Opposition was built for the then British Prime Minister Edward Heath as his second Morning Cloud and was launched in the Spring of 1971 with a view to competing in that years Admirals Cup as part of the British team.  The British team won the Admirals Cup that year and the boat went on to achieve a number of notable successes under Edward Heath’s ownership including Burnham Week and the Round the Island race.  She was also a class winner in the Sydney Hobart race.  After two years the boat was sold and renamed Opposition and for a further two seasons she raced in the Solent.  Thereafter Opposition moved to the Clyde and continued to race winning the Tomatin Series in 1975 (now known as the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series).  Towards the end of the seventies Opposition was sold once again and started her life a cruising yacht spending some time in the Mediterranean.  The heat of the Med did not suit the boat well and she returned to the Clyde in the mid-eighties to lie on a mooring in Tarbert in Loch Fyne.  She was lightly used during this period and towards the end of the eighties was brought ashore for a major refit.  She remained ashore for several years were she suffered further during several hot summers under cover.  In the mid nineties she was then sold to the current owners late brother-in-law and was once again made sea-worthy and continued her life as a cruising yacht in the West of Scotland.  Within a couple of years the current owner bought an interest in Opposition eventually becoming the outright owner and she continued to be used for cruising in the Clyde and the waters of the West Coast of Scotland.  By the Spring of 2007 it became clear that Opposition had become very tired indeed.  Perhaps this is not surprising given that she was now 36 years old and as an out and out racing yacht had perhaps only been built to last five or six years.  That summer, discussions took place with Lallows and the decision was made to return the boat to her birthplace to undergo a complete restoration.  She arrived back in Cowes for the first time since the seventies at the end of Cowes week that year and a few days later was hauled ashore up into Lallows shed to commence her re-birth.  The following Spring she returned to the water looking every bit as splendid as she had done some thirty seven years before and resumed her racing career a few weeks later by entering the JP Morgan Round the Island in which she came third in her class.  Her return to the sea was celebrated with a party at the Royal London where all her original crew with the exception of Edward Heath who had passed away were able to see her.  We were very privileged in particular to have Owen Parker raise a glass to Opposition.  Owen had suffered ill health for some time and sadly this was to be the last time he would be seen in public but perhaps this was a very special occasion for him.  Opposition is now to be seen participating in classic races and regatta in both the waters of the Solent and the West Coast of Scotland.

YACHT DESCRIPTION

 

Owner:	Jamie Matheson
Designer:	Sparkman & Stephens
Class:	10R Two Ton One Off
Year Designed:	1969
Year Built:	1971
Builder:	Clare Lallow
LOA:  12.40 m xx ft LOD: 12.40 m xx ft Beam: 3.81 m xx ft Draft: 2.04 m xxx ft LWL: 9.51 m xx ft
LOD/WL Ratio:	xxx
Displacement:	12.59 Tonnes
Thames Measurement:	12.22. Tonnes
Hull Material:	Wood
Hull Construction:	Carvel
Hull Frames:	Laminated
Rudder:	Skeg Hung
Sail Material:	Woven
Deck & Superstructure:	Laid deck
Superstructure Profile:	Flush Deck
Interior:	Basic
Steering:	Wheel
Transom:	Forward Sloping
Rig:	Masthead Sloop
Engine Make:	Volvo Penta 4 cyl D2 55
Engine HP:	55 @3000rpm
Engine Mounted:	xxx
Propeller:	Feathering
Propeller Blades:	3
Mast Material:	Aluminium
Mast Configuration:	1 Spreaders
Keel Configuration:	Fin
Keel Material:	Lead