William Fife MARIQUITA

Historical:

O ne of the most beautiful vintage yachts sailing today, was built for industrialist Arthur Stothert. MARIQUITA was designed by William Fife III, and built and launched by Fairlie on the Clyde on Saturday May 6th, 1911…coming to rest alongside her sistership CORONA

Prince Albert Edward having retired his yacht BRITANNIA from competition 1896, left a void in “Big Class” racing until MARIQUITA was launched in 1911,  joining OCTAVIA, CORONA, and NORADA in this resurrected new class just before World War I.

The “Great 19s” brought an unexpected high level of close racing, sometimes finishing half day races within seconds of each other. As good as the racing was, with the threat of war in 1913, brought an immediate end of racing. OCTAVIA was first put up for sale, by her then owner William Burton, with MARIQUITA changing hands in 1915 , marking the official  end of “Big Class” racing.

MARIQUITA spent the war years in neutral Norway. 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 1958 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 – not always level as the tide went out. It was from Pin Mill in 1991 that William Collier and Albert Obrist intervened leading to her landmark restoration at Fairlie Restorations. Taken round to the Hamble on a Thames lighter, work started on the restoration in 2001.

After years of painstaking work the restored MARIQUITA finally appeared in 2004. 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 1911. The MARIQUITA project was one of the most professional and well-resourced classic yacht programmes ever undertaken.

Following her re launch she started on a highly successful nine year campaign and was to star in numerous regattas, winning Imperia and looking great alongside the likes of the MOONBEAMs III and IV. Wintering in San Remo MARIQUITA then headed for Greece for 2 months of cruising and race training with the owner. She went on to attend five classic regattas, including the new Porto Rotondo event and the renowned Voiles de St Tropez. In June, 2008 she attended the Fife Regatta on the Clyde and then took part in other regattas on England’s south coast.

2011 marked her centenary with a busy race season with eight more regattas; Ajaccio, Antibes, Barcelona, Palma, Mahon, Monaco, Cannes and St Tropez.

In 2012 MARIQUITA visited the UK again for the Westward Cup in Cowes, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on the Thames and the Pendennis Cup in Falmouth. She then returned to the Mediterranean for the end of season regattas there. It was in 2012 however that MARIQUITA was unexpectedly offered for sale. 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. Despite some dramatic conditions in both Mahon and Cannes and some very close racing with her great rivals MOONBEAM IV and CAMBRIA, MARIQUITA arrived in Saint Tropez for the final regatta of the season in good shape with six podium finishes under her belt.

Her 2014 season ended with even better results – after winning overall the Big Boat class in the Panerai Grand Prix, MARIQUITA then went on to come second in Les Voiles de St Tropez, behind the mighty gaff schooner ELENA. She is now ready to be passed on to her next custodian.

Fast forward to 2015 to find MARIQUITA locking horns with ELEONORA and SUMURUN once again on the Solent coming out on top during an exciting week of sailing for the Panerai British Classic Week at Cowes. After recording three 1st and two 2nd places her owner and helmsman John Caulcutt was of course delighted with another regatta win saying “The crew have adapted to the windy and tidal Solent conditions this season with great skill. MARIQUITA has performed really well – I couldn’t be happier with another successful week on the water”.

Known Restoration History:

1991 – Fairlie Restorations rescued Mariquita from a “Mud Berth” at Pinmill on the Orwell, where she was being used as a Houseboat.
2001 – Fairlie Restorations completely rebuilt, launched 2004

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Notable Guest, and Reunion Information):

Owner: (1911 -1915) – Arthur Stothert, Glasgow – 427 career regattas entered, winning 123, 93 podium finishes. One of the finest sailors of his day. Three years after commissioning MARISKA Arthur commissioned MARIQUITA
Owner: (1915-1919) – F. Buge – Spent the war years in neutral Norway (renamed MAUD IV)
Owner: (1919) – Arthur Hempstead, decommission MARIQUITA
Owner: (1924) – Sir Edward Iliffe and Alan Messer
Owner: River Transport Company – Stripped of her rigging and became a houseboat, stranded in mud at Pin Mill, on the Suffolk Coast.
Owner: (1991) – Harry Spencer and Dr. William Collier – In 1991 with Harry Spencer and aided by 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: (2001) – Albert Obrist and P. Livanos, Greek shipowner – restored 2001-2004, Fairlie Restorations, Port Hamble.
Captain: Jim Thon
Owner: London Syndicate

Comments

Tim Bell – August 4, 2017

I remember Mariquita at Pinmill and am interested in the transformation and pics of her in Pinmill.