Howard Taylor

Having purchased the two-year-old 83-foot racing cutter Bona in April 1899, Howard Taylor enjoyed success with her in their first season together, including the prestigious Queen’s Cup at the Royal Cork Regatta in August 1899. Bona won from start-to-finish, to beat Captain J. Orr Ewing and Eelin, into second place.

For the 1900 season, Taylor took delivery of the 45-footer Bona Fide, and again enjoyed a successful first season with his new boat. Racing in the Mediterranean, they won 16 races from 25 starts, including the 3-10 ton class at the Paris Olympics. Taylor missed the first race because there was a delay in obtaining clearance by French Customs. However, he arrived at Meulan in time for the second race, which he duly won by a margin of more than five minutes. While in France, Taylor sold Bona Fide to an Italian, and the winning Olympic yacht returned to southern waters.

By profession, Taylor was a London stockbroker, but the lure of adventure took him to South Africa and then to Australia in 1890, where he was involved in various activities, including farming, the Ashburton gold rush and also returned to his roots of stockbroking. He was also involved in politics, and Taylor served in the Parliament of Western Australia between 1896-99, resigning a couple of months after purchasing Bona. He returned to Britain until his fortunes declined, and at the turn of the 20th century, returned to Australia, where he died in 1925.