Semiquaver

The photograph above, from the book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine, features the yacht 'Semiquaver' which was designed, built and sailed by brothers William and Robert Gillies. This scene of a crowd gathering, to see the impressive vessel launch, was captured around the turn of the century. There were in fact two 'Semiquavers', plus a predecessor named the 'Quaver'. The unusual names reflect the family's great love of music. In fact, they made violins as well as boats. According to 'Seatoun of Largo', the 'Quaver' had a few bars of the song 'Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep' on her starboard side and the opening bars of 'The Boatie Rows' on the port side.

Among the early mentions of the Quaver in the local newspapers, is a piece in the 7 July 1877 Fifeshire Advertiser, noting that she participated in the Kirkcaldy Annual Regatta. The six ton yacht competed in the Kirkcaldy Regatta again in 1878 before that particular event lapsed for a number of years. When revived in 1889, the Quaver returned and won first prize in its category. What ultimately became of the Quaver is unclear but in 1895 a new yacht was built by the Gillies brothers in their workshop at the east end of Main Street close to Cardy House (pictured below when reincarnated as the Gillies Art Studio in the 1980s). Named 'Semiquaver', this yacht is mentioned later in 1895 as winning the Star Cup at Aberdour Regatta.

However, in October 1896, after only two sailing seasons, the yacht was "dashed to pieces" on rocks at the east end of the Temple during a storm. The 17 Oct 1896 St Andrews Citizen describes the event above. Not to be defeated by this loss, the brothers set about building a new Semiquaver. The Leven Advertiser of 25 March 1897 below describes the dimensions of the new yacht, which was twice the size of the lost one. The size of the new boat was too great for their workshop so "a shed was erected against the factory" of their elder brother David. The excitement of the unveiling of this new impressive vessel perhaps provided the stimulus for the establishment of the 'Largo Bay Sailing and Rowing Club' (a forerunner of the present day Largo Bay Sailing Club) later in 1897.
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The 1 July 1897 Leven Advertiser ran the headline 'The Composition of the Largo Bay Sailing Club' and reported on the "respectable flotilla" that the new club was able to expected to put out on its opening cruise. The Gillies brothers were key to the establishment of the Sailing Club and ​their craft described as "different class". A couple of years later, the Dundee Evening Telegraph of 25 September 1899 described how Sir John Gilmour and Mr T.C. Balfour of Carberry had presented the club with the 'Forth Challenge Shield'. This handsome trophy is depicted below in both sketch form (on the left from the 1899 newspaper piece) and in more recent times (on the right). This 22.5 by 16 inch solid silver shield was intended to go to the party who won it three times. 

The Semiquaver duly won the shield three times - the third win coming in 1902. During the 1910s the Largo Bay Sailing and Rowing Club seems to have become dormant. The shield was gifted to the modern day Largo Bay Sailing Club by the Gillies family in 1962. It is competed for annually and is now known as the Semiquaver Shield. 

William Gillies was an engineer by training and had travelled extensively before joining brother Robert in his joinery business around the mid-1880s. Their seamanship matched their skill as yacht builders and together they won many prizes. They are photographed below with one of these (elder brother William is on the left). William was a Justice of the Peach and Chairman of the School Board as well as one of the original members of the local Parish Council. He died in 1926 aged 78. Robert died aged 71 in 1935. Their masterpiece, the second Semiquaver, is shown further below with Largo Law in the background.