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Historical:

Skylark, design 146, was a further improvement of Stormy Weather (design 27), Avanti (design 85) and Sonny (design 94) In 1972 Skylark completed a 31,106 mile circumnavigation. 2013 Currently sailing and racing in the Med.

Known Racing History:

2013 – Argentario Sailing Week Race Winner
2013 – Les Regates Imperiales in Corsica Overall Regatta Win 2, 1, 1, 2
2013 – PUGS Regatta Saint-Tropez Winner
2012 – The Blue Bird Cup (the winner of a race between Skylark and a yacht she chooses to challenge in a head-to-head sailing competition) Wins over Argyll
2012 – Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Race Winner 1-2-2-1
1950 1951 – Newport to Ensenada Race Winner

Known Restoration History:

2003 Loughborough Marine Interests – substantial restoration, from the lead keel up, of a very miss-shapen, partially rotten or broken hull and deck structure. The interior, a portion of which being original 1937, was carefully removed along with the “gutting” of machinery and systems. Shipwright work began with stabilizing the existing structure, removal of multiple frames and planking, and lifting the hull off the lead keel. Working from lines plans and construction drawings, the original S&S design hull shape was reformed at each station with temporary ply bulkheads.

This complete, began the significant project of minor repairs to the wood keel and stern post and the total replacement of the stem and horn timber in oak. From there completely reframed the hull with steamed oak laminations, templated and installed all new bronze floors, then placed the ‘hull’ back onto the lead keel with all new bronze bolts.

The next phase was to re-plank the hull, tight seam above the waterline and caulked seam below, with pattern grade mahogany, bronze riveted onto the frames. After replacing the stringers, and the substantial work of replacing the shelf, clamp, fairing the sheer line, and installing new bulkheads, work began laminating up new fir and oak deckbeams, followed by two layers of plywood, a layer of glassfibre and finished with hand laid teak.

2008 East Passage Boatwrights – EPB built and installed deck joinery, hatches and cap rails and the galley. EPB managed and assisted in the installation of systems including the auxiliary propulsion, plumbing and electrical systems. EPB also constructed a new box section boom. In 2011, she was sold to her current owner who changed her name to SKYLARK of 1937. EPB was tasked with the customization of the interior including constructing a bunk and hanging locker in the fo’c’sle, new refrigeration in the galley, and a refit of the head. The steering system was changed from tiller to a wheel. EPB assisted in the design and installed the stunning white bronze steering pedestal with matching skylight binnacle manufactured by Historical Arts & Casting of West Jordan, Utah and manufactured the ship’s wheel.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: Tara Getty

Historical:

Volante was originally commissioned for the Commodore of the St Francis Yacht Club, Charles Langlais. She was the first CCA rule boat in northern California winning the trophy in 1936-1937, raced in the San Francisco bay until the 1970’s when she was sold and raced seldomly. Her mast is 60′ tall and the boom is 22′ long. The original rig was rod rigging with silver soldered connections to the chainplates, and fashioned with Ratsey Egyptian cotton sail’s; she was set up for heavy wind sailing in the San Francisco Bay. She was built of Port Orford cedar full length planking with no butt blocks in original construction. Her trim inside and out is all Burmese teak she is in the process of a full restoration starting in 2016.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1936) Charles Langlais, Commodore of the St Francis Yacht Club.
Owner/Guardian: Charlie O’Brien
Owner/Guardian: Graham Wheelock

Vixen was designed by Knud Reimers and built at the Kungsors boatyard in central Sweden by Oscar Schelin. Imported to the UK before the Second World War, she was one of only a handful of the elegant Square Meter Rule yachts. At the time building to the rule was prolific in the Baltic but scarcely known in the UK. As co-skipper Jack Gifford explains, “Much finer in form and lighter in displacement than her British counterparts, Vixen and her kind were viewed with suspicion by the (British) yachting establishment and with her light and efficient construction deemed as ‘un-seaworthy.” One famous British sailor had fallen in love with the Swedish Square Meter yachts and collaborated with Reimers to build his own yacht. That, of course, was Uffa Fox, and the boat he built at Cowes was the Vigilant. So confident was Uffa in its sea keeping that he set out to sail it to its spiritual homeland of Sweden to take part in the Swedish championships.

Vixen was purchased sight unseen by a client who had already had a very successful restoration experience with Brooklin Boat Yard that being the total restoration of Katrinka. While not always advisable to purchase a boat without even seeing it the client figured Vixen had to be in at least OK shape (she’s just sailed the North and Baltic Seas) so Vixen was packed into a shipping container and arrived at Brooklin Boat Yard in late July of 2011. While she was in good enough shape to sail that year’s Eggemoggin Reach Regatta it was clear that quite a bit of restoration work was needed.

Once Vixen’s restoration was competed approximately 75% of her frames and floors and 50% of her hull planking had been replaced along with a new deck, cockpit, cabin house and all new deck hardware.

Vixen now lives in Brooklin but she travels quite a bit (by land) to compete in as many of the classic yacht regattas as she can.

Historical:

Four boats were constructed for members of the New York Yacht Club. They were lightly built, raced hard, leaked extensively and only two boats continued sailing after the first year.

The NY 70s drew 14 ft, and were said at the time to be the fastest boats to cover a triangular 30 mile coarse (2.45 hrs), with eleven miles to windward! Responding with good humor, Mr. Herreshoff was asked by William O. Gay, who owned the 11 foot draft yacht Athene, when would there be a time when Athene could beat the NY 70s, Captain Nat responded when there is less than 14 feet of water.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1899) W.K. Vanderbilt