Westward replica is salvaged after sinking in Spanish port

Thursday 06 October 2022

A replica of Jersey’s most famous yacht has been successfully raised from the bottom of a Spanish marina after it was hit by a ship and partially sunk in June.

The 49m schooner Eleonora E was a copy of Westward, an American-built yacht which was bought by TB Davis – a Jerseyman who amassed a great fortune in South Africa – in 1924.

For the next 11 years, he raced Westward in European waters, developing a fierce rivalry with his friend King George V, who sailed on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Westward was based in Jersey each winter and was usually moored close to its sail loft on South Pier.

Its replica, which was built in the Netherlands in 2000, visited Jersey in 2010 and was met by a flotilla of local boats.

????️ El reflotamiento del Eleonora E ha sido completado con éxito tras culminar las tres semanas de operativa.

???? Foto de @RataSentina.

ℹ️ https://t.co/F3Bd6rcW9q@PortTarragona #porttarragona pic.twitter.com/6AXafCOX1k

— Tarragona Port (@TarragonaPort) September 29, 2022

Pictured: Eleanora E is now on the quayside in Spain but its future is unknown.

It was left half-submerged after being hit by a 60m offshore supply vessel in Port Tárraco this summer, an incident captured on camera.

According to Boat International, the last phase of the salvage operation was completed last week, when the vessel was refloated and moved out of the harbour.

The whole operation took three weeks and involved more than 30 people.

WATCH: The moment the yacht was struck by a supply vessel in June.

After repairs were carried out underwater, a listing Eleanora E was reportedly lifted by two 250-tonne cranes with the help of refloating balloons.

Once upright, repairs were concluded, water was pumped out and the yacht was towed 800m across the port to be lifted out.

It is not known if the ship will be returned to its former glory.

Pictured top: TB Davis at the helm on Westward. (Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive)