Charles Ernest Nicholson

Charles Ernest Nicholson, OBE, RDI (12 May 1868 – 26 February 1954) was a British yacht designer.

Biography

He was born in 1868, one of four sons and six daughters of Benjamin Nicholson (1828-1906), also a yacht designer, and the original Nicholson of Camper and Nicholson. His eldest brother, Benjamin Watson Nicholson (1857-1927), and younger brother, Arthur William Nicholson (1872-1957) also became directors of the firm.

Nicholson's first design of note was the Redwing class. The Bembridge sailing club met in October 1896 to agree the need for a shallow draughted yacht - to allow for the shoal waters of Bembridge Harbour - which could be sailed single-handed, to replace the expensive half racers. Nicholson designed the yacht in ten days, and by 1898 the fleet consisted of 16 boats, all built by the Camper & Nicholsons shipyard.

In the early 1900s, Nicholson developed a new powered craft which would enable the owners to come from their "big-boats" before and after the competitions. Named the Gelyce class, the name derived from the combined first and last letter of the wives of the three brothers: Gertie (married to Ben Jr), Lucy (married to Charles), and Constance (married Arthur).

In 1912, Nicholson introduced the 15mR design Istria with a Marconi rig, the first yacht in the world with a lightweight, laminated wood construction. This led to further developments and growing expertise in the use of lightweight materials which saw its fruition in the use of plywood in deck construction. This ultimately led to arguably Nicholson's most beautiful sailing creation, the 1927 commissioned Vira (later Creole) was built on behalf of Alexander Smith Cochran.

He died on 26 February 1954.

Nicholson designs

Dacia (5-rater, 1891) Marigold (cutter, 1892) - still sails Avel (cutter, 1896) - still sails as tender to Creole (see below) Black Swan (originally Brynhyld, yawl, 1899) - still sails Merrymaid (handicap cruising yacht, 1904) - still sails Norland (schooner, 1904) Nyria (first large Bermuda cutter, 1906) Brynhild II (23mR, 1907) Joyette (originally Almara) (101 ft, 1907) - under refit Orion (racing schooner, 1910) - still sails Istria (15mR, 1912) The Brat of Dunkirk (38 Yawl, 1913)-Hout Bay Yacht Club - restoration project Marguerita (racing schooner, 1913) Pamela (15mR, 1913) Paula III (15mR, 1913) Shamrock IV (Universal Rule 75-footer, 1914) for Sir Thomas Lipton Patricia (R-Class, 1921) BARBARA (Bermuda yawl, 1923) - still sails Borgila (6mR, built 1924 in Gothenborg, GKSS No.1) - still sails Sylvia (Bermuda ketch, 1925) - still sails Hurrica V (24 m ketch, 1924, Nicholson design 315), Built in Australia, restored at Norman Wrights in Brisbane, en route to San Francisco Creole (originally Vira, three-mast staysail schooner, 1927) - still sails Astra (23mR, 1928) - still sails Lady Van (Universal Rule “R” Class, 1928) - still sails Candida (23mR, 1929) - still sails Driac (Bermudian cutter, 40', 1930) - still sails Shamrock V (J-class yacht, 1930) for Sir Thomas Lipton - still sails Patience (Bermuda cutter, 1931) - still sails Velsheda (J-class yacht, 1933) - still sails Endeavour (J-class yacht, 1934) - still sails Endeavour II (J-class yacht, 1936) Bloodhound (12mR, 1936) - still sails Gadwall (30' Bermuda Sloop, 1939) - Xyris Class - still sails (one of a class of eight yachts designed in the late 1930s) Oiseau de Feu (originally Firebird X, offshore racing ketch, 1937) - still sails Trivia (12mR, 1937) - still sails Folly (8mR first rule) 1909 was his boat (Mr Charles E Nicholson designed for himself and was built at Camper & Nicholson in Gosport). Still sails and race.