O ne of the most beautiful vintage yachts sailing today, was built for industrialist Arthur Stothert. As good as the racing was, with the threat of war in , brought an immediate end of racing.
She returned to Great Britain after the war and was brought to West Mersea by Arthur Hempstead, whose firm undertook the decommissioning. Her fine mast was chopped away above the deck, her keel bolts let go and 40 tonnes of lead cut into scrap on the Mersea hard. The hulk of the once beautiful yacht was towed to Woodbridge on the Deben and in moved to Pin Mill, on the Orwell, remaining there as a house boat for some 30 years.
Bow in to the river bank, moored with chains and supported between four very large posts, at high springs she would float, settling again β not always level as the tide went out. Taken round to the Hamble on a Thames lighter, work started on the restoration in With the restoration, her owners sought not only to save a unique yacht, but also the quality ethos to which she was built and raced originally in She went on to attend five classic regattas, including the new Porto Rotondo event and the renowned Voiles de St Tropez.
She then returned to the Mediterranean for the end of season regattas there. The syndicate that eventually purchased her was helped somewhat by inheriting a number of her existing crew as where everything is done by hand on such a complex yacht working as a team is paramount. Of course it took time for the crew to bed in but by the fourth regatta in Barcelona the skipper George Newman was seeing signs of real improvement.
She is now ready to be passed on to her next custodian. Owner: β Arthur Stothert, Glasgow β career regattas entered, winning , 93 podium finishes. One of the finest sailors of his day. Owner: β Harry Spencer and Dr. William Collier a small team from Fairlie rescued her from her mudberth at Pin Mill and brought her to Hamble to await a new owner. Owner: β Albert Obrist and P. I remember Mariquita at Pinmill and am interested in the transformation and pics of her in Pinmill.
