Historic Tally Ho on route to Baltimore

ONE of the world's most celebrated sailing yachts, the Tally Ho, is set to make a special stop in Baltimore this weekend.
The latest estimated time of arrival is between 3pm and 7pm tomorrow, Friday 31 July, although it is currently looking more likely to be closer to 7pm, subject to weather and sailing conditions.
It was Bill Hillyard, co-owner of The Algiers, and a lifelong wooden boat and sailing enthusiast, who issued the invitation.
The beautifully restored 48-foot gaff-rigged cutter is in the final stages of its journey from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to the UK ahead of the 2027 Fastnet Race.
When Bill realised the Tally Ho was undertaking the 14,000-mile voyage with the ambition of once again competing in the Fastnet Race for the centenary of her historic victory, he felt compelled to invite Leo Sampson Goolden and his crew to swing by.
The highs and lows of the Tally Ho are fascinating considering the yacht was discovered in 2017 and purchased by the British boatbuilder for just $1.
Designed by renowned yacht designer Albert Strange and built by Stow & Sons in Sussex in 1910, Tally Ho became part of offshore racing history when she won the 1927 Fastnet Race on corrected time after an epic battle with the schooner La Goleta.
Over the decades that followed, Tally Ho passed through several owners and uses before eventually falling into disrepair in Oregon, USA.
Bill told The Southern Star: 'I've followed Leo's restoration of Tally Ho from the beginning and watched this extraordinary project come back to life over seven years.'
During that time, Leo led a restoration in Washington State, sharing every stage of the project on his YouTube channel, where hundreds of thousands of followers around the world watched it unfold.
'Long before I worked in hospitality, I spent time restoring wooden boats myself, so I understand the dedication and craftsmanship involved,' said Bill.
'When my wife, Ann, and I moved from California to Baltimore in 2019, I never imagined that one day I'd be welcoming one of the most famous boats in the history of the Fastnet race to our adopted home.'
The yacht is to receive a rousing welcome in Baltimore on Friday as the renowned boatbuilder, Liam Hegarty, is planning to greet her at the harbour entrance aboard Saoirse, the replica of one of Ireland’s most famous sailing yachts.
They will be accompanied by a flotilla of local vessels and, hopefully, Baltimore's RNLI lifeboat.
The welcome will bring together two significant chapters of maritime history. Liam Hegarty, whose family operates Hegarty's Boatyard – Ireland's last traditional wooden boatyard – plans to greet Tally Ho aboard Saoirse, the replica of Conor O'Brien's legendary yacht.
The original Saoirse also made history 100 years ago when she became the first small yacht to circumnavigate the world via the Three Great Capes under the Irish tricolour. The arrival of the Tally Ho on Friday and her stay over the Bank Holiday weekend should prove yet another tourism boost for the village of Baltimore.