AUSTIN PrincessVandenPlas PRINCESS VANDEN PLASS

John Leather noted naval architect himself and prolific writer on marine matters considered Arthur Payne to be second to none in the design of fast cruising and racing yachts - the equal of William Fife and GL Watson and ahead of Joseph Soper in this regard - and JAVELIN rightly fits into this category. Leather went on to say how pleased their owners and crews were to be sailing such seaworthy yachts - often with ketch or yawl rigs designed for easy handling. He noted too that the Payne yard had designed and built some of the most beautiful yachts ever to grace the Solent.

At 73 ft on deck and with her divided ketch rig JAVELIN can indeed be easily sailed for a vintage yacht of this size. Assiduously restored in 2006, she is hard to tell apart from the Beken pictures taken a hundred years ago. Indeed her teak and pitch pine hull planking is the original and testament to the quality of design, materials and workmanship of that era. Notwithstanding; modern systems have been discreetly fitted to make her luxurious to live on and a wonderful family boat. More than a century on; with that Beken picture in mind she is moreover haunting to behold.