Two Bideford wives are preparing to greet their husbands this weekend at the end of the Whitbread round-the-world yacht race.

They are Mrs Jean Smith, Heale House, Littleham, and Mrs Fiona Myatt who with her young family is staying with her parents, Brigadier and Mrs T P Keene, The Gables, First Raleigh, Bideford.

Mrs Smith’s husband, Alan, is on board the Burton Cutter, which is a joint entry by him and Leslie Williams, who is the skipper.

Mrs Myatt’s husband James, a Lieut-Colonel in the Royal Artillery, joined the Army entry, British Soldier, as skipper for the last leg of the race from Rio.

The Burton Cutter was reported to be ‘close hauled’ and there are hopes of her closing the gap on Chay Blyth’s Great Britain II.

Latest reports are that the British Soldier hopes to reach Portsmouth on Sunday. The 59ft Army entry is the former British Steel in which Chay Blyth sailed round the world.
Sail training for youth is the hobby of 41 year old Lieut-Colonel Myatt, who is Rear Commodore of the Army Sailing Association. He is a trustee of a scheme giving London boys the opportunity of going to sea for basic sailing instruction. In the first of the Tall Ships races he skippered the Tawau which won the Bermuda leg. He has sailed as a watch officer on the sail training ships Sir Winston Churchill and Malcolm Miller. His wife, who shares his yachting enthusiasm, learned to sail with the North Devon Yacht Club.

Plans for a civic welcome to Bideford were agreed at Monday’s meeting of Torridge District Council. The Chief Executive, Mr John McHardy, said that the town mayor would be invited to present greetings after which there would be a reception at the Royal Hotel. The council agreed to contribute £100 and to liaise with Mr Jack Fulford, regatta committee chairman and Cllr Frank Colwill, both of the town council.

Mr Edward Heath, the former Prime Minister, who has strong yachting interests, was invited to be at Bideford for the homecoming but he has told Mr Peter Mills MP that his commitments would not allow him to attend.

Gazette article dated 11 April 1974