Richard Turrill McMullen

[7] Between 1850 and 1857 McMullen sailed Leo gradually further and further afield with the aim of eventually reaching Land's End off the Cornish coast.

"[8] The Penzance harbor book has an entry on 10 August 1855: "The Leo, 3 tons, of London, McMullen master and owner, 6d.

"[9] Sailing on the open sea in extremely violent storms McMullen was the first person to realize that a small vessel could survive such difficult conditions if it stayed in open water and rode out the storm rather than trying to make for port where the dangers were actually highest, even for much larger vessels.

McMullen was so pleased with the handling qualities of Leo, and Sirius' was built along similar lines, but larger at 11 tons and with a round stern, something no other yachts had at that time.

June 30th 10:30am anchored in Loch Staffin, Isle of Skye, and, with a boy of sixteen as a guide, ascended 1,500ft to the famous Rock of Quiraing, accompanied most of the way up and down by a crowd of good natured little urchins in tatters who could not speak a word of English.

When McMullen subsequently heard that they were boasting in the town that they had left him in the lurch, he decided to sail Orion back to England single-handed, which he did with some difficulty.

McMullen set sail in the 6-ton lugger Perseus solo bound for France after calling in at Eastbourne to post a letter on 13 July.

As the middle-class in Victorian Britain grew, it looked for ways in which to enjoy the proceeds of their efforts and the concept of leisure expanded rapidly through the population from the mid-19th century onwards.