Schooner Maggie B completes 'exemplary' circumnavigation
with return to Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
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Schooner Maggie B, built by Covey Island Boatworks in 2006, completed the circumnavigation for which she was built with a triumphant return to the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in April.
The 62' "fusion schooner," designed by Nigel Irens, is currently (end of April, 2008) sailing on to Bermuda.
Maggie B was a high profile competitor in this year's Regatta, as she was in 2006, and received much praise and media attention. After she left the 2006 Regatta she circled the globe at a fast sailing pace that routinely included frequent daily runs over 200 nautical miles! She left Nova Scotia in March, 2006, and has since covered over 32,000 NM, including passing Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn.
At this year's Antigua Classic, a reception in honour of Maggie B and her captain/owner, Frank Blair of Chicago, was hosted by Covey Island Boatworks (represented by John Steele); Nigel Irens Design (Nigel Irens), North Sails (Sandy MacMillian) and GMT.
The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta hosts between 50 and 60 yachts every year and enjoys a wonderful variety of competitors including traditional craft from the islands, classic ketches, sloops, schooners, and yawls making the bulk of the fleet, together with the stunningly beautiful Spirit of Tradition yachts, J Class yachts, and Tall Ships.
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Splendid Sailing
Maggie B herself has performed beautifully on the race course and on the open sea alike.
Her captain reported late in July, 2007:
We have shaken out the reefs and are under all plain sail. We have come 1644 NM from Opua, and have 897 to go to Tahiti... 213 NM in the last 24 hours and 1236 in the last six days. Splendid sailing!
Earlier in her voyage Maggie B covered the distance between Salvador, Bahia (Brazil) and Cape Town in just 22 days, averaging 7.4 knots.
Previous to that leg she won several trophies at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, including third place (adjusted time) in the 'big boat' single-handed race after crossing the line first of thirteen boats.
The schooner's ocean-going performance was foreshadowed by her sea trials. Dorian Steele, the yard's logistics coordinator and spar builder who skippered the sea trials in February said at the time, "The owner and I were extremely happy with Maggie B's performance offshore. She is very comfortable and loves to sail at 9-10 knots. Neither of us have ever sailed at 10 knots so pleasurably."
The fast cruising, high-aspect-ratio schooner is the second largest vessel built by Covey Island Boatworks in its 26-year history.
A 'Fusion Schooner'
Designer Nigel Irens says, "Whilst the boat will be perceived as having been inspired by traditional designs the objective has simply been to create the kind of efficient and easily maintained vessel that is needed for world cruising."
She has a moderate draft and carries a centre board. A clean and simple rig includes a boomless and overlapping foresail.
Her American owner describes the project as a "fusion schooner" for its combination of traditional design and modern technologies.
Some of the wood required for the project has been recycled from other sources. Material for hull frames came from Douglas fir beams from a mid-20th century warehouse in Philadelphia.
Experienced Mariner wanted Seaworthy Boat with Personality
The owner is an experienced racer who teaches month-long seamanship courses at an Outward Bound School in Maine and holds a US Coast Guard ship Master licence. He was looking for a boat to sail around the world with his son after his graduation from college.
Several factors steered him to Covey Island, including his awareness of 70' (LOD) gaff schooner Tree of Life, launched in 1991, and largely crewed by Outward Bounders on her first circumnavigation. Another factor was a visit to the yard with a friend (during construction of the friend's 47' shoal draft motoryacht Nancy Lakin) when he saw the frames for Bristol Channel design prototype PaPa going up in yard president John Steele's shed. He also had a correspondence on the project with Nigel Irens, whose long list of design credits includes the Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter-inspired Westernman designs built by Covey Island.
After considering and visiting a number of yards the owner chose Covey Island as best able to build a seaworthy boat with personality.
Support from Covey Island during the voyage
From Piriapolis, Uruguay, Captain and owner Frank Blair praised Covey Island for the yard's support and advice throughout the voyage (in a message to yard president John Steele):
You and Covey have been 'information central' for our challenges. An obscure pump for a remote system, you find it and FedEx has it wherever we are in a few days. A little crack in the fore gaff and you connect me with the product manager of the spar maker. A puzzling fuel supply problem in the generator and you have an email response from the Canadian Onan specialist in less than 24 hours.
But more than the very valuable connection to 'the right person, the first time,' I value your advice and insight from your experience in building boats, in sailing them and in helping the people who are out there, breaking them.
Click here to read the complete message.
Covey Island has built custom yachts for the world since 1979.
