The Job Book shows an order dated 4th October 1934 from Orlando Hellyer.  The boat was to be named PICCOLO.  It is believed that this is ALYTH.

In October 1945 Francis Morgan-Giles wrote in the Yachting World design supplement that he originally designed ALYTH for a Mr O.F. Hellyer to meet the restrictions of the Torbay No. 1 Handicap Class. Before she was completed Mr Hellyer died and ALYTH was taken over by Mr A.A. Douglas who wanted an auxiliary yacht and the necessary changes were made without any alteration to the hull. She spent her first season cruising and fishing in the vicinity of Salcombe.

In 1938 Morgan Giles managed to borrow her to race in Torbay and many other West Country regattas where she proved to be a very able performer.

By 1953 ALYTH had a number of owners. At this time she was owned by Morgan Morgan-Giles who had recently returned from Royal Naval service in Malta and, in his words, was one of the few compensations for being based at the Admiralty. Morgan based her at Gosport, racing her at weekends and winning the Gold Bowl in the Round the Island Race in June 1954. At the end of 1954, when going to a new appointment, Morgan put ALYTH up for sale and was delighted when she was bought by his Brother-in-law Lt.Cdr Anthony Oxley and shipped out to Australia. ALYTH is reported to have had good racing success in the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

Anthony Oxley sold ALYTH to Graham Nock in 1964 and it passed to Phil West in 1968. Here is the story of Phil’s ownership.

Phil tells us that at the time when he bought her, ALYTH was a stripped out racer, living in a cradle during the racing season. Graham Nock also owned SASKIA, a top 8 meter. Both vessels raced in handicap races, SASKIA was the scratch boat and ALYTH was the 3rd scratch boat, off 3 minutes.

ALTYH's keel was deeper than that of GOLDEN HIND III's (Morgan Giles 6 metre) but shorter, with a huge barn door of a rudder. Phil could out tack dinghies as she was so quick on the helm. Despite this she was very directionally stable when running hard. He once single handed averaged 14 knots for a distance of 165 miles, surfing down waves, with a 1400 Sq ft spinnaker, sailing down the coast of New South Wales. ALYTH was re-rigged with the first ever hand tapered alloy mast made in Australia. This was a trial for the DAME PATTY mast (DAME PATTY was Australia's first America's Cup 12 Metre challenger). ALYTH, ERICA J (another 8mtr) and SASKIA were all set up with the same rig as DAME PATTY was to have and were used to train prospective crews.

ALYTH's new rig comprised of a 49ft deck stepped mast, with a 19ft boom and a lot of roach. Her main was 690 Sq ft and her 200% Genoa was almost 600 Sq ft. In lights airs she was the fastest boat in Sydney.

She had just 2 bunks, mahogany, and probably original, when Phil bought her and after a couple of years of racing he decided to go cruising. A doghouse was added and strip planked a bulwark onto the top sides, fitted the motor, stove, galley, fridge etc. This in turn lengthened her waterline. Even so, she was fast and very easy to sail with a reduced cruising rig.

After a few more changes Phil did 53,000 miles around the near Pacific in 6 years, 13,000 miles single handed, including New Guinea, the Solomons, the Carolines and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is believed that she still survives, there is an Australian cruisers forum which tells a story of ALYTH in 2017 so there is a good chance that she is still in use. A great testament to Morgan Giles and the people who built her in 1937.