[1][2][3][4][5] "Partridge" was built in 1885 at the Camper and Nicholson boatyard in Gosport, Hampshire, England, 'the oldest leisure marine company in the world'.

Partridge is recognised as a UK National Historic Ship[7] and was designed by John Beavor-Webb and launched on 2 June by Miss Nora Lapthorn.

[12] Her original first entry certificate and survey report, including a midship section drawing, are to this day still in the Lloyds archives in London.

Virtually all other records of her were destroyed during the Second World War during bombing raids;[13] in particular Camper and Nicholson's and Ratsey and Lapthorn lost many plans.

[19] When Partridge was discovered on the east coast of England in 1979, lying on her side at Tollesbury on the River Blackwater (see picture right), little about her was known.

Her previous owner was only able to give two pieces of information concerning her history, apart from the fact that he had removed hundreds of cast iron ballast pigs from her bilges and thrown them into the river a few years earlier.

All the relevant measurements matched the hull and subsequently, one hundred years later, it was possible to re-register the yacht in her original name, with Southampton as the port of Registry.

Under "general remarks", the surveyor, in 1885, has written: "Secretary’s letters dated 18 March, 13 and 20 April: this small yacht was from time to time examined by the undersigned during her construction; after her launch, she was at once hauled up and was fitted out; the keel, bottom and sides have now been cleaned down, ballast shifted at (unreadable), an examination made and all placed in good and efficient condition.

It will be observed that the collective weight of the two anchors is under the weight given in the suggested tables but when attention was called to this, the master stated most strongly that they could not find room, or use heavier, and would if allowed to follow their own views, take even lighter; at the same time the builders desire me to state, that if the committee cannot accept then they shall be removed and heavier ones supplied on being informed accordingly, but trust that in the meantime the fig.1 will be granted.

Having regard to the fine bow of this yacht together with the views above referred to, I beg respectfully to recommend that the anchor be approved to remain for the fig.1 particularly seeing that they are of the pattern known as Thomas patent which for holding power cannot be surpassed[20] ".

Partridge was taken to Shalfleet on the Isle of Wight and craned off onto a pre-prepared concrete plinth at Shalfleet House where over the next eight years, the hull, whilst all the time drying out, was restored intermittently with main jobs being the renewal of all the frames, repairs to hull planking, the renewal of all deck beams and the casting of a new 9 tonne lead keel.

In 1989 Partridge was taken from the garden in Shalfleet to Hythe Marine Services on Southampton Water where the lead keel was drilled off and bolted to the hull and the teak deck was laid with the help of a shipwright from the boatyard.

[24] In 1999, after a summer of sailing in the Solent, Partridge was placed on a cargo ship and taken to the Mediterranean, being offloaded on the island of Mallorca.

[29] In 2014, with Jean-Raymond Boulle now as her owner, she won her class and the Rolex Trophy[30] at Les Voiles de Saint Tropez.