Titania

Design & Construction

Titania was a First Rule International Twelve Metre designed by Johan Anker and built by Anker & Jensen around 1910–1911. She embodied the early Scandinavian interpretation of the International Rule, emphasizing long, elegant lines, moderate displacement, and refined sail balance—hallmarks of Anker’s work during this formative period of the Twelve Metre Class.

Class & Rating

Built strictly to the International First Rule, Titania belonged to the earliest generation of Twelve Metres, predating the major design shifts that would come with later rule revisions. As with all 12mR yachts, her classification was determined by a complex measurement formula rather than overall length.

Ownership & Home Ports

From 1910 to 1916, Titania was owned by Rolf Nobel, with Petrograd (St. Petersburg) recorded as her home port. From 1916 until approximately 1920, ownership passed to R. Zeidler, based in Wyborg (Vyborg), then part of the Russian Empire and later Finland. Under both owners, Titania was actively campaigned in Baltic and Finnish waters.

Racing Career

During 1916, Titania competed in several notable Scandinavian and Baltic regattas, including:

  • Finnish Sailing Week in Kotka

  • Borgå (Porvoo) Segelsällskap Jubilee Regatta

  • Wyborg Yacht Club races, where she competed directly against Irene (Heira II)

In 1917 and 1918, Titania continued racing in Helsinki, representing the Wyborg Yacht Club. Her continued participation during this politically turbulent period underscores both her competitiveness and the resilience of Baltic yachting activity during and immediately after the First World War.

Registry & Disappearance

Titania was listed in Lloyd’s Register during her active years; however, she disappeared from the Register around 1920. No definitive record survives detailing her final fate, and she is presumed lost, broken up, or otherwise disposed of sometime shortly after that date. No confirmed photographs or physical remains are known today beyond contemporary regatta imagery and press illustrations.

Historical Significance

Titania represents the early golden age of the Twelve Metre Class, when Scandinavian designers—particularly Johan Anker—were shaping the foundational characteristics of big-boat racing under the International Rule. Although her career was relatively short and her ultimate fate unknown, Titania’s active participation in major Baltic and Finnish regattas places her among the important First Rule Twelve Metres that helped establish the class’s international stature. She should not be confused with later yachts or modern superyachts bearing the same name.