A Little Cape Horn Information
The Cape Horn, is one example of hundreds of beautiful, fast yachts designed by William Fife III (1857-1944). Fife was born into the boat building and design trade, in his father's and grandfather's shipyard in Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland. By the age of 30, he became known as the premier designer of classic wooden yachts and noted racing boats for Royalty and the wealthy.
Fife worked in tandem with G.L.Watson and between the two of them, they dominated the design of large sailing yachts in Britain in the 1890's. When Sir Thomas Lipton, famous for his tea of the same name, decided to challenge for the America's Cup in 1899, he asked Fife to design the Shamrock. However, because the Shamrock was to be built in metal, another builder constructed her. Shamrock was handicapped by having to be heavily built in order to survive the Atlantic crossing to get to the race in Newport, California. Shamrock lost to Columbia that year.
Lipton again came to Fife, this time to design the 1903 challenger, the Shamrock III. This vessel was the largest, fastest and most advanced racing boat of the time. However, Shamrock III came up against a more formidable vessel in Reliance designed by Nathanael G. Herreshoff and lost, 3 races to 0. Fife had to wait until 1912 when he worked with Charles E. Nicholson to design Lipton's last two Shamrocks.
While Fife's Shamrocks were not America's Cup winners, these powerful vessels and his many other boats like the Cape Horn, set a standard of excellence that shows even today. Many can be found still sailing from the wealthy resorts of the Cote d'Azur.
Fife is noted as one of the best yacht designers in history and was awarded the OBE, (Order of the British Empire) as well as being inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame.
He never married and is buried at Largs in Ayrshire on Scotland's beautiful west coast. Fife's shipyard was sold after his death. It continued to build fishing boats and to do yacht repairs until it finally closed in 1985.
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