M/Y Conquest - confused origins

Origins of Conquest

Hello David,

I stumbled across your email, and I can assist you in your plight for information.

Here's what I know to be fact:

The yacht was designed by my father D.J. (Rick) Richardson for the actor Norman Wisdom (I believe he is no longer the owner, so have no hesitation in naming him). The yacht was launched in 1966 when I was eight years old.

My father is credited as the designer with the Lloyds Registry of Shipping.

Norman was a regular fixture in our lives and commissioned my father to design and build a motor yacht, for both use and charter.

To say that Norman designed the Conquest would be a stretch, but he was certainly influential in many elements of it - two that spring to mind were the angles of the windows (Norman wanted them changed to square corners from their original rounded corners) and the external doors - Norman wanted "flat bottoms", not "holes in steel you have to step through!" My father tried to explain that this was for water tightness when the transom was wet - but to no avail - after many heated discussions, a compromise was made for lower door openings.

After the designs were mostly completed, my father commissioned Luzuriaga in the San Sebastian region to build the hull and the superstructure. He told me they had a unique method of shot-blasting steel hulls so as to minimise anti-rusting requirements(?). This took around 12-18 months and the owner of the shipyard was a man by the name of Gonzalo Chauzon. We all moved to Pasajes de San Juan (where their office was) and my brother and I attended school there in Basque Spain for the duration - this would have been around 1962.

The engines were fitted at the Luzuriaga Shipyards, but only after they were driven to San Sebastian from the UK in a Bedford lorry by Dad with wife and two kids in tow. The bare hull, engines and superstructure (unfinished in any other way) were then sailed under its own power to Southwick in East Sussex by Dad and two Basque net-menders he emplyed for the task called Ramon and Estevan.

The fitout was completed in the Lady Bee Wharf at Southwick near Shoreham harbour opposite the powerstation and directly behind a pub I can't remember (I should, as I spent many countless hours waiting outside, crisps and fanta in hand). The electrical work was commissioned through a man Called Dennis Keene who worked with Philips in Holland - and indeed, Conquest was, for its day, a modern sea-going marvel.

M.Y. Conquest (so named in jest as a play on the "Norman Conquests") completed its trials in the English channel off Shoreham, and launched at a ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Hove (who actually fell off the gangplank in her full regalia! There could be mention of this in the Brighton and Hove Gazette archives of 1966).

Now, on to the Cubby Broccoli story on the official website. It is entirely possible that Norman knew Cubby Broccoli - it is even possible that Mr Broccoli was a successive owner of the boat. But it is not true that it was "conceived by a Spanish architect for Mr Broccoli" - this is copywriter's fancy. It was conceived by my father for Norman Wisdom - probably far less romantic, but the truth generally is!

What is interesting though, is that the yacht DOES have a James Bond connection...

Apparently Norman visited set during the filming of "Thunderball" and liked the captains chair so much, he bought it after principal filming to be fitted to the Conquest - true story.

The M.Y. Conquest was a significant part of my family's life from 1960 to around 1970 - and certainly a big part of mine - I practically grew up on it.

Hope this rambling helps satisfy your curiosity. Happy to shed more if you need it.

Best regards,

Mark Richardson

(Please excuse my basic boating terminology - my Dad's passion for all things marine skipped me)

I knew I I looked long enough, I'd find some proof!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/go_stingers/5444548937/lightbox/