OcCre’s limited-edition HMS Victory model kit

OcCre’s 2023 limited edition of HMS Victory was conceived as a special project for experienced ship modellers and collectors. Only 999 individually numbered kits were produced worldwide. The appeal lies in bringing together the history of a famous ship and the patient craftsmanship of wooden model building.

The kit was officially licensed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy. Its carefully worked wooden components, miniature guns, sails, rigging and decorative details invite close study of the original ship’s construction. The open-frame presentation also reveals structural elements that a fully planked hull would hide.

This is an ambitious build rather than a first project. If you are choosing a kit for the first time, our practical guide to wooden ship model kits explains what to consider. Our introduction to sailing ship model kits offers further help with getting started.

The story of HMS Victory

HMS Victory is a first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Construction began at Chatham in 1759 and she was launched on 7 May 1765. She is best known as Admiral Horatio Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where the British fleet defeated the combined French and Spanish fleet. Nelson was fatally wounded during the battle.

Victory served in other campaigns as well, and her design and fittings changed during her long career. Her timber structure, three masts and complex rigging remain a striking example of the shipbuilding skills of the period.

The ship is preserved at Portsmouth. The National Museum of the Royal Navy records 821 men aboard at Trafalgar. Victory is recognised as the world’s oldest commissioned warship.

The original ship at a glance

• Launched: 7 May 1765, Chatham
• Guns: 104 at Trafalgar
• Crew at Trafalgar: 821
• Displacement: approximately 3,500 tons

Dimensions of the OcCre model

• Scale: 1:87
• Length: 1,172 mm
• Height: 785 mm
• Width: 406 mm

Allow enough display space for the finished model, including its masts, yards and bowsprit. For the distinction between a display model, a kit and a working boat, see our guide to ship model types.

Model presentation

Sources: OcCre’s limited-edition kit, Chatham Historic Dockyard and National Museum of the Royal Navy.