A magnificent silver-gilt bowl presented by King William IV to the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) is back in England thanks to a maritime antique dealer.
The bowl’s history is an appropriate reminder of the depth of the sailing history of Cork Harbour with the 2021 rediscovery of the trophy coming as it does in Royal Cork Yacht Club’s tricentenary year.
Charles Wallrock of Wick Antiques in Lymington, Hants, who is a keen yachtsman, believes it is the missing trophy from the squadron’s annual race in 1835; the King’s Cup.
That year the winner was Irishman John Barry-Smith in his 90-ton yacht Columbine.
An account from the time stated how ‘his gracious majesty’s beautiful cup will for the first time find its way to the sister isle, and grace the sideboard of the hospitable and liberal proprietor of Cove Island in Cork Harbour‘.
The bowl includes the royal coat of arms and has the inscription ‘The Gift of His Most Gracious Majesty William the Fourth to the Royal Yacht Squadron, 1835’.
The annual race was the precursor of the world-famous Cowes Week held on the Isle of Wight and the bowl will now be offered at the Chelsea Antiques Fair with a price tag of £78,000.
Read the full article Here
Wick Antiques was established by Charles Wallrock in the early 1980s. Having grown up in the Antiques world Charles developed an extensive wealth of knowledge.
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