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Ensigns - Red and Blue

Ensigns - Red and Blue

Jimmy Green are delighted to offer a comprehensive range of Red and Blue Ensigns, either printed or sewn, including a premium sewn, British made option.
A UK registered vessel should fly the national maritime flag, the Red Ensign, unless...

Jimmy Green are delighted to offer a comprehensive range of Red and Blue Ensigns, either printed or sewn, including a premium sewn, British made option.
A UK registered vessel should fly the national maritime flag, the Red Ensign, unless entitled to fly a special or privileged Ensign.
The most senior position for a flag on a vessel is reserved for the Ensign - The Ensign should be flown from as close to the stern of the vessel as possible, denoting the nationality of the vessel.

Jimmy Green standard Red and Blue Ensigns, both printed and sewn, are manufactured in our modern supplier partner factory in Italy from top quality UV resistant 100% polyester woven bunting.

Jimmy Green Premium Red and Blue Sewn Ensigns are sewn in the UK from the best quality MoD Heavyweight Woven 100% Polyester.

Selecting your Ensign Red Ensign Red or Blue:

Printed: made in Italy Made in Italy

  • From 1/2 yard up to 1 1/2 yard
  • Screen printed on one piece of flag fabric
  • Top quality UV resistant 100% polyester woven bunting
  • Colourfast and fade resistant
  • Hoist reinforced with special flag webbing tape
  • Braided line sewn into the integral hoist tape creating a loop at the top and a tail at the bottom as per the photos
  • Finished with twin stitched hems (outside edges)

Sewn: made in Italy Made in Italy

  • from 1/2 yard up to 3 yard
  • Available in Red and Blue
  • Component panels cut out from top quality UV resistant 100% polyester woven bunting
  • Colourfast and fade resistant
  • All panels stitched together with top stitched fell seams to form the full ensign pattern
  • Hoist reinforced with special flag webbing tape
  • Braided line sewn into the integral hoist tape creating a loop at the top and a tail at the bottom as per the photos
  • Finished with twin stitched hems (outside edges)

Premium Sewn: made in the UK British Manufacture Sewn Ensigns

  • from 1/2 yard up to 3 yard
  • Available in Red and Blue
  • Component panels cut out from MOD approved 155gm m2 top quality UV resistant 100% polyester woven bunting
  • Rich colours
  • Colourfast and fade resistant
  • All panels stitched together to form the full ensign pattern
  • Hoist reinforced with special flag webbing tape
  • Braided Polyester line sewn into the integral hoist tape creating a loop to grip the varnished toggle at the top and a tail at the bottom
  • Finished with triple stitched hems (outside edges)

Traditional Yard Sizing for Flags

The yard sizing (traditional diagonal measurement) is nominal and may vary slightly due to the nature of the production/sewing process.

  • The Yard Size refers to the outside diagonal measurement e.g. from the top corner of the hoist to the bottom corner of the fly end.
  • The fly is measured along the horizontal length, top or bottom.
  • The hoist is measured down the vertical length of the left hand side next to the staff.
  • The Fly end is the opposite end to the hoist = the end that flies in the breeze.

Nominal length and height measurements are tabled in the guide below.

The yard sizing (traditional diagonal measurement) is nominal and may vary slightly due to the nature of the production/sewing process.

Nominal length and height measurements are tabled in the guide below.

Top quality wooden toggles are available at a reasonable cost which can be fitted to the loop at the top of the hoist if required:

WOODEN FLAG TOGGLES

Selecting the appropriate size for your Ensign:

  • The Yard Size refers to the outside diagonal measurement e.g. from the top corner of the hoist to the bottom corner of the fly end.
  • The fly is measured along the horizontal length, top or bottom
  • The hoist is measured down the vertical length of the left hand side next to the staff.
  • The Fly end is the opposite end to the hoist = the end that flies in the breeze

As a guide, your Ensign should be proportionate to the LOA and the style/design of the yacht.

There is an old rule of thumb: an inch per foot of yacht length but this may look rather too small for modern yachts to look "well dressed".

The Ensign hoist measurement also needs to be compatible with the length of the flagstaff.
i.e. The length of the flagstaff between the truck (head) and the cleat must be, at the very least, greater than the hoist measurement so that there is sufficient room to tension the hoist line or halyard.
The gap between the bottom of the hoist and the cleat is a matter of personal choice.

A more modern interpretation of suitable Red Ensign yard size is suggested in the chart below but....

Ultimately, the size of a Red Ensign is entirely up to the owner's discretion and if it looks right then it is right.

Flag Size Chart

Yard SizeFinishFlyHoistStaff LengthYacht LOA
1/2Printed48cm32cm60cm< 7m
3/4Printed or Sewn69cm40cm60/80cm6-9m
1Printed or Sewn90cm45cm80/100cm9-12m
1 1/4Printed or Sewn104cm56cm90/120cm10-14m
1 1/2Printed or Sewn132cm70cm100/125cm12-16m
2Sewn180cm90cm125/150cm14-18m
2 1/2Sewn225cm110cm> 1.5 metres18m-20m
3Sewn274cm137cm> 2 metres>20m

Guide Reference:
Yard Size = traditional method of measurement = length of the diagonal
Finish = Sewn = individual panels stitched together to complete the flag
Fly = nominal length, may vary slightly due to the nature of the production/sewing process
Hoist = nominal height, may vary slightly due to the nature of the production/sewing process
Staff Length = the length overall of the flagstaff, not the measurement between truck and cleat which will be less
LOA = Yacht length overall

Selecting between Printed and Sewn Ensigns:

There are two distinct schools of thought regarding your Red Ensign (or national flag) and either is acceptable.

  1. Printed - is less than half the cost and ‘will soon be blown out anyway'.
  2. Sewn - is the only proper flag to fly, will last longer and is worth 'every penny'.

Don’t get becalmed

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