MARIGOLD

Racing in the classic fleets, you can aim be as fast as possible, or as authentic as possible, but rarely both. On Marigold, the 1892 Charles Nicholson gaff-rigged cutter, history is all. Famously restored in the early 1990s to be as original as possible, the current owner of Marigold has retained her horsehair mattresses and paraffin-fuelled lamps.

Skipper Jason Gouldstone comments: “We don’t have electronics, we have a burgee at the top of the mast, and that’s as sophisticated as it gets. It’s good, people have to learn to sail her properly.” Although they discussed adding basic instruments, Gouldstone says the owner quickly adapted to just tell tales, and helmed his first race win at Les Voiles.

“Marigold is the only boat racing with cotton sails, it’s the most authentic classic on the Mediterranean circuit by a country mile,” comments Gouldstone. Those cotton sails present all sorts of trimming challenges. “When they get wet, for instance, they tighten up. When we pull the sails up in the morning, there’s always a bit of dew under the sail cover, so they’re tight. Then after half an hour of sailing they start to dry out and you’ve suddenly got a huge baggy foot! If it rains you have to start easing things.

“All of our ropes are three-strand, it’s blocks and tackle, we don’t have much tension in the rig. With modern sails, 8:1 purchases, we could make Marigold go much faster. But then she’d leak.”

Despite her limitations, Marigold went into the final day of racing at St Tropez leading her class, only losing out to Kelpie in the last race. St Tropez is a season highlight because the autumnal weather tends to bring one thing the 38-tonne classic needs: wind, and plenty of it.