International Six Meter

International Six Meter.

Designed by J.G. Stephens

Built by his family yard, Alex Stephens & SOns, Glasgow in 1932.

Alexander Stephens & Sons was a famous C lydeside shipyard already established for 200 years when this yacht was built and Stephens senior had had considerable success with some of his race boat designs.

One of his Six Meter designs won the coveted Seawanhaka Cup on several occasions.

This was his son, J.G or known as "Wee John" Stephens' early entry into the world of racing yacht designb and the young man incorporated some interesting new ideas in his personal search for speed.

According to an article in Yachting Monthly at the time of her launch, young Stephens hd tank tested his adventurous designs, finding some of his ideas proven and justified and others not so much.

Amongst other ideas, he is remembered for putting his mast in the boat "the wrong way round" - a traditional pear shaped section but stepped with the fine end forward.

As a reflection of his confidence in his design he was a part owner along with two others, one the local MP.

The design is somewhat extreme with an almost straight line from the stemhead to the rudder heel with a vertical stern post. The hull is unusually full forward of the mast with a limited forward overhang and some quite flat floors to give the bow some bouyancy and the counter runs off to a long very fine end finishing in a small arch board.

Maida is famous for having lost the Seawanhaka Cup to Jill in 1932 so she was not a slow boat, just not quite fast enough or perhaps the tactics were wrong. Wee John Stephens and co-owner Maj. C.G. MacAndrew both had experience of the Seawanhaka Cup so despite high hopes, failure to bring the cup home must have been a bitter blow at the time.

In later life, a dog-house and an engine were added to convert her for cruising. She spent an extended period of time ashore in the owner's Scottish back garden from 1972.

The rebuild bewgan around 1986 by Scottish boat-builder David Spy who replaced all her ribs and some of the planking.

The restoration was completed for the present owner by Peter Wilson at Aldeburgh Boatyard using the original drawings. Some small changes were made on deck and some modern techniques and materials used but the spirit of the original yacht has been retained.

Maida proved to be a good boat to sail in competetion since her rebuild and with a well-practised crew can still make a good show.

Length on deck                           35'

Lwl                                             23'

Beam                                         7'

Draft                                           5'

Displacement                              4 1/2 tons approx

Ballast                                        3 tons lead approx.

Conventionall planked in what was described on the original plans as African White Mahogany on a yellow pine back-bone indicating that weight was an issue to be carefully controlled.

All steam bent timbers with a few double thickness for additional strength.

The oak timbers are ring frames in one steam-bent piece round the inside, all fastened with copper nails, clenched as is the Scottish fashion.

Alternate oak and galvanised strap floors right up through the bow and stern.

Galvanised strap floors midships and up into the counter on every second timber.

It is believed these strap floors where replaced sometime between 1972 and 1986.

Timber rudder wirth vertical stock through a bronze stock tube.

In the Aldeburgh refity, the deck was replaced using a ply sub deck with a yellow pine overlay, yacht-laid to a varnished king plank, the cover-boards finished in varnish, the seams payed in butyl rubber.

New varnished mahogany cock-pit copamings.

The interior of the hull is varnished in way of the cock-pit, painted in the ends.

Sail tarys forward ujnder the fore deck.

Foot rests each side in the cock-pit.

Slatted hardwood cock-pit sole boards.

Pair of new fabricated stainless steel web hanging knees each side incorporated into the chain plates with in tunr are fastened to a new deck plate which ntakes the shrouds.

Single centre-line mooring cleat forward and aft.

A small bridge deck across the middle of the cock-pit with a pair of full width deck beams carries the main sheet swivel block.

Stainless steel wrap round stemhead fitting with stem band takes the anchor cable.

Fractional Bermudian sloop rig on new Collars mast in varniushed spruce, stepped throughh the deck onto the keel.

Triple spreaders. The upper spreader incorporates a pair of jumper struts like the Tiumlare rig to give a very well supported mast with diamonds and jumpers above, cap shrouds, intermediates and lowers.

Single sdtanding back-stay to the counter.

Fore-stay through the fore deck aft of the stemheadset up to a rigging screw below deck on the inner face of the stem.

Shrouds made up to a stainless steel plate each side, tied in to hanging knees below.

Headsail sheet tracks down the cover-boards each side with cars.

2 pairs of Lewmar top-action 2-speed sheet winches on the decks alongside the cock-pit, tails led into the cock-pit through jammers.

Halyards led down the mast and through original bronze glands on the deck to turning blocks on the mast step and led aft to cleats in the cock-pit.

A pair of modern stand-up blocks on the deck in way of the mast.

Tufnol bottom action winch oin the forward coaming with adjacent cleats.

Main sheet made off to an anchor point on the aft deck with the tail led forward to a stand-up swivel block with jammer attached on the mini bridge deck across the middle of the cock-pit.

New varnished spruce boom by Collars, slab reefing with fittings on the boom.

Tackle kicker.

Sails by Ratsey and Lapthorne, new 2003 and sokme newer Doyle sails.

2 loose-footed mainsails.

2 genoas.

Spinnaker

Varnished spinnaker boom.

Compass on each side deck.

Tictac on the mast belwo the boom.

12v battery

12v bilge pump.

Manual bilge p[ump.

The yacht has been laid up fpor two seasons and will need saome light refitting before shen is ready to be campaigned again.

A good opportunity to acquire an historic Six in nnear race condsition for a very reasonable price.