Mermaid

MERMAID

Model: 46-Foot Custom Ketch

Design #: 1230

Year: 1957

Builder: Paul E. Luke & Sons, E. Boothbay, Maine, USA

Now in the possession of only her third owner in nearly 70 years (Joshua Goldberg of New York and Cape Cod who feels privileged to have become her steward), MERMAID is a well-known 46-foot Sparkman & Stephens custom ketch commissioned by Austin Goodyear and built by Paul E. Luke & Sons of E. Boothbay, Maine., USA.

MERMAID was custom designed for Goodyear, who worked closely with the Stephens’ brothers on her design and build (we still have the extensive correspondence between them), adding numerous features for long range sailing, including berths for seven in a two-cabin layout, two heads (one hidden in the fore-cabin), a mid-century wood burning stove (for heating the interior), a built-to-order Luke ‘Heritage’ alcohol cooking stove, and a custom dropleaf gimbaled dining table. She is comfortably sailed single-handed with jib & jigger.

MERMAID has been a proven performer on the classic yacht racing in New England (and as far north as Nova Scotia) having competed in races north to Halifax and south to Nantucket’s famed Opera House Cup. Her notable finishes include: the 2009 Sail Nantucket (1st in class) — the 2011 Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race (1st in division) — the 2017 Camden Classics Cup (1st in Classics) — the 2022 Eggemoggin Reach Regatta (1st in Classic C) — the 2022 CYOA Classic Yacht Challenge Series (1st in Maine District) — the 2023 Camden Classics Cup (1st in Classics) — and the 2024 Camden Classics Cup (2nd in Classics).

Seal Cove Boatyard (of Harborside (Brooksville), Maine, USA) has lovingly maintained MERMAID in Bristol condition for over 40 years.

Johanna Hendrika

Johanna Hendrika

Model: DEB 33

Year: 1971

Design: #1873

Builder: Tyler Boat Co. Ltd

Johanna Hendrika - DEB 33

The first owner named the boat Cheetah and sailed many races, often on the Solent.  After six years she was sold to the Netherlands. The second owner, Mr. Hamer, sailed it on the IJsselmeer and Wadden Sea and also made regular trips along the English and French coast. Mr Hamer registered the Knepie II, as the yacht was then called, with Lloyds. In 2006 Manon Zwart bought the yacht and renamed it Bran, son of the Celtic god of the wind. I bought the yacht in 2022 and changed the name to Johanna Hendrika, my late wife. I sail a lot on the IJsselmeer and Wadden Sea, but my favorite sailing areas are the Scandinavian waters and the Baltic Sea.

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Tjerk Hiddes

TJERK HIDDES

Model: Sagitta 35

Year: 1974

Design: #2008

Builder: Bianca Yachts

TJERK HIDDES- Sagitta 35

Tjerk Hiddes was located in Brittany until 2009. Then bought by Fenna Poletiek and Jan Schiereck and now located in the Netherlands.

Firecracker IV

FIRECRACKER IV

Model: SHE 27

Year: 1972

Design: #2065

Builder: South Hants Marine

FIRECRACKER IV - SHE 27

We bought Firecracker mid-Covid based on a Zoom viewing. She was beautiful but ‘tired’. Suffolk Yacht Harbour have replaced the Shedeck. We have renewed all standing rigging, cleaned and repaired all sails. Replaced all upholstery and begun to further restore her interior. Engine fully serviced and work begun to tidy up her electrics. She is now berthed in North Shields and ready for sea. We believe she was first in commission at Lymington but has been based in Falmouth and on the East Coast. We would love to know more of her history…

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Sagittarius

SAGITTARIUS

Model: Custom One Off

Year: 1971

Design: #2058.1

Builder: Carlini fratelli, Rimini

SAGITTARIUS - Naples

Originally built for Giogio Carriero and a member of the 1973 Italian Admirals cup team with Tarantella (S&S) and Naîf (Carter) . She is a sister ship of Morning cloud II owned by sir Edward Heath, design 2058 and built by Carlini in Rimini, Italy. The hull is Grand Bassam mahogany on locust frames and a 5.5t lead keel for 11t displacement. She has been in our family since 1973, lying in Antibes, and has been kept in racing trim constantly except for the duration of cruises in Greek waters.

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We had IOR and IMS racing fun and currently she is racing in the classic circuit in the Mediterranean. Usually most successful against the wind, we sail her with a small 1973 HOOD storm spinnaker when it is blowing; it is safer... A 9-month refit, mainly a new deck and respray of topsides was performed in 2010 at her birthplace, same yard, with the works supervised by Stephano Carlini, son of the original builder and owner of the boatyard.

You can read more about Saggitarius and her refit on the site here:

Vettore Rosso

Vettore Rosso

Model: Lacoste 42

Year: 1986

Design: #2482

Builder: Dufour Yachts

Lacoste 42 - VETTORE ROSSO

Developed by Michael Dufour this fiberglass production yacht was built by Chantiers Yachting of France as the Lacoste 42. The model was introduced during the Paris Boat Show of 1985.

The boat line was actually developed in great part for the Lacoste clothing brand. Even today, looking at the brand we find reference to this yacht line. From the Spring 2011 Lacoste line we find: Lacoste presents four classic styles from its footwear archive for its Spring/Summer 2011 Lacoste 42 collection. Inspired by the 42 yacht created for the brand in 1985, the four styles include the Broadwick Vulc, Cabestan Twin Cup, Chevel High and Rene Lacoste.

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It looks like after the initial "flash in the pan" of a Lacoste branded yacht, production shifted to Dufour Yachts officially. 12 yachts were built during the production run which ended in 1991.

Copy from: https://nautipedia.it/index.php/LACOSTE_42

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Tigris

Tigris

Model: Nautor’s Swan 76

Year: 1981

Design: #2231

Builder: Oy Nautor AB

SWAN 76 - TIGRIS

Tigris is No 4 of 5 built. She is the only 76 with a centreboard and deckhouse configuration. Originally sold to a Greek owner, Tigris then went to the West Coast US where she was owned by a keen sailor and America's Cup sponsor.

She did the Transpac race in this ownership. She later returned to the Med where she chartered prior to being bought by a US syndicate for the World ARC. The lead member of the syndicate was one of the crew of Courageous, the S&S designed America's Cup winner. We bought Tigris in Newport R.I. in 2011.

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The design of the Swan 76 was loosely based on the World Champion Maxi rater in the 1970's, Kialoa 111

MARIONETTE

MARIONETTE

Model: Dolphin 24

Year: 1960

Design: #1497

Builder: Marscot Plastics / O’Day

Photo by Benjamin Mendlowitz taken August 28, 2014 on Eggemoggin Reach, Maine. Marionette was in 'delivery mode' crewed by daughter Nicole Breault and her husband Bruce Stone.

MARIONETTE is owned by Ron Breault, Old Lyme, Connecticut - she is hull #012 and was built in in 1960.

““I have just had a phone conversation with George O’Day, who is very anxious to get going on two new boats to be built of Fiberglass, which he would like to have built according to our designs. The smaller boat he has in mind would be a Junior Ocean Racer...”
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— Olin Stephens - December 8, 1958

Olin Stephens

George O'Day

So begins the story of the Dolphin 24. Sixty plus years ago Olin Stephens dictated an internal memo, copies to – Bill Shaw, Drake Sparkman, Rod Stephens) and Gil Wyland, (Sparkman & Stephens' chief engineer.) That memo describes a phone conversation he had with George O'Day. I call this memo the Dolphin 24 Birth Certificate. I found it as a tissue carbon copy in the back of the Dolphin 24 technical file at S&S’s offices on 5th Avenue in New York.

My Dolphin, Marionette (shown above in her slip at Niantic Bay YC, in Niantic, Connecticut) is Hull #12 built in 1960 by Marscot Plastics for George O'Day and Associates, Inc (O’Day Corporation) in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her particular hybrid construction typifies the period - a guy with good hands on know how but no boat building experience, bought a bare fiberglass hull, used a borrowed trailer to truck her to his backyard in Southport, Connecticut, and there under a tarp, over the next several months, built a quality wood boat on that hull.

In the mid and late 1950s, the new Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) was giving racing skippers of modest means not only their own rule under which their smaller boats could race, but the opportunity to tinker, revise, re-engineer and reinvent their ‘one design’ boats to make them faster, and still take their families out to the islands off the New England coast in safety.

And after nearly 60 years Dolphin 24s can still win races as this 2008 trophy at left attests! Marionette was 1st both days in her class, and had the best corrected time in the entire 132 boat fleet in the Around Block Island Race. And, she won again in 2010! And in 2012!! And in 2015!!!

Marionette has also thrice won (2011, 2016 and 2018) the S&S Association Global Challenge Trophy (at left) for the best performance by an S&S designed yacht. In 2009, she finished 2nd to the legendary Dorade.

A big part of my life with Marionette was the decision to start a website about the Dolphin 24. I wanted to describe, and with the help of others, find out more about how Dolphins played their small but important role in the days of sailboat design transition from wood to fiberglass. In the process I wanted to find out how my Dolphin made its unique way through a 50 year maze to end up in my barn with a new life.

Sparkman & Stephens Association Challenge Cup

Dolphins move around in pods so Marionette wanted to have other Dolphins join with her and share their experiences describing how they got their new lives. We wanted to help lost Dolphins find their way to new lives through the restoration and renovation efforts of their owners.

To help get this project off the ground, on February 6, 2007, I interviewed Olin Stephens (98 years young at the time!) at his home in Hanover, New Hampshire. This was a life experience for me.

Olin, on the sofa in his Hanover, NH living room filled with mementos and awards received during his long life of achievement, surrounded by numerous piles of technical literature and current projects. Here he is accepting my wife’s world famous homemade strawberry jam as an appreciation gift for this unforgettable experience he gave me.

The small silver ‘pot” in the center, inscribed to the ‘all amateur crew” of Dorade on winning the 1931 TransAtlantic Race. Olin was 23, winning by over 2 days elapsed time against mostly larger boats, in a boat he designed and skippered, with his father and brother in the crew. This put Olin and his firm on the track to becoming the outstanding marine architects of the last century.

At the gracious invitation of Harry Morgan and Bruce Johnson, I spent several hours on March 6, 2007 going through Sparkman & Stephens' old Dolphin 24 files in New York City. Unfortunately, much had been destroyed years before in an errant mission to streamline their filing system. Among the various internal correspondence I found a quote that will warm any Dolphin owner’s heart. This from the man who, at 21, founded the leading marine architectural firm of the last century:

“..we have always thought of the Dolphin as one of our best designs…”

— Olin Stephens to James (Sham) Hunt, Sales Mgr, O’Day Corporation, May 12, 1965

Photo taken from the 'Rock the Block" video, Marionette winning the pin at the start of Race 2, 2016 Off Soundings Spring Series, Block Island

voyaging with marionette

In July, 2020 Ron published a book about his 25 years with Marionette - Voyaging with Marionette. Link below to his US publisher's online bookstore

marinermedia

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"Why the Book"

An article by Ron published in The S&S Association 2020 Yearbook

DOWNLOAD PDF

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The full story and more information can be found below:

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Cecille

CECILLE

Model: Swan 36

Year: 1970

Design: #1710

Builder: Oy Nautor Ab

CECILLE, Swan 36

S/Y Cecille, Swan 36, hull number 078, delivered from Nautor on June 4th, 1970.

Cecille was originally built for an Irish sailor in Cork. After he passed away, his son sold it to two sailors from England in 2005. After moving to Birdham Pool, near Chichester, Cecille went through a thorough refit, including treating hull for osmosis, new teak deck, engine, rigging, winches, etc etc. In England Cecille was used for cruising and racing, participating also in a few RORC races and Swan regattas.

Plans from classicswan.org - https://www.classicswan.org/swan_36.php

Cecille was bought by her current owner in late 2017 and she was sailed from Portsmouth to NJK in Helsinki in May 2018.

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NIMUE

NIMUE

Model: S&S 45

Year: 1962

Design: #1732

Builder: American Marine, Kowloon, Hong Kong

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NIMUE - Photographed in Mexico

Nimue is a 45 foot timber built S&S Yawl built in 1962 by American Marine, Kowloon, Hong Kong. She was launched 1963 with typical S&S construction detail; Everdur fastened, Honduras Mahogany double carvel planking on steam bent frames. Triple strapped, fully bronze floored. Glass over ply decks and coach roof. 45 LOA x 6' 9" x 11 beam.

I purchased her in 1975, lived aboard about half the years we owned her. We raised our two daughters from birth to about five aboard Nimue in the US and Mexico.

The name of the sail: The little girl's sail. Paper doll cut outs. (My two kids.) Colours: the Irish flag. My wife Lorna was from the Republic. US Documentation Number:

I joined the association the year of the Portsmouth AGM having missed only one AGM since. Presently I happily live aboard her in Richmond, California.

Jim Koss - Regional Secretary

FIREBRAND

FIREBRAND

Model: Offshore Racer

Designed: 1964 - Launched; 1965

Design: #1780

Builder: Clare Lallow

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HISTORY

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FIREBRAND - Solent Racing 1965

Firebrand is a 1965 Admiral’s Cupper: designed by S&S for Dennis Miller and built of Honduran Mahogany over Elm Frames and Bronze Floors at Claire Lallow’s.

Firebrand, Quiver IV and Noryema IV won the cup that year. Firebrand then crossed the Atlantic to represent Britain in the 1966 Onion Patch; and sailed back again only to be selected a second time for the British Admiral’s Cup team in 1967.

Dennis retired to Bermuda, so Firebrand sailed across the Atlantic for a third time. Two years later Denis sold her: after that all we have is rumours of her racing on the Great Lakes.

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“For I am Firebrand, handmaiden to the Sea God: built to plough furrows through the Salt Sea ‘til Ocean’s End”

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RENEWAL

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FIREBRAND - Cowes Start 2018 RTI

Until, in 1997, Ed Dubois discovered her languishing in the Florida Keys; brought her home and restored her. He owned her, loved her and raced her until his sad death in 2016, by which time she was again in need of some TLC.

Ramona-Ann bought her later that year; and we took her up to Matt Lingley at Aldeburgh Boat Yard for a new rig and her second restoration.

Firebrand has always been a stiff yacht, with 5 tonnes of lead in her keel: that's half her total weight. She immediately took to her new, taller rig

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DEVELOPMENT

Firebrand originally had a keel-hung rudder - she was virtually impossible to steer downwind under Spinnaker in heavy weather: a common problem back in those days.

So in 1966 she changed to a “Constellation” style rudder, separated from the keel: the right place but an ineffective shape.

When he restored her, Ed Dubois did three key things:

• Upgraded Firebrand’s rudder to a semi-balanced spade: twice the depth. Finally you could steer downwind in a blow.

• Changed from wheel to tiller steering, which released a fair amount of cockpit space, gave her more “feel” and saved some weight.

• Sheathed her hull in glass + epoxy: she is stronger, stiffer and ever so much dryer now.

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FIREBRAND - Evening Finish 2018 RTI

But by the time Ramona-Ann bought her, the rig was over 50 years old: we even had trouble getting insurance to sail he home from Cowes to Hamble.

SO NOW:

• The new taller mast is aluminium with rod rigging – that’s exactly what Firebrand had when she started life in 1965.

• Gone are the 150% Genoas, but we increased upwind sail area by adding 3.5 m to the mast and 1.5 m to the boom: the center of effort scarcely moved, but we gained a very welcome 20 m2 on the Spinnakers.

• When we started work we found no less than three cockpits stacked on top of each other: very modestly, we decided one was enough.

• We streamlined the deck layout with new gear throughout; including jammers to replace the mare’s nest of winches and cleats just aft of the mast, where the poor pit-man used to crouch at permanent risk of falling overboard.

Firebrand is a little lighter than when she was first launched: we have saved about 250Kg on the steering and rig - nothing has been added.

Down below she is essentially unchanged: we have some original plans, but they show multiple options. We do know she must have had room for the racing sails, plus room for the off-watch crew to sleep to windward – and that’s exactly how she is now.

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REFERENCE

“Design #1780 is a very typical R.O.R.C. racing yacht. A number of these boats were built by various builders.
This is right at the point in time when separate rudders were coming into fashion so the boats built to this design were from modified plans with a separate rudder. Other modifications were made to differentiate the boats, mostly with changes to the deckhouse geometry.”

— Sparkman & Stephens Blog Spot

FIREBRAND - Copyright Beken of Cowes

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FIREBRAND

CLASSIC BOAT SEPTEMBER 2012

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ARCADIA III

ARCADIA III

Model: One Tonner

Year: 1969

Design: #1857

Builder: Félix Silvestro

CIRCE

CIRCE

Model: Custom One Off

Year: 1967

Design: #1895

Builder: Wilenius boatyard

CIRCE - Round Gotland Race 2018

-S&S one-off design #1895

-Built 1967 at the Wilenius boatyard for Mr. Sven Gronblom as a RORC Rule One-tonner

-Mahogany on oak frames

-LOA 37'

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CIRCE is similar in design to that of the successful SUNMAID & CLARIONET both RORC one tonner’s of the 1960’s

Sven Grönblom (left) & Rod Stephens (right)

SUNCHASER

SUNCHASER

Model: Nautor’s Swan 43

Year: 1969

Design: #1973

Builder: Oy Nautor AB

SUNCHASER- Swan 43/020 year 1969

S&S Swan 43, Sunchaser is a world-famous traditional sailing yacht built by Nautor in Pietarsaari. She is hull no. 20 and finished in 1969 . In the 70's she belonged to the St Francis Yacht club, where she had competed successfully in the Big Boat series races and received an honorable mention and a commemorative plaque for the boat. Sunchaser is equipped for competition use and has main winches made of titanium on deck. The winches are connected together, so turns and sail adjustments can be made quickly. The crew on this boat has been 9-11. On the bow deck 2-3, in amidships 3, mainsail adjustment from the seat box, helmsman, navigator and skipper. The races in San Francisco Bay took place in a total wind of 20-25 knots, but sometimes reached 35 knots. Back then, the places and sailing skills could be tough.

Imports to Finland

The Sunchaser was acquired in 2009 from Coos Bay north of San Francisco. From there, she was transported by road to the east coast of the USA and from there by ship to Rauma and Parais for refurbishment.

Renovation

During the winter of 2010, the boat underwent a complete overhaul. The teak decks were completely renewed. The interior joinery, some cabinets and doors were completely renovated. Some of the Koto bulkhead veneers had been damaged and were replaced. The floors were badly worn, but Nautor had once made plywood from solid teak, so they were able to be sanded and finished like new.

Technique

She was updated to the extent necessary. The original baby blake head was completely overhauled and and black water system added in accordance with the new regulations. The chromed parts were recoated. The instrument panels were restored to their original appearance. The decommissioned Loran-C system and radio-guided equipment were replaced with a new GPS navigator system. The engine was in good condition and the last Perkings 4-108 engine had been run for only 470 h in 20 years only the exhaust muffler was replaced.

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PAVLOVA II

PAVLOVA II

Model: Nautor’s Swan 43

Year: 1972

Design: #1973

Builder: Oy Nautor AB

PAVLOVA II - Swan 43/066 year 1972

PAVLOVA II a classic Swan 43 from 1972 was purchased in 2001 in Antigua in the West Indies. She has cruised the Caribbean extensively and competed in Antigua Race Week from 2002 until 2009 – winning her class in four seasons. At the end of the 2009 season she was shipped to Menorca and now resides in a marina in Mahon, cruising the summer months around the Balearics.

For a list of articles & race results featuring PAVLOVA II see below:

Pity the poor photographer! Antigua Race Week 2004 - © Tim Wright

30th April 2009 - 42nd Antigua Sailing Week proves a success

Hard on the wind in big seas. Antigua Race Week 2002 - © Tim Wright

30th April 2004 - Antigua Sailing Week

Keen concentration by the skipper. Antigua Race Week 2008 - © Tim Wright

24th April 2004 - Antigua Sailing Week

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CARLY III

CARLY III

Model: Nautor’s Swan 43

Year: 1969

Design: #1973

Builder: Oy Nautor AB

CARLY III - Swan 43/018 year 1969

Carly III was originally branded as a PJ 43 for USA markets and started as a racing boat on the big lakes in USA. After a racing period, in the end of 1970’s she continued ocean racing and globetrotting from New Orleans. In the 1980’s she moved to Denmark and was for the first time refurbished in Walsted Baadeverf. Year 2000 she was brought to Finland by Fredrik Ekström. First she was refurbished and structurally reinforced and modified in Nautor Yxpila. Current owners have then continued refurbishing, updating, especially to the electronics and navigation systems.

Today, she is a very thoroughly, but carefully to original lay-out and contemporary style refurbished classic S&S offering unique, fast and powerful sailing performance and eye-catching, stunning looks. Beside of a beautiful interior, this unique yacht offers a very extensively reinforced hull and structures and custom made fittings. Other modifications include e.g. modified and deeper keel (1150 kg extra) and deeper rudder to match the new modified 20 meter Huisman 3-spreader rig and oversized deck gear and Perkins M65 engine and hydraulic gearbox for blue-water sailing in demanding areas. For one-man or family sailing she also has the strongest Jefa DD2 direct drive autopilot installed, controlled via Garmin autopilot system.

The current displacement is 13 tons, ballast being 6 tons and draught 2,45m. Latest LYS given is 1.29.

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HIRO MARU

HIRO MARU

Model: S&S 49

Year: 1971

Design: Custom One Off

Builder:

HIRO MARU - S&S 49

This 1971 custom aluminum one-off ‘HIRO MARU’ is owned and raced by Life long Sailor and US Regional Secretary Hiroshi Nakajima.

In 2019 Hiro with his all amateur Corinthian crew sailed to an incredible victory in the Transatlantic Race taking first in class for the 3200Nm Race. Previously ‘SCARAMOUCHE’ she won her class in the 1977 Trans Pac Race under then owner Bob Alexander of Seattle, Washington, USA as well as winning her class and 2nd overall in the 1972 SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Conference) in the USA for then original owner Chuck Kirsch.

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Winning major ocean races in both Pacific and Atlantic Oceans over a 47 year span. The only modernisation to the boat was a new carbon spar and racing sails last year by Hiro and a slightly deeper rudder under previous ownership. Otherwise the hull is still the original 1969 S&S design.

Find out about Hiro’s Transatlantic win here:

HIRO MARU - S&S 49

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CANTELLA

CANTELLA

Model: IW 31

Year: 1969

Design: #1899

Builder: IW Varvet

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IW 31 - CANTANA II

CANTELLA is an IW 31 - This attractive cruiser racer was built in 1969 by I.W Varvet Ab boatyard of Sweden. Approximately 350 boats were produced up until 1985 in three revisions.

IW 31 - Original Brochure

Design #1899 Sail Plan

SVEA

SVEA

Model: IW 31

Year: 1972

Design: #1899

Builder: IW Varvet

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IW 31 - SVEA

AURULA

AURULA

Model: Traveller 9.5

Year: 1972

Design: #1899

Builder: South Hants Marine

SHE Traveller 9.5 - AURULA

AURULA is a SHE 9.5 Traveller built in 1972 by South Hants Engineering.

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