Marilee: a return to the roots of yachting in the 1920s

Creation of Marilee

In 1916, the New York Yacht Club began commissioning a new type of yacht, a whole separate class. This class was called NY40 and it was intended for racing. Already then famous yacht architect and designer Nathaniel Herreshoff were involved in the creation of these yachts.

Nathaniel wanted his new creation to be suitable for both rough ocean racing and leisurely coastal cruising. The result of painstaking work was 12 yachts of the NY40 class.

After successful commissioning, the yachts managed to sail for two seasons. Then there was a pause - a crisis within the United States, the flaring flames of the First World War... In general, there was no time for yachting. However, in 1920, sailing competitions resumed and the NY40 was once again in the spotlight. Six years later, in 1926, the NY40 lineup was replenished with two new products. These were two twin yachts, Marilee and Rugosa II. 

Unlike the “big sisters”, Marilee and Rugosa II had a much more spacious interior and a larger bowsprit. Marilee actively took part in racing and became one of the most recognizable and popular boats in the class. However, the time of victories and achievements was coming to an end...

Tough times call for desperate solutions

And although the war came to an end, the economic situation in the country left much to be desired. The specter of the Great Depression was already looming on the horizon, and yachtsmen preferred smaller boats. The NY40 class gradually became a thing of the past, and the boats changed hands or ended up with private collectors. 

In 1933, Marilee received an engine. This was an important modification that gave the boat a second wind. The yacht continued to plow the seas and rivers. Her planking gradually lost its color, and the wood gradually decayed, but her seaworthiness seemed to be only getting better. 

After almost 60 years of wandering, passing from owner to owner, Marilee finally deserved its first major renovation. In 2001, she took part in the anniversary regatta of the America's Cup. At this point, it had been 75 years since the last real NY40 class race, but what do you think? Marilee, together with her “sister”, Rugosa, shared first place in the overall standings of the regatta! The result was unexpected for everyone.

The influence of time

In 2014, it was decided to carry out another renovation. At first, the owner of Marilee was going to fix only some cosmetic flaws. However, a maritime specialist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Kurt Hasselbalch, studied the original plans and drawings by Nathaniel Herreshoff. He concluded that the time had come for Marilee to undergo a full restoration. 

With this, Kurt came to the owners of the yacht. For some time, the owner pondered such a serious intervention in the structure of the yacht, because the restoration affected absolutely all parts of the boat. However, towards the end of 2014, a full 3D scan of Marilee was carried out, which showed that the deck and plumb line were severely deformed - the bend of the deck in some places was almost 10 centimeters! 

It became clear that simple cosmetic repairs would not do. As a result, elements of the yacht's supporting structure were replaced - part of the keel and approximately 80% of all frames. Almost half of the cladding has also been replaced. Little by little, step by step, Kurt and a team of restorers restored Marilee according to the original drawings. 

Marilee's New Beginning

Painstaking and extensive work has been carried out on the original NY40 class yacht. The old furniture was replaced almost completely - the wear and tear was noticeable to the naked eye. The interior spaces were brought into line with Herreshoff’s main principle: “Minimum clutter, maximum convenience and aesthetics.” Yes, the interior has been modernized a little, but it looks very authentic. 

The restoration team also worked on the mast and sails. Marilee was originally equipped with Marconi type rigging, which was quite popular on yachts of the 1920s and 30s. Using data from the original drawings, the restoration team decided to create a unique system that would allow the yacht to carry both Bermuda sails and Marconi-type rigging. This was made possible thanks to an ingenious load redistribution system on the Marilee's bow. Now you can change the type of sails and rigging in less than an hour.

Today, Marilee continues to sail the seas. She and three other yachts - Rowdy, Chinook and Rugosa - are all that remain of the NY40 class. It is not known how much more time is allotted to them, but now we can say that this quarter, led by Marilee, left their significant mark on the history of sailing and yachting in general. 

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20.02.2024