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Laurent Giles has always been regarded as an originator in yacht design, gifted, capable and confident in his skill and ability to design innovative yachts of astounding beauty and performance.
In 1955, this confidence was manifested in the design and construction of Zulu, a 7/8 fractional Bermudan sloop, which was built on speculation of sale, rather than commission, by Morris and Lorimar on the Clyde. There are whispered rumors that many post war yachts were built of inferior materials, but the opposite was true for Zulu. During the war, Morris and Lorimar built wooden MBTs, and one can only assume that the shipwrights who had once built beautiful schooners saved the best timber in the hope that it could be used when the war finished. The result was that, during Zulu’s two years of construction, she was built with the best of timber, using teak below the waterline which, to this day, is in pristine condition, and mahogany for the topsides and coach roof, all built on oak frames that were specified in the design to be as small and light as possible.
On completion and without much difficulty, Zulu was sold to Sir Henry Spurrier, launched in 1957 and was raced on the Clyde in her first season, gaining five firsts and only being out of the prize list once.
The racing achievements of Zulu or, as she is now known, Cetewayo, are as glorious and honorable today as in her debut year, much to the hard work and restoration of her present owner David Murrin. However, her story has not always been one of glory, and might indeed have ended in tragedy, if it were not for David, who found her, in 1989, perched high on Pembroke Dock in an abandoned - and what would seem terminal - condition. The life of Cetewayo and path that lead her to her potential ruin was colorful and not untypical of yachts of her size and age.
From Sir Henry Spurrier, ownership then passed in 1952 to Brian Stuart who, as a member of Lloyds, had sailed extensively his Laurent Giles ketch Lutine, which had been named after the famous Lutine bell that sat in Lloyds of London. This beautiful Laurent Giles yacht has survived the years, and is now a member of the BCYC. Rumor has it that that, having monopolized Lutine, it was suggested that Brian might wish to own his own yacht. So it was that he soon found and purchased Zulu when she was on the hard at Berthons, and proceeded to sail her enthusiastically season after season in offshore RORC races, for which she was ideally suited.
Brian owned Zulu for almost two and half decades and raced her hard with a plethora of crew who, to this day, remember sailing on her. However, Brian was not renowned for paying excessive attention to her aesthetic condition, perhaps viewing her more as a utility than as a craft of great beauty. After two decades, he commissioned a new Camper and Nicolson’s fiberglass yacht and transferred the name Zulu to her. To this day, Zulu can be seen starting and finishing many a RORC race. He renamed the old Zulu Cetewayo after the famous Zulu chief that presided over the Zulu War that lead to the British defeat at Isanwalla and heroic resistance of Roukes Drift, and who was subsequently captured and presented to Queen Victoria at Osborne house. ->
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