Name Jenny Wren

JENNY WREN was built by Gilbert & Pascoe at Porthleven, Cornwall, to a design by Harley Meade, in 1926 and marked the transition from Falmouth punt to ocean-going yacht.  Harley Meade was the 'Father of RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club)'. 

She remained in the British Isles until the early 1950s when it was located in Jersey and was bought by G Webb and D Macy. When they bought the yacht it had already been converted to a ketch and they spent time restoring it and also installing guard rails in preparation for a long sea voyage. 

Initially they spent time sailing around the Mediterranean using Ibiza as a base and then planned to sail to South Africa via the Red Sea. When they got to Naples in 1956 tensions were developing at the Suez Canal so the decision was made to sail down the west coast of Africa. D Macy left the yacht at this stage and G Webb, J Slight and two others then proceeded via Gibraltar to sail to Cape Town.

In about 1967 JENNY WREN lost her mast near Cape Point and whilst working on a new mast the idea of the Cape to Rio Yacht Race was discussed, the first such race being in 1971.

She spent twenty years with one owner, during which time she encountered Bill Tillman's Mischief several times.  JENNY WREN was continuosly in South Africa until completion of the second Cape to Rio race after she'd been extensively refitted and sailed in that race by her new owners a crew off young South African yachtsmen.She was then sold to owners based in New Zealand, before returning to the UK via the West Indies and Gibraltar.  In the late 1970s she completed her second circumnavigation, including two entries into the Falkland Islands, before returning to the UK.

In about 1972 she was sold to a South African and it remained in South Africa for some years before it returned to the UK.

She was re-decked in 1992 and converted back a ketch rig to her original cutter rig.