Motor
Yacht Virginia
 Socialites Virginia and Stephen Courtauld were well
known for their devotion to cutting edge design. At
Eltham Palace, on the outskirts of London, they built
the most significant Art Deco house in Britain. When
they sought to commission a yacht they initially
approached Camper & Nicholsons, the firm that had
pioneered the introduction of diesel engines on large
yachts. However, in hand with the new technology, that
firm had also introduced an entirely new style that
the Courtaulds could not reconcile themselves to as
they
aspired to a yacht of classic elegance.
When Virginia
was launched a contemporary commentator made the point
eloquently: "Few will deny that the steam yachts built
before the war had a more graceful and pleasing
appearance than many of the motor yachts that have
been designed during the last decade. But the M. Y.
Virginia, with her clipper bow, her long overhanging
stern, her raking masts and funnel and her topgallant
focs'le, fully upholds the traditions of steam yacht
design for beautiful vessels. The features named,
however will cause no surprise when it is known that
this 712-ton yacht was designed by G. L. Watson &
Co…."
Virginia was built at the Dalmuir yard of William
Beardmore & Co. on the upper Clyde and launched in
June 1930. The use of diesel engines and certain other
design features such as the full beam deck house
forward on the main deck allowed the designers to
include significantly more interior volume than had
been possible on previous yachts of this style. For
the interior decoration the Courtaulds turned to the
Marchese Malacrida who would later be responsible for many of
the interiors at Eltham Palace. Unlike the exterior
profile the interior was as cutting edge as their home
ashore.
The outbreak of World War II put an end to the
Courtaulds yachting but unlike most of Virginia's
contemporaries she returned to private use post-war in
the ownership of the newspaper baron Viscount Camrose.
For ten years from 1948 Camrose cruised extensively on
Virginia, regular refits saw the superstructure
gradually grow whilst the rig shrank but as one of the
largest yachts in commission in the 1950s she
attracted a great deal of attention. In 1959 she was
purchased from the executors of Lord Camrose's estate
by the Liberian Government to serve as their
Presidential Yacht. Refitted for her new duties and
now christened Liberian the yacht made extensive
voyages until the late 1960s. Virginia ended her days
as a floating casino in Sierra Leone where a
disastrous fire precipitated her demise.
With her diesel motors and design refinements
Virginia was the ultimate development of the classic
motor yacht. The overall proportions allow good
accommodation for 12 guests with fine public rooms and
excellent deck areas. There have been several schemes
to build new classic-style motor yachts in the 200
foot size range. All of these have failed to capture
the design principles of those they are seeking to
emulate and none has yet got further than the drawing
board. If re-built to modern standards Virginia could
uniquely combine the attributes of a proven and
beautiful classic with contemporary classification and
accommodation.
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