Abstract
Mike Bender’s A New History of Yachting offers a comprehensive study of wind-powered leisure sailing in Britain from the sixteenth century to the present day. Rejecting the narrow focus on the exploits of elite owners and large racing vessels which have characterised previous publications, Bender argues for the importance of yachting to social and leisure history, claiming that the sport can be held up as a ‘mirror to society’ (p. 380). Whereas a newcomer to the subject may be tempted to dismiss yachting as the preserve of the super-rich and thus of only peripheral interest, Bender demonstrates the ways in which it can be used as a ‘barometer’ of Britain’s economic and political stability, as well as the social aspirations of its citizens (p. 364). Accordingly, a detailed discussion of the evolution of clubs, vessels and races is set against a background of changing masculinities, shifting class structures, and new ideas about how leisure time should be spent.
Yachting’s fortunes have ebbed and flowed in accordance with changing attitudes towards the sea. Leisure sailing first grabbed the public’s (rather than royal or court)attention during the eighteenth century, when the first seaside resorts were springing up along the coast. Each age has fashioned its own relationship: the Georgians began to appreciate the sea as a space for leisure and health, rather than viewing it with fear and distrust; the Victorian middle classes took to the water in smaller boats, styling themselves as fearless adventurers who were proud of their amateur status; in the second half of the twentieth century, whole families took the water, preferring rest and relaxation to racing or risk-taking. As even this brief overview suggests, leisure sailing has a rich history but, until Bender’s study, it has remained largely untapped. At a time when scholars are showing an increasing interest in histories of the sea and shoreline, A New History of Yachting is well-placed to make a unique and valuable contribution.
Bender argues convincingly for the value of yachting history to social historians. In contrast to seaside history, which conforms to a common narrative of widening participation (with holidays gradually becoming possible for ever-increasing sections of the population), yachting ‘has always been characterised by being exclusive’ (p. 378). The cost of the sport, both in time and money, has continuously ensured that participation has remained prohibitive to all but the most privileged: boats and their crews are expensive to build and maintain, and club memberships have often been kept deliberately high in order to ensure that social ‘standards’ are preserved. Rather than limiting yachting’s use to the general scholar, however, much can be learnt from examining those who have – and still continue to be – excluded from the sport. Women have longed struggled to be recognised as competent sailors and to gain access to clubs. Even as late as 2004, Bender argues, Ellen MacArthur’s non-stop circumnavigation failed to gain the recognition it deserved: MacArthur simply did not conform to the outdated feminine stereotype favoured in previous decades (pp. 351–2). Just as the barriers to participation in leisure sailing are not confined to history, it is important to recognise that the gendered barriers have likewise yet to be pulled down.
Few people have had the opportunity to sail in a yacht, and even fewer have been able to race competitively. Yet a significant body of literature, including novels and autobiographies, have since the eighteenth century appealed to the ‘armchair’ sailor. Whilst yachting is likely to remain an exclusive pastime, Bender shows how such works, which include Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, helped establish the cultural significance of yachting far beyond the confines of the ship, clubhouse or marina. Perhaps most importantly, these works helped to forge a British public who identified strongly with the sea, with leisure sailing joining with a strong belief in the nation’s naval dominance to form an enduring aspect of the British identity. In this sense, at least, yachting’s exclusivity has proved no barrier to participation.
Throughout A New History of Yachting, Bender’s expertise as a yachtsman shines through. The evolution of yachts themselves, the significance of individual vessels and the influence of rivalries between shipbuilding families, as well as the inauguration and development of individual races, are tackled in a confident and engaging manner which ensures its appeal to maritime historians and sailing enthusiasts alike.
The accuracy of Bender’s scholarship must unfortunately be called into question by two serious errors. Both involve the royal line of succession. First, Bender states that after the death of Queen Anne in 1714, ‘the throne passed to her eldest son, George, the Elector of Hanover’ (they were cousins: none of Anne’s children reached adulthood) (p. 29). Secondly, George II is listed as George III’s father, rather than his grandfather (p. 55). These mistakes in basic historical fact cannot be overlooked, as they indicate a worrying lack of contextual knowledge. The first is particularly troubling. As well as being a personal tragedy, Anne’s inability to produce an heir marked the end of the Stuart dynasty and the ascent of the Hanoverians to the British throne: hardly an insignificant detail and an unfortunate oversight in a study which places so much importance on integrating a sport into its wider historical background.
The above criticisms should not, however, deter social and leisure historians from reading Bender’s otherwise impressive study. The breadth and depth of A New History of Yachting alone would convince a sceptic of the historical importance of a leisure activity which has previously been overlooked by historians. The main strength of Bender’s work, however, is that its detailed and comprehensive analysis of yachting’s development is never addressed in isolation from its wider historical context. The cultural importance of yachting has been far from consistent across the centuries yet, as the identification of no less than three ‘golden periods’ shows, the sport has made an impact that extends more widely than its exclusive reputation would suggest. The applications of this study are therefore wide-ranging, spanning from the formation of national identity to gender discrimination; from shifting class structures to changing attitudes towards the sea.