’s Cup Jubillee. It was the first time she had raced back in Great Britain since the 1930’s. Mr David was very impressed with the classic yachting scene in Europe and decided to enter her in the Mediterranean Classic Yacht Circuit. She has been an active participant since that time and she was sold to continue a similar agenda in May of 2004. Her current owner and his family now enjoy their summer holidays on board cruising the Mediterranean in between the busy racing schedule.

The new mast was started in Oct. 2004, when on the Friday of the Voiles de Saint Tropez Cambria's owner asked if it was possible to build a new mast to restore her to her former glory. Of course the answer was yes but to make the decision of complete mast or to just replace the 16.5m of carbon fibre at the top - this took much more thought. It is important to understand why however, as the project either way is immense and not lightly undertaken. The top 16.5m of Cambria's mast had been made in carbon fibre back in 1995 to return her to what was thought to be Fife's preferred mast design from the short cruising ketch rig she had carried for 20 years. With her rig restored to correct proportions, she returned to England for the 2001 Americas Cup Jubilee and stole not only the show, but the hearts of those in her view. Cambria racing on the Solent for the first time in over 70 years. Upon entering the classic yacht racing circuit later that year, it was discovered that the carbon fibre was to heavily handicap her in her rating. (Not unlike when she first started racing in 1928, though for different reasons!!). The carbon section however, not only handicapped her rating but also her sailing performance. Such a large section of carbon raised the masts COG and also distorted the shape. It is this important reason why the decision was made to remove the carbon.

The next consideration was the design and directly related, the sourcing of a large quantity of Sitka Spruce for the project. Initially we had wanted to scarph a new timber top onto the original mast though now thirty years old still in excellent condition. Harry Spencer visited Cambria in Cannes that October to carry out a mast survey and discuss ideas. It was a memorable sight. Harry at 79 years of age in the bosun chair taking core samples in a torrential autumn rain 40m off the deck! Following a particularly memorable weekend with Harry we still favoured scarphing old to new, similarly as Harry had previously done with Creole. We also discussed timber. At this time Cambria was moored next to Eleanora in the old port of Cannes. It was mentioned that should we require any further spruce to contact the supplier of the spruce used to build Eleanora's substantial rig. One phone call later to Touchwood BV and its proprietor (JLVB) a tree (sitka) in Alaska recently felled to make way for a road construction, was put aside for the project. Rough sawn 12m boards of 75mm thick up to 700mm wide of aircraft grade Alaskan sitka spruce. Such boards accommodated the initial design which was to follow as closely as possible to the old mast in cross section. By February of 2005, we had decided to use Touchwoods' Spruce because of its scantlings and following the kiln drying it would be available in March/April. Enough quantity was shipped to build a complete mast. Though the core survey was positive, we still wanted to get the old mast out and horizontal for a closer look before making the final decision.

Having chosen a yard to work with, Cambria headed for La Ciotat in April for further preparations. Classic Works is a relatively new yard within the old ship building facility in La Ciotat, on the south coast of France. A small group of local shipwrights and joiners with a passion for classic yachts fronted by Alex Laird and Butch Dalrymple Smith who certainly won favour by claiming Cambria to be the most beautiful of her era. Whether a shrewd business comment or not, the love for these yachts was soon apparent after talking with employees. Within days the old mast was out and stripped naked of all rigging and fittings. Harry again visited for a closer, somewhat dryer look. After much discussion we decided it would be more efficient to build a complete mast. This also had the advantage of a clean slate for Cambria - a mast for the next thirty years. By this stage the Spruce was being held by Dutch customs under threat of being burnt due to an overnight change in EU regulations, and the Yard was backing up with Spring work load. Whilst dealing with the obstacles Cambria was lifted and a number a past rumors and survey requirements were laid to rest. The crew completed a perfect topside paint job, praised by the resident painters. The end of April saw customs give the Spruce back, unsinged, and together with JLVB we hand selected the boards to become Cambria's mast. These boards, all individually named (!!), were selected on the following criteria; defect free (no or limited knots, shakes, sap pockets), clean straight grain with no run out and density (measured using sound resonance). Obviously in the largest size we could find. After sifting through approximately 30 m3 with the help of a couple of other Dutch barge spar builders (who were getting second choice) we had selected 15m3 in which was contained the 12 m3 we required. From sketches and initial drawings by H.S, Aurellien Lebas the Classic works naval architect completed the design and drawings of the mast. Devising a scarph plan so as to stagger the scarphs (of which there are 192 in the main structure), and utilize as much of the wood as possible minimizing wastage and off cuts was no easy task. The main difference to the eye with the new mast design is in its form from the top spreaders through the jumper fitting to the mast head. This was the carbon and carbon/wood join of the old mast. By taking a fair curve from below the old scarph to the mast head, the new masts form was drawn. By maintaining a wall thickness ratio of 20% of the masts diameter the structural strength is achieved.

The Spruce arrived in La Ciotat by early May, as we were now one month behind schedule the decision was made to return the old mast and get Cambria ready for cruising in August and the Autumn racing carnival in the Western Med. Other work being carried out by Classic Works such as a new bunk berth in keeping with Fife drawn by Theo Rye was installed in the guest cabin whilst the dog house, which had been removed to treat a water ingress issue, was carefully reinstated, following repairs to the original yellow pine deck.

Cutting out the jigsaw pieces to create the puzzle to build later was further food for thought. The design had the scantlings of each board which was also numbered and lettered. The rough sawn boards then had to be organized, labeled, cut and milled into planks to match. The philosophy behind the project has been to minimize waste of this beautiful timber, thus extra time was taken so as to limit the wastage which in projects like this can be 40%. At completion we had over 130 individual boards ready to be scarphed and glued together into 48m planks to form the structure of the mast. We used a 13:1 ratio for the scarphs.

Following the testing at the Delft University of different glues on the market including Epoxy and Resorcinol, we chose MUF (Melamine Urea Formaldehyde). Though the glue requires substantial pressure when clamping, for ease of use, weathering characteristics and open time (that time between spreading the glue on the two surfaces and closing them together) MUF is an excellent product. To use the glue correctly, as with most glues, a freshly planed surface is required. Thus before glueing, surfaces would be prepared to within a millimeter of the final dimension. The wood was also to be at no less than 15 degrees C ambient temperature to fulfill specifications. As the project had now become a winter exercise Classic Works built a 55mx5mx3m tent (tunnel), over 14 laser set trestles for our base reference, within which we could control the temperature. Once the temperature was correct and the surfaces freshly cut and cleaned the pieces were glued together!!

Following a magic season on the water, Cambria returned to La Ciotat mid-October. The tent was complete by the end of October and the process of joining over 130 individual planks into a mast begun. Using routers and scarph boxes set at 13:1 the surfaces were prepared. Glueing always occurred within 24 hrs of preparation and all prepared lumber was stored within the tent for the correct ambient temperature. The mast was to be built as a box - an aft face, two sides and a forward face. The largest scantlings of the mast are 600mm x 400mm. To organise and plan the process was Joacquim De Oliveira, head shipwright of the project. The project immediately captured Jo as it has with everyone who has been involved.

First the aft face was built. This required five 48m individual planks to be made, three to then be edge glued together, to form half of the required wall thickness. The other two are also edge glued together to form the other half of the wall thickness required. By building this way no glue joints are in line. Once the two halves are individually glued together the joining 48m face are then planed, cleaned and glued together to form the aft face; the straight face of the mast carrying the mast track. Locating dowels were positioned along the center line of the two faces to stop sliding when clamping. Clamps were placed at every 250mm, thus requiring 200 clamps for the procedure. This initial glue took 20 people; it was the only face we could physically manipulate.

The aft face, once cleaned up was the left as a reference point and fixed into position. Space was an issue as the next step was building the two sides, at their largest section over 600mm wide. These walls were composed of four individual 48m planks, which then once glued together had a triangular section (48m) glued to each internal edge. The triangles were to add surface area for gluing the box together. Once all six individual components of the side were completed, they could then be prepared for the solid and hollow sections of the mast. Cambria's mast is solid at points of load bearing lateral compression, ie at the mast head, spreaders, jumper, gooseneck, deck, and heel. Between is hollow so as to reduce the weight. The solid sections taper to the hollows so as to avoid any point loading, and each taper was carved out by adze and hand plane and painted. Over one m3 of off cuts was used to fill the solid sections. The taper of the masts front face was cut into the forward edge of the mast sides. To glue these two massive sections together, crane arms were built on every second trestle, each with a one tonne chain block. The two sides were glued together on top, but not to, the aft face. It is enough to glue two 48m sections weighing over a tonne each at once let alone three! Tape prevented the sides bonding to the base. Once the sides were together, they were lifted off the aft face which was then carved out in the hollow sections, planed and painted ready to have the sides glued on top. Once this was achieved, space was at hand to build the forward face of the mast. A similar method as the aft face was used. The last scarph was cut at the end of February, and the last clamp joining the completed box section together was early March.

Next; shaping and rounding: Following the construction of the mast in its rectangular form, the next challenge was shaping and rounding. As the sides had been built with taper, and the aft face is essentially straight, the shaping involved, before rounding, was to remove excess wall thickness in the forward face. The wall thickness is reduced so as to reduce weight aloft. Thus wall thickness decreases from 120mm to 60mm. The majority of the timber was removed using power planers to within 1mm, then finished by hand plane. Tapers were marked out using the aft face as a reference and then twelve meter plywood straight edges to fair in the line. With the mast now square and all final dimensions within the square it was time to start rounding. After much discussion with spar gauges, both 8 and 16 sided gauges, we decided to use the same proportions but with a custom made gauge with one marker.

With lines marking out the timber to remove, two of the team would drive a 14 inch circular saw, one pushing and one pulling, along the 48m length. This was within 5mm with the remainder taken off with the power plane, and then hand plane. The forward face was first, once we had achieved 14 sides the remainder of the face was done by eye. With as much hand planning as possible achieved the remainder of rounding was completed using 2m torture boards and starting at 40 grit paper, through 60, 80 120 to 150 grit paper. Once the forward face (other than final sanding for coating) was finished, the mast was turned over to round off the aft face. As no taper is cut on this face we could start immediately to mark out for rounding. However, as the forward face is now tapered and curved, new supports were constructed so as to keep the aft face straight once turned. Rotating the mast was achieved using chain blocks, attached to a steel girder running the length of the roof above the tent. Once turned and checked the circular saw was soon out lopping off the sides at 45 degrees, again to within 5mm. Following the same process we rounded the aft face with the exception of leaving a 42m straight flat for the mast track. With the exception of the Jumper fitting we have reused all fittings from the old mast, including the mast track. Thus the dimensions had to be accurate to accommodate all the through bolts and curves and angles. The fittings, including the spreader cheeks, have now all been fitted and the construction of the mast is complete. We have oiled the mast for protection. Rigging is also now complete and pending weather the mast will be stepped on Wednesday 19th of April in the dry dock at the Chantier Naval in La Ciotat. This marks the end of a busy, challenging and rewarding winter for Cambria and her crew. The opening regatta for us will be the 'Voiles d'Antibes' at the end of May, prior to that Cambria will be sea trialing in the bay of Cannes.