Balchin's Victory (1744)

Dominic Robinson       Tuesday 24th Febuary 2026          Cost  £3.00             

The lives of 1,100 sailors were lost when the vessel, HMS Victory, sank in 1744. The 100-gun ship was launched in 1737, and seven years later it was the flagship of a fleet led by Admiral Sir John Balchen. He successfully led a force to relieve a British convoy trapped by a French blockade of the River Tagus, in Portugal. But on the return journey, Victory was separated from the fleet and sank on 5 October 1744. Its sinking is considered the worst single British naval disaster in the English Channel. The ship, which predated Lord Nelson's famous flagship of the same name, was long sought after by wreck finders.It was discovered lying 50 miles south-east of Plymouth in 2009 by Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration.  When Lord Nelson's Victory was named, there were some doubts about using the title because of the fact that the 1744 vessel and all of its sailors had been lost. The more famous HMS Victory was the flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar, in which Britain - led by Lord Nelson - triumphed against Napoleon's France in 1805. Lord Nelson was famously killed in the battle. Organising a dive to HMS Victory proved to be a significant challenge for the team of divers, as there are only a relatively small number of days per year when the conditions are suitable for diving this far out and at this depth of 70 meters.  The team spent just over three hours in the water observing the shipwreck in the depths of the ocean. The team's incredible photos show the cannons of the shipwreck have been well-preserved.  Dom is planning a return to Victory 1774 in the summer of 2026. 

Dominic Robinson

Dominic Robinson, better known as a former Army Officer and military helicopter pilot, is better known on social media as Deep Wreck Diver. An experienced technical diving instructor, Dom was previously Head of Diving and Training for the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) and, after that, a senior manager at Babcock International, delivering projects for the UK Special Forces

Dom’s passion for diving, love of history, and desire to tell tales of lost shipwrecks come together in this talk where you can hear about lost vessels in deep water explored by local divers.

Talk Times

The talks this season will be at Club 27, and it will be open at 6:00 pm

Talks start at 7 pm and last for approximately 45 minutes

Club 27 is next to The Kings Head pub and is situated above the Re-Wind Retro Music Bar so access is up stairs. The entrance for Club 27 is a red door with number 27 on and above it. Club 27 will only be open for the lecture series as a private event and the talks will not be broadcast online. Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access; however, we are collectively happy to help anyone up the stairs.

Parking
There are several car parks and paid street parking available around Club 27, which are highlighted in yellow below.

Car Parks: Brenton Side, Barcode Car Park, Britannia Car Parks, Vauxhall Street Car Park

Street Parking: Looe Street and How Street