TWO OWNERS, ONE RESULT

Our lead yacht this month, Viveka, won our award for the ‘restored sailing vessel over 40ft’ category this year, an event celebrated at our annual ceremony at the Royal Thames in spring. She’s a staysail-rigged schooner that apparently measures to the 12-M rule. If that’s the case, she’s probably unique. It’s easy to think of boats like this – she’s 72ft long – as being completely unmanageable and unaffordable, and that would be true of many yachts like her racing in the Med, which lack the tang of the seven seas about them, such is their focus on racing. Many of them look terrifying, with large gaff rigs, no winches and big crews of tough sailors to handle them. Viveka, before her restoration, belonged to Merl Peterson, the ‘President of the Pacific’ for an incredible 57 years, 20 as a liveaboard. Merl maintained her and cruised her often singlehanded on a shoestring budget, such is the ease of the staysail schooner rig. He also kept Viveka alive for her new owner to rebuild her, no expense spared. It’s thanks to both of them, at opposite ends of the scale, that Viveka is sailing today. MOTORBOATS!