The most prestigious order received by Morgan Giles must surely be the 8 Metre yacht for King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1930. Designed and built by Morgan Giles she was launched by the Spanish Queen Mother Maria Cristina of Hapsburg.

The latter part of the 1920’s saw a great interest in the 8-metre racing yachts. Morgan Giles had built a number of these and in 1930 received the order for Hispania VI for King Alphonso XIII of Spain who was a keen yachtsman and member of a number of British clubs, including the Royal Yacht Squadron.  On 22^nd June 1930 the new yacht left Teignmouth with Frank Morgan-Giles at the helm.  The King himself inspected the vessel at Cowes but she was not quite ready for racing.  The King did however race her at the Bembridge Regatta coming 2^nd in one of the races but unsuccessful in the others.  She was transported to Santander and the King sailed out in her to greet the Ocean Racing Clubs race to that port.   Very soon after the King was deposed and it is rumoured that Morgan Giles never got paid for the yacht.

Uffa Fox wrote – As a king’s wish is a royal command that must be obeyed, we may be sure that of all the designers of Europe King Alfonso chose Morgan Giles to design and build his 8-metre Hispania VI, and so paid England as well as Giles a great compliment……..Hispania’s Lines show that Morgan Giles did his utmost for King Alfonso, as she is very clean and sweet under water, the sections are firm and yet not too powerful, for it must be remembered that she was designed for Spanish waters, where even if the wind blows the same speed farther south it has not the same power as it is in a warmer wind.  For there is no doubt that the colder winds are more dense and powerful even if they are not faster, a fact soon realised when sailing in summer and winter. The diagonals are fair and easy, and looking at the lines it is soon realised why she was so successful in the warm winds of sunny Spain

The history of Hispania VI becomes a little hazy after the King was deposed but she is still shown as ownership by the ex-King of Spain up to 1933 with her home port Bilbao.  From 1934 she was first owned by Charley De Ricou, a First World War aviator and pioneer of air transport in France who also owned the Osborne, another 8-metre designed and built by William Fife III.  Hispania VI was next owned by Guy Querne from 1935 to 1939 with her home port as Dournenez. After the war in 1947 she was owned by Hervé Gayet, A wood importer at Landerneau in France. No further records are available after this time but at some later date she was saved by a Frenchman who purchased her in Plougastel Brittany when the previous owner wanted to melt down the keel.  She was sailed by the family for many years and was eventually found in 2003, after being discovered as a wreck, and purchased by Reinhard Friede. She was shipped to the USA where she is today.

Reinhard now wishes to pass her on to hopefully be restored to her original condition. She has been examined by David White of Northwest Maritime in Port Townsend who tells us that the boat appears much as it did when it left France.  It had been covered in fiberglass which rotted some of the transom. However, most of the original planking elsewhere survived and is in excellent condition along with frames floors and keel that are solid. The fiberglass has been stripped and some work re-planking has been started. The ballast lies off to the side. The boat is stored in a purpose built steel building with a lofting floor next to the boat. The good news is she is stable, dry and is in slightly better shape than when she was moored in a lake in France.

It would be great news if Hispania VI could be restored to her former glory and preserve the design and workmanship of this historic Morgan Giles yacht.  David can be contacted through the Northwest Maritime website and would be very pleased to hear from anyone who would be interested in her restoration.