Sunbeam, RYS was a composite-hulled barquentine with an auxiliary steam engine, which was launched in England in 1874.

St Clare Byrne designed the yacht[1] for Thomas Brassey, then the Liberal MP for Hastings.

Bowdler, Chaffer & Co of Seacombe built her as yard number 101; launched her in 20 January 1874; and completed her that June.

[1] She also had a single screw, driven by a two-cylinder compound engine made by Laird Brothers of Birkenhead.

When she was not in steam, her funnel could be lowered to avoid obstructing her sailing booms, and her propeller feathered to reduce drag.

[9] They sailed her via Tangier, Gibraltar, Tétouan, and Ceuta to the Mediterranean, where they cruised to Sicily, Greece, and Constantinople, toured the Aegean Sea, visited Albania, Sardinia, Naples, Corsica, and Nice,[10] where Mrs Brassey left Sunbeam and returned to England by train.

Sunbeam had covered about 13,000 miles, including the trip to the Arctic Circle as well as the Mediterranean cruise.

[8] On 1 July 1876 Sunbeam left Chatham, Kent carrying 43 people: Mr and Mrs Brassey; their son and three surviving daughters; friends; servants; and crew.

[12] She sailed via Madeira, Tenerife, Cape Verde, Rio de Janeiro, and Montevideo to Port of Buenos Aires.

The barque was taking smelting coal from Swansea to Valparaíso, but on 24 September her crew had discovered a fire in her cargo, and since the next day they had been living on deck.

[14] On 5 October Sunbeam sighted the Pacific Steam Navigation Company ocean liner Illimani, which was in passage from Chile to England.

[15] Sunbeam continued south to Punta Arenas; through the Strait of Magellan, and then turned north to Lota and Valparaíso.

[citation needed] Annie Brassey had previously written, and privately printed, travel stories for her friends and family.

[citation needed] In the summer of 1878, Sunbeam was slightly damaged when the troop ship Assistance rammed her at low speed in Portsmouth Harbour.

[23] Sunbeam called at Brest, Vigo, Cadiz, Seville, and Gibraltar, and then visited Oran, Sardinia, Naples, Cyprus, Rhodes, Constantinople, Greece, Malta, to Marseille,[10] where they arrived on 28 December.

[26] Sunbeam sailed in home waters for many years, including cruises around the Irish and Scottish coasts.

On a voyage from Middlesbrough to Portsmouth on 14 October 1881, the barometer dropped to 28.45 inches of mercury, and a hurricane struck Sunbeam.

[30] They sailed her to the Caribbean, visiting Trinidad, Venezuela, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, and returning via Bermuda and the Azores.

[33] Longman, Green & Co published Mrs Brassey's account of the voyage in 1884 as In the trades, the tropics, & the roaring forties.

[35] Lady Brassey suffered periods of illness, so in 1886 they planned a voyage to Australia in the hope of improving her health.

The yacht was promptly put about to rescue him, a lookout was posted at the head of the foremast to look for him, and a boat was lowered, but he was never found.

[45] From there she sailed via Colombo, Rangoon, Labuan, Elopura, and Celebes,[46] through the Alas Strait and on 9 May arrived reached Albany, Western Australia.

In 1915 she was converted into a hospital ship, and Brassey sailed her to Moudros Bay to treat troops wounded in the Gallipoli campaign.

[3] Runciman perpetuated her name with a new yacht, Sunbeam II, which William Denny and Brothers launched in June 1929, and completed that September.