In the mid-1950s, Samuel Stevenson – a painter and decorator by trade – spent his winter evenings working on a yacht he planned to sail come summer. A member of Holywood Yacht Club, Samuel built the vessel in the club’s outhouses, a space the men affectionately called ‘Graham’s Yard’. It was very much a team effort: Samuel’s brother Hugh, along with friends and fellow club members, all pitched in. Many of them appear in the film, shot on the very rare 9.5mm format launched by Pathé in the 1920s.
The Stevensons had a long tradition of craftsmanship. Samuel’s father, William Stevenson, had founded a painting and decorating firm that would go on to be passed down through four generations – still in family hands when this film was donated.
When the yacht was finally ready, it was a grand event. The boat was wheeled down to the Kinnegar for its launch, and children were even allowed on board to take in the spectacle. The film ends with brief glimpses of a regatta at Cultra and some lively racing scenes in Holywood.