Along with Robert Groves, Pat Walsh and Mike Burn, JY Wilson has been one of the most passionate lovers of Sheila.
A Scot “from the Southlands of the Norsemen” according to Mike Burn who met him, and a Glaswegian all his life, he bought Sheila in 1935 and kept her until 1977, for 22 years, although he parted with her during two periods of 4 and later 10 years.
When he bought Sheila in 1935, from J Bernard Butler, the yacht was already 35 years old, and she had been kept in Ireland for 25 years. The yacht had been restored 20 years before and had crossed the Channel to France in her 1924 cruise, 11 years before. We do not know the state she was in, but the fact that her sails were changed frequently is a good indication she was well kept and sailed.
Sheila was transfered to Gare Loch. The 1932 Perry sails were changed with another set from Cranfield&Carter in 1937. Quoting JY “pre-war she had a very neat loose footed gaff trisail. That sail and the rest of her outfit (Cranfield and Carter best – really best Egyptian – there were cheaper cotton samples quoted) were used only two seasons before the war”
In 1939, JY parted with Sheila for the first time. She was sold to Godfrey Tait. During the war, Sheila was stored in a shack, in Ayr, which was bombed and burnt in 1942. The Crainfield & Carter sail were never found after the fire, but most of the spars survived. JY bought back Sheila from the insurers, for £20, in 1943 to restore her.
In 1946 she had new sails by Greenock Tent & Sails and in 1947 JY parted with Sheila for the second time. He sold her to William H Dinsmore, who kept her in Fairlie. Quoting JY he was “the brother-in-law to whom I parted with Sheila for £45 once to my eternal regret”. Sheila was sold to James T Brown in 1954, and JY finally decided to buy her back in 1957, considering that the little yacht was not properly maintained.
Sheila sailed with JY from 1957 until 1977. She was kept on the Gare Loch and sailed under the pendant of the Royal Highland Yacht Club. She received new sails from Leitch of Tarbert, later changed in 1960 (Jeckells of Wroxham.) JY travelled to meet Robert Groves in Lymington and later, when Mike Burn can to visit him in Glasgow, told him many a fine cruising story where Sheila had got him out of trouble in the furious waters of Western Scotland, including rowing her through the Corryvrecken race.
She was pictured on the 4th of July 1970, on passage to Lochaline with a crew of JY Wilson & GD Stewart. At that time, JY Wilson who was a tall man, was getting old. He was not ready to deal with the low boom that Sheila sports, and the main sail was smaller than the original design and in terylene.
JY kept Sheila until he stopped sailing. In 1977, he sold her to Peter Mather who had been badgering him for 20 years !