12:55 for this, solved from the paper for a change whilst sat inside hoping for the rain to stop (it didn't). Only unknown was GALLIARD, but it was very easy to derive from wordplay, so a pretty straightforward solve. Three &lits too - one good, one indifferent, one semi. Nice puzzle overall.
| Across |
| 1 | Step on board cool craft for a long journey (9) |
| SPACESHIP - PACE (step) inside SS (i.e. "on board") + HIP (cool). |
| 6 | Avoids / dear / trousers of strong cotton (5) |
| DUCKS - triple definition. |
| 9 | One chasing accounting officer around university (7) |
| PURSUER - PURSER (accounting officer) around U(niversity). |
| 10 | Artist turned into downright wool-gatherer (7) |
| SHEARER - RA (artist) reversed inside SHEER (downright). |
| 11 | What’s attractive about Conservative money? (5) |
| LUCRE - LURE (what's attractive) around C(onservative). |
| 12 | How baleen is put in another way? (9) |
| WHALEBONE - (how baleen)*, &lit. |
| 13 | Dance with girl — one covered in fat (8) |
| GALLIARD - GAL (girl) + I (one) inside LARD (fat), "a lively dance for two, in triple time, popular in the 16c and 17c". I don't suppose it'll be making a comeback on Strictly then! |
| 14 | Insulted when the sailor’s gone and cast off (4) |
| USED - ABUSED (insulted) without AB (sailor). |
| 17 | Plant attached to a wall endlessly knocked about (4) |
| ARUM - MURAL (attached to a wall), minus the last letter and reversed. |
| 18 | One starting to solicit money inside (8) |
| BEGINNER - BEG (to solicit money) + INNER (inside). |
| 21 | Examine a military alliance one’s come across in Middle East (9) |
| ANATOMISE - A + NATO (military alliance) + [IS (one's) inside ME (Middle East)]. |
| 22 | First of inebriates getting dry in party — “same again” (5) |
| DITTO - I(nebriates) + TT (teetotal, dry) inside DO (party). |
| 24 | Free energy in high explosive weapon (7) |
| TRIDENT - RID (free) + E(nergy) inside TNT (high explosive). |
| 25 | Key sin involving all rapacity, primarily (7) |
| AVARICE - A (key) + VICE (sin) around A(ll), R(apacity). An &lit., but it seems a bit forced to me. |
| 26 | Privileged classes devoid of good record (5) |
| ENTRY - GENTRY (privileged classes) without the G for good. |
| 27 | Many balls finish without pressure to go beyond budget (9) |
| OVERSPEND - OVERS (many balls - cricket) + END (finish), around P(ressure). Mrs. Linxit's favourite pastime! |
| Down |
| 1 | Cover for bud, an elite US Navy man seizing power (5) |
| SEPAL - SEAL (elite US Navy man) around P(ower). |
| 2 | Air cut sugar till processed for farmer (15) |
| AGRICULTURALIST - (air cut sugar till)*. |
| 3 | Colour of European poet I loved at the outset (3,2,3) |
| EAU DE NIL - E(uropean) + AUDEN (poet) + I + L(oved). A pale green, like Nile water allegedly. Colour and (3,2,3) were enough, as it comes up fairly often. |
| 4 | Military equipment needs right warhead fitting (8) |
| HARDWARE - (R, warhead)*. |
| 5 | Upset resin under power-assisted steering unit (6) |
| PASCAL - LAC (resin) reversed underneath PAS (Power-Assisted Steering, which isn't in Chambers as a recognised abbreviation). An SI unit of pressure, equivalent to one newton per square metre. |
| 6 | Go further down river meeting swan laying eggs (6) |
| DEEPEN - DEE (river) + PEN (swan laying eggs). |
| 7 | My lecturer’s a fool to expose English as a block to communications (6,9) |
| CORDON SANITAIRE - COR (my) + DONS (lecturer's) + A NIT (a fool) + AIR (expose) + E(nglish). |
| 8 | Yield is less uncertain either side of break (9) |
| SURRENDER - SURER (less uncertain) around REND (break). |
| 13 | Argue crazily about bet security (9) |
| GUARANTEE - (argue)* around ANTE (bet). |
| 15 | Purchase a lot of beer, always filling (8) |
| LEVERAGE - LAGE(r) (a lot of beer) around EVER (always). |
| 16 | What’s used to haul weight on rocky islands (8) |
| WINDLASS - W(eight) + (islands)*. |
| 19 | Urgently taking son round to bank (6) |
| SORELY - S(on) + O (round) + RELY (bank). |
| 20 | Some grub is troughed here (6) |
| BISTRO - hidden in "grub is troughed", semi-&lit. |
| 23 | One living at their peak in old book (5) |
| OREAD - O(ld) + READ (book). A mountain nymph in mythology. |