Iris K 6

Overview

Launched in 1926, IRIS (K-4) was designed by Sir Thomas C. Glen-Coats and built by Bute Slip Dock Co. at Port Bannatyne for racing under the International Second Rule. Her design reflected Glen-Coats’s deep understanding of metre-class racing, developed through his earlier First-Rule successes such as Hera and Heatherbell.

According to Uffa Fox, Iris was conceived as a direct evolution of Glen-Coats’s 6 Metre Echo—“just twice her length”—making her longer than contemporary Twelves. This gave her both a powerful hull and, within the restrictions of the Second Rule, one of the tallest and narrowest rigs in the class. Fox credited her remarkable performance to this combination of length for speed and tall, efficient sail plan.

Design and Features

Iris was originally rigged as a Bermudan sloop, later converted in 1928 to a Bermudan cutter for improved balance and handling. She introduced several design innovations, including outriggers, a sleek pastel-coloured interior, and leather seating—a sophisticated departure from the more austere raceboats of her day.

Her long waterline and slender sail profile gave her exceptional light-air performance, while her tall rig made her stand out visually among the British fleet. These features placed her at the forefront of design experimentation in the mid-1920s and helped bridge the gap between the First and Third Rule Twelves.

Racing Record

In 1927 Iris competed successfully in both Solent and Clyde regattas. On the Solent she placed third overall with six firsts, five seconds, and two thirds. On the Clyde she added seven firsts and four seconds—results that confirmed her as one of the fastest Twelves of her generation.

She later appeared at Cowes Week 1929 under Benjamin S. Guinness, finishing near the back of a seven-boat fleet but still showing flashes of speed against newer designs. Her tall, narrow rig and powerful hull made her especially quick in smooth-water conditions and light winds.

Ownership and Later History

1926–1928 – Sir Thomas C. Glen-Coats, Glasgow (Great Britain). Original owner and designer. Built and raced on the Clyde and Solent.
1929–1930 – Benjamin S. Guinness. Entered Cowes Week.
1931 – Alexander C. Wilson.
1932–1937 – Georg B. von Erpecom Sr., Bergen (Norway). Renamed Irina V. Raced in major Norwegian events including the 1932 Bergen Yacht Club Diamond Jubilee—with Crown Prince Olav aboard—and the 1933 KNS Jubilee Regatta at Hanko, where she placed second and twice third. In 1935 she won several prizes in Gothenburg and Marstrand regattas.
1937–1950 – Ragnar Fredriksen. Removed the lead keel during the war to keep it from German requisition; later sold it due to high post-war lead prices. Converted to a motor-sailer with doghouse.

By the early 1950s Irina V had fallen into disrepair. She was last listed in Lloyd’s Register of Yachts (1950) and was later reported as a derelict hull off Hanko, Finland. Around 1965 she was dismantled, burned, and scuttled. Her mast survived, reused first on Mosk 2 and later stepped on Magnolia.

Legacy

Iris (K-4) represents one of the finest examples of Second-Rule 12 Metre design, blending Glen-Coats’s technical precision with his artistic flair. Her long hull and towering rig anticipated trends that would dominate later Twelves, while her interior detail and innovation marked her as a yacht of refinement and individuality.

Although her hull was lost, Iris remains remembered through her influence on later metre-boat design, her Scandinavian racing legacy, and her symbolic link between the golden age of the Clyde Twelves and the evolving international fleets of the 1930s.