Yacht racing manuscript auctioned

The yacht racing rules manuscript has diagrams to underline the proposals

The original manuscript of the rules for yacht racing, drawn up by the Royal Yacht Club in 1847, is expected to fetch up to £1,000 at auction.

The 12-page copperplate document will go under the hammer on Thursday at Ludlow Racecourse, Shropshire.

It was drawn up by the Marquis of Donegall when he was club commodore.

The Royal Yacht Club, now the Royal Yacht Squadron, is based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where it organises the famous Cowes Week every summer.

Richard Westwood-Brookes, of Mullock's Auctioneers, which is holding the sale, said: "Donegall was prominent in the development of yacht racing.

"[He] introduced a number of rules for racing - particularly the measure that a member could not enter more than one yacht per race.

"Clearly from this manuscript he wished to use his position as commodore of the club to codify the whole process of yacht racing.

"[He] even went to the extent of providing diagrams to underline the proposals he was putting forward."

"This is a highly important manuscript and we are expecting world wide interest from the yachting community."

The manuscript is expected to fetch between £700 and £1,000.