There are probably several hundred sailing yachts lined up along the jetties of Haslar Marina in Gosport. Most of them are more or less ordinary cruising boats. At the end of pontoon D, however, one ship stands out from the crowd. At over 17 metres long, it is one of the larger vessels in the harbour basin. Its hull, deck and superstructure are made of wood, and the ornamental moulding with arrows and ears of corn on the bow and stern reveal its prominent origins. It is the "Overlord", which was built 89 years ago as the "Pelikan" by Abeking & Rasmussen in Bremen-Lemwerder. She has been at home in British waters for eight decades.
Also interesting:
The history of the ship is at least as remarkable as that of the sailing club and its members, who have kept it sailing since the 1960s. I want to get to know some of them on this day. A photo shoot is planned outside on the Solent. The conditions couldn't be better. In the morning there is already a moderate breeze from the east, later the wind is expected to pick up to at least 15 knots, maybe even over 20 knots. And all this under a bright blue sky!
"Overlord" is made for somewhat rougher conditions
When I arrive at the ship, I am greeted by club commodore Paul Lund. He takes me down to the saloon, where the crew for the day are already waiting for me. Everyone introduces themselves over a cup of tea. Apart from one doctor who is still practising, the others are already retired. They include a former software consultant, an archaeologist, a lawyer, a surveyor and an artist. In short, a truly colourful bunch with an average age of 66. What they have in common is that they are all experienced sailors.
They prove this a little later. They head out with just one reef in the mainsail. The now stiff breeze, which creates an unpleasant wave here in the narrows between Gosport and Portsmouth, causing spray to spray across the deck time and time again, is something the gang of pensioners shrug off with a smile. Even the slalom between some freighters lying in the roadstead, which requires some sailing manoeuvres, leaves them unimpressed. You can tell that these are experienced skippers at work. They know their ship from the bottom of the keel to the top of the mast. What's more, the "Overlord" is practically made for such somewhat rougher conditions. She cuts through the waves with impressive ease, stoically maintaining her course and speed. The atmosphere in the cockpit is correspondingly relaxed. People chat and laugh a lot.
Thanks to the requisitioned German yachts, England's armed forces received intensive sailing training after the war.
Here off the coast of southern England, the sea cruiser is seen less often than you might think. During the season, it is usually out on long-distance cruises, for example around Great Britain and Ireland, in the Baltic Sea, in the Mediterranean or even in the North Atlantic heading for the Azores. The 200 members of the club ensure that this is possible at all with their contributions and also with a great deal of personal effort.
"Overlord" goes to the Allies as war reparations
The A&R design is a long-distance vessel - no one could have imagined this at the time of its construction. In fact, it was built in Lemwerder for the Luftwaffe in 1936. This was not unusual at the time. On the contrary, before the Second World War, German armed forces liked to use sailing yachts for training and regatta purposes, but also for the leisure activities of soldiers and officers. As the "Pelikan", the 100-square-metre nautical cruiser was stationed in Kiel and sailed often and frequently along the German Baltic coast, even during the war years. In the saloon, a plaque with the emblem of the Luftwaffe - an eagle in flight with the swastika in its talons - bears witness to a successful regatta from Greifswald across the Bodden to Peenemünde in 1943. Fittingly, it is said that Hermann Göring enjoyed sailing the "Pelikan". And that - due to the stature of the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe at the time - a wider aft berth was installed.
Lots of nautical miles in the wake - this applies not only to the "Overlord", but also to many of her regular fellow sailors.
After the war, an estimated 200 yachts went to the Allies as war reparations, ranging from Sharpies and Starboats to an impressive fleet of 30, 50, 100 and even 300-metre cruisers. To date, the United Kingdom has not had a naval training programme for the military comparable to the German one. This is set to change fundamentally from now on. In 1946, the captured yachts were labelled windfalls by the British Admiralty. A term that is still associated with the ships on the island to this day.
Like the "Storch", the "Pelikan" is assigned to the Royal Engineer Yacht Club. The club renames her "Overlord" in honour of the Allied operation of the same name in 1944, and "Avalanche". Marchwood near Southampton becomes the new home harbour. The club members quickly became friends with their new ship. It took part in the Fastnet Race twice and came third in a series of races held on the English Channel in 1949. In 1955, "Overlord" finally joined the Royal Army Service Corps and came under the care of Captain Tony Venables - another stroke of luck, but this time for the ship.
With ties to preserve the "Overlord"
Venables is so enthusiastic about the "Overlord" that he and his newlywed wife spend their honeymoon on board a year later. The Corps, on the other hand, is less euphoric. When the wooden mast breaks in 1960, the yacht is summarily returned to the War Office, which then puts it up for sale. By this time, Venables had already left the armed forces, but his bid of £700 for the hull and £150 for the equipment was accepted. His plan: repair "Overlord", sail her for a few years and then sell her at a profit.
A few trips later, he changes his mind. Not only he, but also many of his friends who were sailing with him, raved time and time again about the seaworthiness of the cruiser. In the end, Venables is persuaded to found a club to run the ship in future. No sooner said than done. However, the influx of new members is initially extremely sparse. But then Venables comes up with the brilliant idea of having the club's coat of arms, which shows an anchor, printed on ties. He took these to the London Boat Show in 1963 - and was actually able to recruit new club members there. By the end of the year, there were already 60 sailors ready to regularly handle the halyards and sheets of the "Overlord" from then on. "It was the ties that brought success," says Tony Venables later. In 1969, he was appointed Admiral of his Offshore Cruising Club - a position he still holds today.
In the same year, the first sailing trip to the Baltic Sea was organised, followed by trips to Spain. In 1982, the "Overlord" took part in the Tall Ships Race from Falmouth to Portugal, after which its course took it to the Aegean, the Azores, Scotland or Estonia. Some voyages lasted two years, so that the ship spent the winters in between on foreign shores.
Never overly comfortable or even luxurious
This ambitious sailing programme continues to this day. The "Overlord" spent last year in Danish waters, for example. A leg along the west coast of France is planned for 2025. This means that there are always new and exciting destinations for club members, and at an extremely favourable rate. The club fee is just £125 per year and the cruise fee is £68 per day. You can also build up credit by working on the boat. Some people have been known to sail to distant sailing areas free of charge for years in this way.
It goes without saying that not everything on board shines in view of this low-cost co-sailing model. The club's finances leave room for necessary overhauls. Recently, rotten frames and entire planks were replaced in the Elephant Boatyard on the Hamble. However, larger purchases in particular, such as a new engine last year, can only be financed through additional donations. The fact that it has never been overly comfortable or even luxurious on deck and even more so below deck - the interior is more of a functional nature - has its advantages. Although the saloon and cabins are no longer in their original 1936 condition, they have at least hardly changed since the boat was converted for club use in the 1960s.
The sailors have come to terms with this. They are united by the prospect of the long journeys they can undertake. "We are a strong community," says Laura Salmon, the youngest member of the crew on this day on the Solent. "People come from all walks of life and professions. That makes it hugely diverse." The camaraderie is indeed great, confirms Miggie Bruce, the oldest member of the crew at 79.
John Kapp, a former "Overlord" skipper, once said that the Windfall yachts "fell like manna from heaven". They were one of the few good things to come out of the war and made ocean sailing possible for many people. The "Overlord" is still a convincing example of this today.
Technical data "Overlord" (ex-"Pelikan")
- Shipyard: Abeking & Rasmussen
- Year of manufacture/number: 1936/3016
- Length: 17,37 m
- Width: 3,40 m
- Depth: 2,29 m
- Displacement: approx. 20 tonnes
- sail area: 100 m²
- more information: sailoverlord.org
This report was published in the current issue of YACHT classic, which has been on sale since 21 May (also available here). YACHT subscribers get the magazine delivered to their door for free. You can also read the portrait of shipyard founder Henry Rasmussen, the history of the "Nordwest" and look back on Classic Week 2024 in photos by Nico Krauss.
