Tally Ho is a historically significant gaff-rigged cutter yacht measuring 48 feet (15 meters) in length, designed by the renowned artist and yacht designer Albert Strange. Built in 1910 at Stow & Son in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England, the vessel was originally constructed as Betty for relaxed cruising and deep-sea fishing, featuring a carvel-built hull with a long keel and a transom stern—an unusual choice for Strange, who typically favored canoe-stern designs. The yacht is rigged with a gaff mainsail, three foresails (staysail, jib, and flying staysail), and a gaff topsail, complemented by a 4-cylinder Beta 88 horsepower auxiliary diesel engine with a four-bladed bronze folding propeller. Throughout its storied service, Tally Ho has carried several names, including Betty, Alciope, and Escape. It was built for Charles Hellyer of Brixham, Devon, and later sold in 1927 to Lord Stalbridge, who renamed it Tally Ho. Notably, the vessel achieved victory in the 1927 Fastnet Race, one of only two yachts out of fifteen starters to finish, crossing the line under challenging conditions and winning on corrected time despite arriving just 52 minutes after the schooner La Goleta. The yacht’s history also includes a dramatic 1968 shipwreck off the Pacific island of Manuae, where it grounded on a coral reef, capsized, and lost its mast, bowsprit, and rudder. Nevertheless, it was successfully floated and towed back for repairs. In subsequent years, Tally Ho operated as a motor fishing vessel in Oregon, known as Escape, until 1987. It remained ashore for many years, stored by the Albert Strange Association, until it was sold in 2017 to boatbuilder Leo Goolden for restoration. After nearly seven years of meticulous rebuilding, Tally Ho was launched in April 2024 and sailed in open waters by June. Its restoration, now nearly complete, highlights its maritime significance as a historic racing yacht and a symbol of early 20th-century yacht design, with plans to participate in the centenary Fastnet Race in 2027.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.