When in former times the fishermen in the Bristol Channel, in South Wales, were employed as pilots for larger ships, they figured they could generate more income with a purpose-built faster sailing boat than with their relatively heavy fishing vessels. In the late 19th century, this resulted in the design of the pilot cutter, considered by many as the finest sailing boat design ever. As the first pilot to arrive at a ship usually got the job, speed was essential, but the treacherous waters of the Bristol Channel made sea-kindliness a close second.
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