Gerald Hollis World War II as he was colour blind. He joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1940, and was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1942. He served as a physical training officer at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon. The college was moved to Eaton Hall, Cheshire between 1943 and 1946, because of Nazi bombings. At the end of hostilities, Hollis felt drawn to holy orders: from 1945 to 1947, he trained for ordination at Wells Theological College. He was ordained into the Church of England in 1947 and then served his curacy at St Dunstan's,
HMY Britannia (Royal Cutter Yacht) cost was £8,300 and like "Valkyrie II", "Britannia" was built at the D&W Henderson shipyard in Patrick on the River Clyde. With two such highly important commissions underway in the same yard, Watson delegated his protégé James Rennie Barnett to oversee both yachts. "Britannia" was launched on 20 April 1893, a week ahead of "Valkyrie II" and joined a fleet of first class cutters that was growing fast as others followed the royal lead. In a highly competitive fleet, "Britannia" soon set about achieving the race results which would eventually establish her as the most successful racing yacht of all