life
FEATURE
The Tsar
and the Isle
of Wight
The British Russian Sailing Trust
has been invited by Russia to put
together a team to take part in its
annual 100 mile race. Joint founder
Anthony Churchill explores the
extraordinary story of the Island’s
Russian connection, and the Trust’s
present-day sponsor
CURIOSITY has drawn
numerous Russians to the Isle
of Wight. In the Deep South,
author Turgenev bathed in the
sea off Ventnor and had the
inspiration for one of Russia’s
most famous novels “Fathers
and Sons” . Karl Marx also
stayed at Ventnor. And he
had his effect on the Russians,
didn’t he?
Nearby, on the southern
hills overlooking Rew Valley,
a monument was erected to
remember the visit of Tsar
Alexander 1 by a grateful
Island merchant who’d made
his pile trading in Muscovy.
Someone later added a plaque
to remember those who fell at
Inkermann and Sevastapol in
the Crimean War, a campaign
famous for the charge by the
Light Brigade into Russian
Guns.
But my story is about the
Russians and the northern
side of the Island. Tsar
Nicholas 1 and his son were
both enthusiastic visitors.
His emissary visited Osborne
House to see if Queen Victoria
would be amused if he called
his new Royal Yacht, which
30
was then being built in Cowes,
“Queen Victoria”. She was,
and the yacht was so named.
The Tsar became a member
of the Royal Yacht Squadron,
from 1847, and his son, the
Grand Duke Constantine
mastermind the yacht’s build
and launch from Joseph
White’s East Cowes Gridiron
Yard.
On completion the yacht
didn’t stay but promptly
sailed off back home to St
Petersburg. Hopes were
high that she would return
to compete in the 1851 race,
the 100 Guinea Cup, won
by ‘America’ and still raced
for today as ‘The America’s
Cup’. Disappointingly, ‘Queen
Victoria’ did not return for the
contest.
The Tsar tried to make up
for not coming by organising
a race in St Petersburg, in
1852. The race was not for
100 guineas, but of 100 miles
in length: off 50 miles to the
west, round a lighthouse,
and then back again. It was
preceded by a 25 mile sprint
to make this into a Russian
Regatta rather than a race.
The Island's most loved magazine