By the late 19th century boating and picnics on the River Thames were gaining in popularity: social events such as the Henley Regatta saw large gatherings of pleasure boats.
The first slipper launch was designed and built by John Andrews at his father’s boatyard in Maidenhead in 1913. Powered by a single cylinder petrol engine, fitted with a steering wheel and gearbox for easy manoeuvrability, it was stylistically similar to the British sports cars of the day. With its distinctive shape, Andrews’ first customer, Arthur Whitten Brown, famous for his record-breaking transatlantic flight with John Alcock, named the original boat Merk after his Mercedes Benz sports car.
These launches quickly became prolific on the upper reaches of the Thames, particularly between Reading and Henley where large fleets were readily available for hire. They were also popular with foreign buyers and a number were exported to Europe.
Dimensions:
Length 6.0m
Beam 1.02m
Depth 0.53m
