Gretton, John

Is a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. He belongs to a well-known yachting family, and was born in 1867. He sat as a Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire for ten years from 1895.

He owned Doreen, 10-rater, built by Fife. He raced her in 1892 and 1894, and she was afterwards sold, and was lost on the Goodwin Sands. He owned and raced Lais, 40-rater, built by Fife in 1893, and this boat was at the top of her class. He also owned and raced the Hester, 60-rater, in the handicap class of 1895 and 1896. The yacht was sold to America. Another boat owned and raced by him was the Emerald, 5-rater, which figured in the 36-foot class. His yacht Lady Betty, built in 1898, was designed by Payne, and she won the Queen’s Cup of that year, as well as gaining

Jean, Cutter, 24 tons. Mr. John Gretton.

second place in the race for the Heligoland Cup in 1899. In 1891 he had a 36-footer, and in 1904  Jean in the South Coast one-design class, as well as Eldred, the well-known 52-footer, and the latter boat was in 1898 at the top of her class. In 1899 he bought Thetis, 1-rater, which he altered and raced with some success. He is a well-known member of the Yacht Racing Asso­ciation.

Clubs: Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal Alfred, Royal Dorset, Royal Southern.
Resi­dence: 66, Ennismore Gardens, S.W.
Vessels: Doreen; Lais; Hester; Emerald; Lady Betty; Eldred; Thetis; Jean