Forms: 6 yeagh, 7 yoath, yolke ?, yaugh, yuaght, yought, y(e)aught, (Sc. z(e)aught, with z for ȝ), yaucht, jacht, yach, (yacth), yat, yott, 7–9 yatcht, yatch (pl. 7–8 yatchs, 8 yatches), 7– yacht. [ad. early mod. Du. jaght(e (now jacht) = jaghtschip (lit. ship for chasing), light sailing vessel, fast piratical ship, f. jag(h)t hunting, chase (= G. jagd), f. jagen to hunt, chase (see -T suffix3 a). Owing to the presence in the Du. word of the unfamiliar guttural spirant denoted by g(h), the English spellings have been various and erratic; how far they represent varieties of pronunciation it is difficult to say.
The word has been adopted in many European languages: F. yacht (yak), G. jacht-, yacht(schiff), Da. jagt, MSw. jackt (15th c.), Icel., Sw. jakt, Sp. yacte, yate, yac, Pg. hiate, Russ. якта.]
A light fast-sailing ship, in early use esp. for the conveyance of royal or other important persons; later, a vessel, usually light and comparatively small, propelled by motive power other than oars, and used for pleasure excursions, cruising, etc., and now esp. one built and rigged for racing.
1557. Voy. Stephan Burrough, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1598), I. 294. A barke which was of Dronton, and three or foure Norway yeaghes, belonging to Northberne.
1613. Phineas Pett, Autobiogr. (Navy Rec. Soc., 1918), 109. [We anchored thwart of Sluis, where came on board us with his] yoathes [the Prince of Orange].
1616. R. Cocks, Diary (Hakl. Soc.), I. 118. I esteemed he came to spie … whether our shipp and the Duch yaught staid for to take the Amacon shipp.
1621. in Foster, Eng. Factories Ind. (1906), 303. This smalle shippe or yolke is mostly ladne with pepper.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 40. The Emperour (who yet had never greater vessell than a Punt or Yaugh upon the Danuby).
1645. in Sussex Archæol. Coll., XLVIII. 129. Paid for tow and nails used aboute my Lords Yought at Pemsie. Ibid., To unrig my Lord’s Yaught.
1660. Sir W. Lower, Voy. Chas. II., 12. Jachts or pinnaces.
1664. in Maitl. Club Misc. (1840), II. 518. To the sailors whair his Lordship breakfast in the Zeaught 001 10 00. To the sailleris of the Zaught at Owlage 003 12 00.
1666. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 10. Gunner of his Majestie’s vessell the Mary yaucht.
1673. H. Stubbe, Further Justif. War Neth., 5. They who had struck their Flags … unto a Ketch of two Guns in the time of Cromwel, refuse to do it unto a Yacht of his Majesties.
1678. R. Ferrier, Jrnl., 25, in Camden Misc. (1895), IX. A fair small River which ye King has there cut to take his pleasure on, there being severall yotts.
1680. Alsop, Mischief Impos., vi. 36. A … Man of War as big as 2 or 3 Yatchs.
1688. in Boys, Sandwich (1792), 759. About 20 small smacks and yats in the Downs.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 1 Oct. 1661. I sailed this morning with his Majesty in one of his Yatchts (or pleasure boats), vessels not known among us till the Dutch East India Company presented that curious piece to the King.
1710. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., II., Yatches, are Vessels with one Deck carrying from 4 to 12 Guns, with from 20 to 40 Men; and are of Burden from 30 to 160 Tun.
1766. Ann. Reg., Chron., 137/1. Admiral Keppel set out for Harwich, to take the command of the yatchs intended to carry over her R. Highness the Princess Carolina Matilda to Holland.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), s.v. The royal yachts are commonly rigged as ketches, except the principal one reserved for the sovereign, which is equipped with three masts like a ship.
1790. H. Walpole, Lett. to Miss Mary Berry, 10 July. The river was covered with little yatches and boats.
1811. Self Instructor, 587. The Dutch yatchts are chiefly used on their rivers and canals.
1839. Darwin, Voy. Nat., xxiii. 602. A yacht now with every luxury of life can circumnavigate the globe.
b. attrib. and Comb., as yacht-berth, -builder, -building, -club, -race, -racing, -sailing, -sailor, -squadron.
1846. Mrs. Gore, Engl. Char. (1852), 46. Insensible to the perils of any uneasy *yacht-berth.
1868. Trollope’s Brit. Sports, 195. The Swedes are skilful *yacht-builders. Ibid., 217. The progressive improvement in *yacht-building during the last twenty years.
1837. in Yachting (Badm. Libr.), II. 12. That the Commodore be requested to seek an … audience with Her Majesty, with a view to the continuance of the Royal Cup to be presented to the *Yacht Club at Cowes.
1867. Dickens, Lett. (1880), II. 271. The American *yacht race is the last sensation.
1868. Trollope’s Brit. Sports, 196. We do not mean to say that *yacht-racing has wholly escaped those sharp practices.
1833. W. H. Maxwell, Field Bk., Introd. *Yacht-sailing has been slightly noticed.
1856. Marett, Yachts & Yacht Bldg., Introd. p. ix. The designer [of a yacht] should … be … an experienced *yacht sailor. Ibid., 74. For many years after the establishment of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Hence (nonce-wds.) Yachtdom, Yachtery, yachts collectively; Yachtian, Yachtist, a yachtsman; Yachtling, a little yacht; Yachty, a., pertaining to or characteristic of a yacht.
1901. Pall Mall Gaz., 12 Jan., 1/3. A yacht for her Majesty that would eclipse all examples in modern *yachtdom for luxurious comfort and sea-going qualities.
1861. J. G. Francis, Beach Rambles, 60. The flower of the *yachtery of England.
1842. Blackw. Mag., LI. 419. The assembled Thames *yachtians.
1895. Nat. Observer, 21 Sept., 542. They went the way all *yachtists go.
1872. Daily News, 21 Aug., 6/2. The tiny *yachtlings (the largest of them measures but 10 tons, the smallest but four or five).
1892. Field, 27 Feb., 279/2. The latest craft on the stocks—though of size that might be called *‘yachty’—is … thoroughly of the canoe family.
