Charles Ernest Nicholson


Charles Ernest Nicholson, OBE, RDI was a British yacht designer.

Biography

He was born in 1868, one of four sons and six daughters of Benjamin Nicholson, also a yacht designer, and the original Nicholson of Camper and Nicholson. His eldest brother, Benjamin Watson Nicholson, and younger brother, Arthur William Nicholson also became directors of the firm.
Nicholson's first design of note was the Redwing class. The Bembridge sailing club met in October 1896 to agree the need for a shallow draughted yacht - to allow for the shoal waters of Bembridge Harbour - which could be sailed single-handed, to replace the expensive half racers. Nicholson designed the yacht in ten days, and by 1898 the fleet consisted of 16 boats, all built by the Camper & Nicholsons shipyard.
In the early 1900s, Nicholson developed a new powered craft which would enable the owners to come from their "big-boats" before and after the competitions. Named the Gelyce class, the name derived from the combined first and last letter of the wives of the three brothers: Gertie, Lucy, and Constance.
In 1912, Nicholson introduced the 15mR design [Istria (yacht)|Istria] with a Marconi rig, the first yacht in the world with a lightweight, laminated wood construction. This led to further developments and growing expertise in the use of lightweight materials which saw its fruition in the use of plywood in deck construction. This ultimately led to arguably Nicholson's most beautiful sailing creation, the 1927 commissioned Vira was built on behalf of Alexander Smith Cochran.
He died on 26 February 1954.

Nicholson designs

  • Dacia
  • Marigold - still sails
  • Avel - still sails as tender to Creole
  • Black Swan - still sails
  • Merrymaid - still sails
  • Norland
  • Nyria
  • Brynhild II
  • Joyette - under refit
  • Orion - still sails
  • Istria
  • The Brat of Dunkirk -Hout Bay Yacht Club - restoration project
  • Marguerita
  • Pamela
  • Paula III
  • Shamrock IV for Sir Thomas Lipton
  • Patricia
  • ' - still sails
  • Borgila - still sails
  • Sylvia - still sailsHurrica V, Built in Australia, restored at Norman Wrights in Brisbane, en route to San Francisco
  • Creole - still sails
  • Astra - still sails
  • Lady Van - still sails
  • Candida - still sails
  • Driac - still sails
  • Shamrock V for Sir Thomas Lipton - still sails
  • Patience - still sails
  • Velsheda - still sails
  • Endeavour - still sails
  • Endeavour II
  • Bloodhound - still sails
  • ' - Xyris Class - still sails
  • Oiseau de Feu - still sails
  • Trivia - still sails
  • Folly 1909 was his boat. Still sails and race.