Bristol Channel

Built in 1911 by J Slade & Sons, Polruan, Cornwall, CORNUBIA worked as one of the last sailing pilot cutters in the Bristol Channel, where she operated as BARRY No.25. Her name was changed from CORNUBIA to HIRTA in 1939 when she was in the ownership of the Marquis of Bute and used to sail to and from the St Kilda island of that name. She had eight recorded owners between 1931 and 1982, including Derek Hare and Adam Bergius.

She was subsequently bought by yachting author Tom Cunliffe who, with his young family, sailed her to Norway, Iceland, the Faroes and America in the wake of the Vikings and later wrote a book about the journey called 'Topsail & Battleaxe'. In the same ownership, HIRTA made many voyages, including sailing to the West Indies, Azores, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Spain and France. In 1994, skippered by Tom Cunliffe, she was used in the BBC series ‘Island Race’ which was a three month circumnavigation of Britain featuring ex-hostage John McCarthy and Sandi Toksvig.

When the Cunliffe family reluctantly sold her, CORNUBIA was bought by Mike Jones and was taken to a mud berth at Gweek, Cornwall where she lay neglected for several years and fell into very poor condition. She was subsequently sold and a full restoration was completed at Tommi Nielsen's yard in Gloucester where her name was changed back to CORNUBIA.

September 2010
CORNUBIA is now based in Plymouth and operates for the charity Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Trust where she takes disabled children sailing and day cruises and racing which will help the personal development of disadvanteged youngsters
Source: Maritime Plymouth Network Events

1. 1911 - Builder: J Slade & Son, Polruan
2. 1911 - Function: Pilot Vessel
3. 1911 - Other name: Cornubia
4. 1919 - Function: Cruise Boat

• Island Race - McCarthy, J and Toksvig, S - 1995
• Our Incredible Journey (Radio Times) - McCarthy, J and Toksvig, S - 1995
• The Sailing Pilots of the Bristol Channel - Stuckey, Peter - 1977
• Hirta's mid-life crisis (Classic Boat) - Grimwade, Mark - 1996
• Go Westerman! (Classic Boat) - Cunliffe, Tom - 1997
• The final few (Classic Boat) - McKeand, Malcolm - 1999
• It's time to sort HIRTA out (Classic Boat) - 1999
• Tell Tales: Hirta goes under the hammer (Classic Boat) - 1999
• A People's Boat for Bristol! (Classic Boat) - 2000
• Editorial: it's hard to think of a better outcome for Hirta (Classic Boat) - Compton, Nic - 1999