Charles Ernest Nicholson (12 May 1868 – 26 February 1954) was a British yacht designer.
Charles Ernest Nicholson
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| Born | 1868 (1868) |
| Died | 26 February 1954(1954-02-26) (aged 85–86) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Yacht designer |
He was born in 1868, one of four sons and six daughters of Benjamin Nicholson (1828-1906), also a yacht designer, and the original Nicholson of Camper and Nicholson. His eldest brother, Benjamin Watson Nicholson (1857-1927), and younger brother, Arthur William Nicholson (1872-1957) also became directors of the firm.
Nicholson's first design of note was the Redwing class. The Bembridge sailing club met in October 1896 to agree the need for a shallow draughted yacht - to allow for the shoal waters of Bembridge Harbour - which could be sailed single-handed, to replace the expensive half racers. Nicholson designed the yacht in ten days, and by 1898 the fleet consisted of 16 boats, all built by the Camper & Nicholsons shipyard.[1]
In the early 1900s Nicholson developed a new powered craft which would enable the owners to come from their "big-boats" before and after the competitions. Named the Gelyce class, the name derived from the combined first and last letter of the wives of the three brothers: Gertie (married to Ben Jr), Lucy (married to Charles), and Constance (married Arthur).
In 1912, Nicholson introduced the 15mR design Istria with a Marconi rig, the first yacht in the world with a lightweight, laminated wood construction. This led to further developments and growing expertise in the use of lightweight materials which saw its fruition in the use of plywood in deck construction.[2] This ultimately led to arguably Nicholson's most beautiful sailing creation, the 1927 commissioned Vira (later Creole) was built on behalf of Alexander Smith Cochran.[3]
He died on 26 February 1954.[4]
Designer Charles E Nicholson was approached and ten days later the plans for a new one-design class, the Redwing, were laid.
Charles Nicholson a British yacht designer and ... took part in the famed America cup races before the Second World War died.
Victory or defeat for Sir Thomas Lipton in his fifth at tempt to capture the America's Cup depends upon one man more than any other, and that man has been less in the limelight than all the rest in the preparations for the international yacht races off Newport next month.
Charles E. Nicholson, the one member of the afterguard of the America's Cup challenger Endeavour who has had experience in a previous international cup match, expressed delight today with the work of the amateurs in the English yacht's crew and a conviction that by the time the Endeavour meets the American defender to be selected they will be trained sufficiently to handle the big sloop to her fullest.