Mariquita is one of the most iconic yachts in the history of the sport and her career spanning over a century is one of the great maritime stories.
Mariquita combines Fife’s design talent and refined aesthetic with the high construction qualities of his celebrated yard. The 19m Class is slightly smaller than most Big Class cutters and fulfilled the aspiration to have a matched class of big cutters. As a racer she held a distinguished place within her class and won the King’s Cup.

After over five decades as a houseboat, her future was in doubt until she was saved in 1991. Ten years later the painstaking task of restoring her to racing condition was started. Though her spars and lead keel were lost, her fabulous original interior remained. It took 3 years at Fairlie Restorations to restore the yacht to match the original structural requirements of the class. She was rebuilt to Lloyd’s Register and to her 1912 configuration which provided some speed enhancement over the initial design of 1911.

In order to achieve great hull strength and to save weight the designers opted for a composite construction, a full steel structure planked over in mahogany and secured with bronze fastenings. Addition of modern coatings, bedding compounds and insulation methods, a new engine and modern systems have been installed and five powered winches ensure far greater longevity without altering her sailing characteristics.