FEATURE
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Photo: The BOTIK ( Copyright www.tallshipstock.com)
Top Island yachts took part, including yachts
owned by members of Island’s Royal Yacht
Squadron and Royal London Yacht Club, and
the Russians commemorate the event annually,
on the same 100 mile course.
At the moment, only Russian yachts compete.
But that could change. In 2010, the Russians
want to invite Island clubs, and they have
approached the British Russian Sailing
Trust, founded by myself and John Caulcutt
of Yarmouth ten years ago, with a plan to
encourage closer yachting links between the
Island and Russia.
Our first event involved Botik, meaning
‘little boat’ in Russian. This 20 foot British
yacht, built in the 16th Century, is today in St
Petersburg’s Maritime Museum. She is thought
to be a gift from Queen Elizabeth I to Tsar Ivan
the Terrible, he who chopped off heads at whim.
Ivan, on the lookout for an aristocratic bride
(though he was married at the time) espied one
unmarried Queen – our own beloved Elizabeth.
To prevent him beheading British Merchants in
a pique she was diplomatic in her refusal, and
sent him the name of a lady-in-waiting in her
stead. She also sent the ‘Botik’, or so the story
goes.
But Ivan didn’t like the sea, and Botik was left
to rot on a lake just north of Moscow.
About ten Tsars later, a youngster Peter found
this boat, restored her and sailed her on the
Yauza River. Entranced by his experience, and
once he was made Tsar, Peter came to Britain,
visited London and Portsmouth – where he
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pinched a skilled boat artisan or two from the
Solent, and a Mr Nye from the Isle of Wight –
and went back as founder of the sea-city which
by then bore his name, St Petersburg. Peter (by
then called “The Great”) named Botik “The
great grandfather of the Russian Navy”: she is
thus known in Russia even today. Us Br