Racecourse class minesweeper

:"For the class of ships sometimes known as the "Racehorse" class see 24 class sloop"

The Racecourse class minesweepers were 32 ships delivered to two related designs as paddlewheel coastal minesweeping sloops. All were built under the Emergency War Programme. The vessels were reasonable sea-boats, but lost speed badly in a seaway when the paddle boxes tended to become choked with water. The class is also widely referred to as the "Ascot" class and Improved "Ascot" class.

Initial design

The original design was by the Ailsa Shipbuilding Company. The ships were completed between April and October 1916. Launch dates are shown below.
* — January 1916, Ailsa S.B. Co - first of class, also last ship to be lost in WWI.
* — January 1916, Ailsa S.B. Co
* — April 1916, Ailsa S.B. Co
* — June 1916, Ardrossan Co
* — April 1916, Ayrshire D.Y. Co
* — April 1916, Ayrshire D.Y. Co
* — June 1916 Ayrshire D.Y. Co
* — September 1916, Ayrshire D.Y. Co
* — May 1916, G. Brown
* — February 1916, Clyde S.B. Co. Originally fitted to carry seaplanes.
* — April 1916, Dundee S.B. Co.
* — June 1916, Dundee S.B. Co.
* — March 1916, Dunlop, Bremner
* — May 1916, Dunlop, Bremner
* — Ferguson Bros. Lost in WWI.
* — April 1916, Fleming & Ferguson
* — Goole Co.
* — March 1916, Hamilton. Originally fitted to carry seaplanes.
* — July 1916, A. & J. Inglis
* — McMillan - Lost in WWI.
* — June 1916, Murdoch & Murray
* — Ayrshire D.Y. Co. - Lost in WWI.
* — July 1916, Dunlop, Bremner
* — May 1916, McMillan

On this type the foremast is stepped before the fore bridges and they have derricks abeam of the second funnel.

Improved Racecourse type

These paddle minesweepers were designed by the Admiralty, adapted from the Ailsa Company design for the first type. They were completed between January and June 1918. All were built under the Emergency War Programme.

* — December 1917, Ailsa S.B. Co.
* — February 1918, Ailsa S.B. Co.
* — December 1917, Clyde S.B. Co.
* — December 1917, Fleming & Ferguson
* — March 1918, Fleming & Ferguson
* — January 1918, Dunlop, Bremner
* — Dunlop, Bremner. Sold as a ferry boat, 1919.
* — March 1918, Murdoch & Murray. The foremast on this type is stepped through the chart house, there are two high ventilators abaft fore funnel and no derricks abeam of the second funnel.

Notes and references