Weston Martyr
Encyclopedia
Joseph Weston Martyr, was a pioneer British ocean yachtsman, writer and broadcaster, who was influential in the creation of the Fastnet race
after participating in similar races in Bermuda
in 1924
Martyr's varied adult life started when he went to sea at the age of 15 to serve on square-riggers
and then steamers
. He then worked as a miner in South Africa, a labour recruiter in China for Rand Mines and in the merchant and steamship business in Japan. He also spent time trading in the South Seas
and banking in Formosa
(Taiwan), and also acted as consul in Shimonoseki
.
After serving with the Royal Engineers
during the First World War in France, he returned to the Pacific, and then ran a steamship business in New York. In 1922 he finished his wandering and turned to writing. Inspired by the Bermuda Race
, he helped create the Fastnet Race in 1925.
Many of his stories were published in Blackwood's Magazine
and heard on BBC Radio. The £200 Pound Millionaire (1931) explains how to live cheaply on a yacht, and a follow-up essay, Five Hundred Pound Millionaires (1957) describes how to do the same on canals and inland waterways.
Fastnet race
The Fastnet Race is a famous offshore yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races. It takes place every two years over a course of . The race starts off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England, rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and then finishes at...
after participating in similar races in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
in 1924
Martyr's varied adult life started when he went to sea at the age of 15 to serve on square-riggers
Square rig
Square rig is a generic type of sail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are called yards and their tips, beyond the last stay, are called the yardarms...
and then steamers
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
. He then worked as a miner in South Africa, a labour recruiter in China for Rand Mines and in the merchant and steamship business in Japan. He also spent time trading in the South Seas
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and banking in Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
(Taiwan), and also acted as consul in Shimonoseki
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....
.
After serving with the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
during the First World War in France, he returned to the Pacific, and then ran a steamship business in New York. In 1922 he finished his wandering and turned to writing. Inspired by the Bermuda Race
Bermuda Race
The Bermuda Race, or Newport Bermuda Race, is a biennial yacht race from Newport, Rhode Island to the island of Bermuda, a distance of 635 nautical miles across open ocean. The first Bermuda Race started in 1906 from Gravesend Bay, N.Y. with three entries. The race was held several times in the...
, he helped create the Fastnet Race in 1925.
Many of his stories were published in Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine. The first number appeared in April 1817 under the editorship of Thomas Pringle and James Cleghorn...
and heard on BBC Radio. The £200 Pound Millionaire (1931) explains how to live cheaply on a yacht, and a follow-up essay, Five Hundred Pound Millionaires (1957) describes how to do the same on canals and inland waterways.
Books
- The Southseaman: The Life Story of a Schooner, 1926, William Blackwood and Sons
- Not Without Heat and Dust, 1929
- The £200 millionaire, 1932
- A General Cargo, 1934
- Paradise Enow, 1936
- The Pipe Pushers and other stories, 1938
- The Wandering Years, 1940