‘Paxie’ and her sisters, 1960s Photos courtesy of the late John Phillips. 
Edward Saunderson on the helm of ‘Paxie’ June 1906 
On her way for reconstruction. 
Paxie’s new frames take shape. 
Belfast News-Letter, 5 August 1938 
Credit to Cooper family 
Credit to John Ferron. 1980s
Paxie (No.8) is quite possibly the most distinguished of all the Fairies of the old Enniskillen Yacht Club, having been owned by Robert W. Wilson, one of the founding members of the aforementioned organisation, as well as the key driving force in acquiring the Fairy class for the Lough. Paxie would be one of the most utilised and successful of her class, consistently winning races and almost always answering the gun over the course of the last century, The boat boasted sailors of great repute like Colonel Edward Saunderson; an MP, Landlord and one of the most prominent figures in 19th century Irish Unionism, leading the Irish Unionist Alliance against Home Rule. Saunderson was also a dedicated Yachtsman, having designed, built and owned a number of large one-designs and 2-raters. The most prominent of these being the sinisterly named ‘Witch,’ a 2000 sq ft canvassed Goliath measuring over 40 ft in length that would have made a boat like Paxie look like a dingy in comparison! The name ‘Paxie’ is an odd one as it seems to have no connection to any elemental, mystical or cultural ideas, nor does it seem to be any kind of name in general. It is possible that it could be a play on the name ‘Pixie,’ one of the Fairies of the RNIYC over at Belfast.
Paxie’s extensive life came at a cost however, the old saying that ‘the candle that burns twice as bright, lasts half as long’ being quite apt here. By the late 80s the boat was in poor shape with rot setting into much of the wood. For almost 30 years the boat was laid up in the Killadeas hanger of the LEYC. In 2020 she was taken by Paul & Conor Louden-Brown to be totally re-built from the keel up as a new boat alongside her sister Doreen. The project aims to be completed in 2022, in time for the 120th anniversary of the Fairy class. The rebuild can be viewed here.
| Date | Owners/Sailors |
| 1906 | Messrs, Robert W. Wilson & Charles M’Donagh |
| 1913 | Messrs, Robert W. Wilson & J. Lemon |
| 1914-1919 | Ownership uncertain |
| 1920 | J.A. & R.E. Lemon |
| 1928-1933 | Ownership uncertain |
| 1934 | Mr J.A. Lemon |
| 1940-1951 | Ownership uncertain |
| 1952- | Mrs A McManus |
| 2000 | Clive Burgess |
| 2001 | J. Taylor |
| 2020-Current | Conor & Paul Louden-Brown |
Fairy Class Yacht Association 