A Long Heritage Of Fast Boat Bottoms That Have Circled The Globe

In the mid 1960’s Francis Chichester caught the imagination of the Sailing World by sailing around the globe aboard the Gypsy Moth IV. At first glance single handingley sailing around the world looks like a one off stand-alone event. Later knighted, Sir Francis Chichester was just the culmination of a lengthy family history of Chichester Sailors going well back before 449 AD.

Sir Francis Chichester was an expert at navigation in an age before GPS. He co-founded the transatlantic single-handed racing program. He was the first to fly from Australia to England. He even made a valiant attempt at navigate the streets of London with his guide to London.

Sir Francis’ uncle Admiral Edward Chichester was made the Superintendent of the British Navy at a time when that navy was as large as the worlds next two largest navies combined. Edward was also ad decamp to Queen Victoria. Edward helped train Admiral Dewey, while aboard the Orlando Class armored cruiser the Imortalite which fought in the Egyptian war.

Sir Francis was the step grandson of Rosalie Amelia Chichester, a female yachtsmen flourishing in the Victorian Age. Before age 18 she served three world tours aboard her father Bruce Chichester’s second Baronet of Arlington’s 98 ft. 275 Ton racing Schooner the Irminia. The Irmina was present at the first America’s cup race in 1851. Bruce's father John Chichester made a fortune in the privateer business and captured a ship with 1200 lb. of gold off the coast of Ghana.

The Chichester's were known as a famous Pirate family in Ireland after John Chichester the First Baronet of Raleigh was made Earl of Belfast and Lord of Ireland. The Oxford educated Admiral John Chichester had been give the Ireland post after helping to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588 aboard the HMS Larkey. The HMS Larkey led a squadron consisting of two other ships believed to be the Margaret and the John.

But lets go way back to 449 AD when Cica De Cester (in 1360 shortened to Chichester) the third son of Ellea Ruler of Britain followed Cicas grandfather a Norse mercenary named Hangest to England. Those Norse seamen sailed their famous Dragon ships from the Weser River Valley to the shores of Devon England. Just as the same family had sailed to Denmark, ruling it for three generations before being driven out and forced to sail back to the Weser River Valley in what is now northern Germany.

Today the Chichester family puts its long heritage to work and is still involved with sailing. In the United States Chichester’s make a line of non-stick Antifouling boat bottoms for sailboats and powerboats. Featuring some of the latest and best technologies to keep those boats smooth sailing.

So today there are three basic ideas for making a fast boat bottom.
Keep growths at bay by:

1. Make the boat bottom so smooth that water passing over the boat bottom will carry away most of the build up once the boat is underway.
2. Make growths want to avoid living on bottoms by using copper.
3. Allow the boat bottoms to slough away like a bar of soap taking growth along with them.

These boat bottoms in the current fuel market can reduce the drag on any boat bottom thus saving fuel. For those that need to conserve on their boating fuel budget this may be a good option. The technology has proven itself for years in the sailboat racing market. Necessity may make smooth Antifouling boat bottoms the standard for all of us boaters in the future.

By: Harvey Chichester

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For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@boat-bottom-paint.cm or phone 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7).