HMS Racehorse (1806)

HMS ''Racehorse'' was a Royal Navy 18-gun built by Hamilton & Breeds and launched in 1806 at Hastings. She served in the English Channel, where she captured a small privateer, and in the East Indies, where she participated in the capture of Isle de France (now Mauritius) and the operations around it. She was wrecked in 1822.

Service

''Racehorse'' was commissioned in March 1806 under Commander Robert Forbes, who sailed her for the Mediterranean on 25 May. By June 1807 she was under Captain William Fisher (Royal Navy officer), William Fisher, cruising in the Channel.

''Racehorse'' was among the vessels that detained the Danish ships ''Die Twende Softre'' on 28 August, and ''Swannen'' on 7 September. On 4 December she recaptured the Portuguese ship ''Gloria''. On 2 March 1808 ''Racehorse'' captured the French privateer lugger ''Amiral Gantheaume'' off the Seven Islands, which are 16 miles west of Behat. ''Amiral Gantheume'' was armed with four guns and had a crew of 28 men. She was two days out of Granville, Manche, Granville and had not taken anything. ''Racehorse'' then cruised the Channel Islands.

Fisher sailed for the Cape of Good Hope on 29 September. There a number of her crew volunteered aboard other ships during the Invasion of Ile de France. On 13 and 14 March 1809, ''Racehorse'' was in company with her class-mate, , about 1000 miles from Rodrigues. ''Harrier'' fell behind and this was the last sighting of her; she was lost, presumed foundered.

In December 1810, Commander James de Rippe replaced Fisher. ''Racehorse'' was sent to Mauritius to join the squadron there under James Hillyar that had been assembled to attack the French squadron under Francois Roquebert that was expected from Brest, France, Brest. Early in 1811 ''Racehorse'' was in company with her sister-ship HMS Eclipse (1807), ''Elipse'' when ''Eclipse'' recaptured the ''Donna Emilia''. On 3 February, ''Racehorse'' captured the slaver ''Othmany''.

The French squadron evaded Hillyar, but ''Racehorse'' and the rest of the squadron, now under Captain Charles Marsh Schomberg, caught them off Tamatave in Madagascar. In the ensuing Action of 20 May 1811, the British defeated the French and captured two of their ships. ''Racehorse'' was not heavily engaged, and suffered no casualties. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Off Tamatave 20 May 1811" to the remaining survivors of that action.

''Racehorse'' was present at the capture of the French frigate Néréide (1808), ''Néréide'' three days later. ''Racehorse'' then sailed for the Cape on 7 August. On 19 September she and captured the French slaver brig ''Eclair''.

On 5 January 1812 ''Eclipse'', with ''Racehorse'' in company, took the lugger ''Eliza'' with 145 slaves, which she sent to the Cape of Good Hope. ''Racehorse'' captured the American ship ''Monticello'' on 12 November. ''Racehorse'' also shared in the proceeds of the capture, on 16 November, of ''Valentine''. On 3 February 1813, ''Racehorse'' was under the command of Commander George F. Rich, and in company with , under the command of Commander Samuel Hoare. They captured the American ship ''Rose'', which was carrying tea and 8907 Spanish dollars (worth approximately £2226).

On 15 August 1813 ''Racehorse'' sailed from the Cape of Good Hope as escort to several vessels, including bound for Saint Helena, St Helena and Britain.''Lloyd's List'' №4815.
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Post-war

''Racehorse'' was paid off Reserve fleet, into ordinary at Portsmouth in 1813. She was recommissioned in May under Commander Earl Cawdor, George Pryse Campbell, who took command on 5 May, for the Mediterranean. ''Racehorse'' came under the command of Commander Charles Abbot, 2nd Baron Colchester, Charles Abbot on 27 January 1821 when Campbell was promoted to post-captain.

Fate

''Racehorse'' returned to Britain in 1822 under Captain William Suckling, who had taken command in February 1822. On 14 December 1822 she sailed from Holyhead, Anglesey, bound for the Isle of Man to meet with the Revenue cutter ''Vigilant''. That night she was wrecked on a reef of rocks off Langness on the Isle of Man. Her pilot mistook the light on Langness Pier for the light on Douglas Pier. Boats from ''Racehorse'' took a number of the crew to shore, and five intrepid local men made four trips out and back to rescue more. On the last trip, with Suckling on board, the boat overturned in the surf. Six men from ''Racehorse'' drowned, as did three rescuers from Castletown, Isle of Man, Castletown.

The subsequent court martial reprimanded the Master, Henry Hodder, for failing to take constant depth soundings, and warned him to be more careful in the future. The court martial severely reprimanded the pilot, William Edwards, for sailing too close to land, and mulcted him of all pay due.

There is a detailed account of the loss of the ''Racehorse'' in Janet Gleeson's book ''The Lifeboat Baronet - Launching the R.N.L.I.'' Whilst the author indicates that RNLI founder Sir William Hillary was not present at this particular event, living elsewhere on the Isle of Man, she argues that the shipwreck was undoubtedly a significant contributing factor to his desire to set up a national lifesaving organisation.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Racehorse (1806)
Cruizer-class brig-sloops
Shipwrecks of the Isle of Man
Maritime incidents in December 1822
Ships built in England
1806 ships