Yours for £2.5million

AT 100 years old you would have thought an old girl would find it hard to find a taker, but the sale of Ilona of Kylesku is likely to be a different story. This 92ft gentleman's motor yacht was built in Fleetwood in 1907.

Winning accolades for her elegance and style, she has for the last 6 years been owned by His Grace, the Duke of Westminster, undergoing an intensive programme of restoration.

The Duke first set eyes on Ilona in 2001. She was found in Palma, Majorca. She was called Mauna Loa back then, named after a Hawaiian volcano that erupted shortly before her launch.

Unfortunately she was badly damaged in the hurricane of 1984. Her previous guardians had done a huge amount of work to get her back from the brink. She has since been taken on to another level completely. It has cost a small fortune but the Duke thought it was important to invest boldly in this beautiful piece of history. She can now only be described as immaculate and for 100 years old that isn't bad at all.

The Duke has commissioned two major refits since he bought her in 2001, both at Southampton Yacht Services. The first stage was to get right into the hull and renew the frames. Then they sorted out the planking. The second refit saw a complete renewal of the interior joinery. All the modern necessities, but in a style appropriate to her age.

From the outset the Duke was very clear that she was to be restored to the highest possible standards. She now gleams from stem to stern. The Duke decided to take the project on because he was fascinated not only in her elegant form, but also in her history. As you might imagine, she has seen a lot over the last 100 years.

Originally owned by a textiles merchant, she was chartered by the Royal Navy in World War One and used as a minesweeper in the English Channel. She was painted battleship grey and had steam engines. These were replaced with petrol between the wars and in World War Two she saw service again: with a machine gun mounted on the foredeck she was one of the 'Little Ships' which helped to evacuate Troops from Dunkirk.

The Duke has been in the British Army for almost 30 years and so to come across a boat with such military history was an added delight. Ilona means 'island' - quite fitting for the privacy that can be enjoyed while sailing her.
 
She currently has a crew of just two but she is more than capable of being managed alone as long as you have some experience as she comes well equipped with all the up to date GPS and electronics needed to set out on adventures safely. A small crew was, for the family, a bonus.

A larger vessel would have required more people, and with them would come increased
problems, logistical issues and so on. Not to mention a reduction in privacy. That is probably one of the finest things about Ilona, the ability to sail away with your family and truly get away from everything, and everyone for a while. She is such a beautiful yacht. It will be very sad to see her go. The experience has, for the Duke, been an absolute pleasure. Now it is time to pass her on to another safe pair of hands. She will make someone very happy.


Ilona of Kylesku is for sale at £2.5million or near offer.
Please address all enquiries to Giles Graves at the Grosvenor Family Office T: 01244 684440
E: giles.graves@grosvenor.com M: 07920 490 463.

The armoured car
A WONDERFUL piece of Grosvenor military history are the armoured cars. Bendor, the 2nd Duke of Westminster, together with Winston Churchill, were the first to create an armoured car squadron. It was 1916 and the First World War was raging.

 A story had hit the headlines that the crew of Navy ship HMS Tara had been captured by an African tribe and were being held captive in the desert. The 2nd Duke and Churchill were convinced that armoured cars could attempt a rescue and so a fleet of Rolls Royces were prepared, each with a mounted machine gun turret and armoured plating.

The Duke recently found a replica in the United States and had it imported. It is a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, probably built around 1925. The work to change it into an armoured car was orginally commissioned by a wealthy American, Frank Cooke, in the 1970s. Having made the purchase, the Duke set about a major restoration programme which was undertaken by Jonathan Harley, a Silver Ghost specialist. The work is now complete and the car is available to view at Garden Open Days at Eaton Hall.
The next one is on the 25th May.