The Shannon One design

Walter Levinge and assistant working on Shannon One Design

Black and white photograph of Walter Levinge (Creaghduff, Coosan) and assistant working on Shannon One Design

Walter Levinge and assistant working on Shannon One Design

Walter Levinge and assistant working on Shannon One Design

Black and white photograph of Walter Levinge (Creaghduff, Coosan) and assistant working on Shannon One Design

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One of the problems which beset Lough Ree Yacht Club was that while sailing of centreboard craft grew in popularity there was no standard for sail size. While some specifications did exist there was room for manoeuvre and it was Mr R.D. Levinge who wrote to the Secretary of the Club suggesting the need for a standard because, as he said, "I see them building queer-shaped things here to win the centreboard race".

In the aftermath of World War I when things began to revert to normal the question of a standard design for a centre-board craft once again exercised the minds of Shannon sailors. A meeting was called in The Prince of Wales Hotel in Athlone in January 1920 at which three Shannon yacht clubs were represented: Lough Ree, Lough Derg and the North Shannon Yacht Club from Lough Boderg. The purpose of the meeting was to consider the introduction of a standard sailing craft suitable for Shannon conditions.

Delegates from Lough Ree Yacht Club who attended this meeting were: Major Handcock, R.D. Levinge, W. Levinge, D. Cameron, F. Coen, N. Lyster, M.J. Hogan, R.S. English and W.J. Bolton.

This meeting was to have an enormous and very positive impact on sailing on the Shannon in the twentieth century. A decision was taken that "An open centreboard boat, to be known as the Shannon One Design Class, be established for all yacht clubs on the Shannon". It was later agreed to commission a design from Morgan Giles one of the leading British yacht designers of the day. Giles also designed the Essex One Design which unlike the Shannon One Design was half-decked, the Essex was also sloop rigged as against the cat-rigging of the Shannon craft.

The Shannon One Design was introduced in 1922. Did it compete in the Lough Ree regatta that year? Unfortunately we don't know - the only press report which survives relates to the suspension of sailing on the last Wednesday of August as a mark of respect to General Michael Collins. But certainly the craft met with instant approval from Shannon sailors. Many of the Shannon One Design Class were built by local boat-builders among them Walter Levinge, of Creaghduff, Patrick Keneavy of Brick Island, Patrick Ward of the Strand, Athlone, Peter Quigley of Killinure and Jimmy Furey of Lecarrow.