André Mauric 46ft Bermudan Sloop 1939/2007 - Sold

LAK II is a beautiful yacht that in a sense carries in her timbers the story of France over the past 80 years. Born in a brief period of optimism between depression and war, and somehow a survivor of that war’s deprivations; designed by a young naval architect, André Mauric, whose genius would later become universally recognised; vibrant participant in the carefree post war years, and in France’s intense America’s Cup campaigns of the 1970s... But in the end, a wonderful yacht because André Mauric had that touch of technical and artistic flair that guarantees immortality. LAK II was given a new lease of life in 2007 that ensures another lifetime of pleasure giving.

2005-2007
Major restoration at Classic Works La Ciotat
- Andé Mauric’s office gave unlimited access to their archives
- 50% of the acacia steam bent frames replaced
- Much planking replacement
- Copper rivets and bronze screws
- New coachroof to original configuration
- New deck to original layout
- New interior

2019
- New mast by Pasqui, Villefranche-sur-Mer

LAK II’s commissioning owner, Portuguese nobleman Manuel de Carvalho de Ávila, the 3rd Count of Ávila, is said to have taken his first sail together with his wife and the designer on Sunday 3 September 1939, the day France declared war on Germany - as they discovered on return to the Anse du Pharo yard of her builder, Constructions Navales Chantiers Phocéens Louis Grassi. The story also goes that her ballast keel was eventually removed in 1940 and hidden under a pile of coal for the duration of the Second World War (some versions suggest it was the whole boat that was thus hidden and that her black painted hull began as camouflage). Her design and build cousin, ARIEL, later SYLPHE IV, now SYLPHE, was also hidden from the Nazis at this time, but in her case deliberately sunk.

A torrid beginning then for a beautiful yacht: one born during a period of new confidence and return to prosperity after the Great Depression years which had affected France later than other countries - and consequently took longer to recover from - only for the hopes and dreams that must have informed her creation to be dashed by war.

Remarkably, she survived and the name is most probably that given to her soon after the war by second owner, Pierre Fieux, design engineer at leading French engine makers, Marseille-based Moteurs Baudouin, who was replacing his earlier, self-designed, Louis Grossi-built 34 footer LAK (I). LAK II began life with sails by the English lofts Ratsey & Lapthorn (Gosport & Cowes) and Cranfield (Burnham-on-Crouch) and a 4 cylinder petrol auxiliary motor, of course, by Baudouin. Her original name remains a mystery.

At some point in the late 1940s/ early 50s, LAK II passed through the hands of another Marseilles yachtsman, Maurice Pommé, who cruised her extensively in the Mediterranean until arriving at Hyères in 1957. Pommé met ballpoint pen magnate Baron Bich there and after an evening of socialising, Pommé left by land and the Baron was her new custodian.

Perhaps LAK II acted as the go-between in Bich’s future sailing career and America’s Cup obsession, and the eventual engagement of André Mauric as designer of his first two America’s Cup challengers. During 1964, ownership in LAK II passed to Bich’s brother in law, Roger LaForest, and she remained berthed at Hyères. Bich had replaced LAK II as the family daysailor with that autumn’s defeated America’s Cup challenger, SOVEREIGN.

With the subsequent purchase by LaForest of SOVEREIGN’s David Boyd-designed sistership, KURREWA V (now IKRA), and by Bich of the 1964 successful America’s Cup defender, CONSTELLATION, the Baron’s Association Française Pour la Coupe de l'America story had well and truly begun. And LAK II was very much part of it at Hyères, as crew training boat.

Long after these heady days, LAK II remained a part of the LaForest family, eventually passing to Roger’s son Guy in 1993, and regularly attending the growing number of western Mediterranean classic yacht regattas. A major structural and cosmetic restoration followed 2005-2007 in the capable hands of Classic Works at La Ciotat, during which the coachroof and deck layout was returned to the configuration of André Mauric’s original drawings.

A triumphant return to classic regatta sailing in 2008 saw LAK II winning overall the prestigious Trofeo Conde de Barcelona at Palma de Mallorca, and she has subsequently been on the podium at Saint-Tropez and Cassis. The present owner since 2013 has truly bought into LAK II’s tradition on the French Mediterranean coast between Toulon and Marseille, especially at Hyères, where, as he says, she’s been based there for so long that the port has built up around her.

LAK II is a yacht with an amazing story, beautiful looks, and potent performance - after all she’s an André Mauric design.

©2022 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

Despite being already known from a very young age as a multi-faceted, highly-talented yacht designer at the time of LAK II’s conception, André Mauric’s day job then was managing shipyards. His career as an independent yacht designer didn’t commence until 1945, and what a career it was to become with notable designs including: 1970 FRANCE, America’s Cup 12mR for Baron Bich; 1973 IMPENSABLE, Half-Ton Cup winner; 1973 PEN DUICK VI, Eric Tabarly’s 1976 Transat winner; 1977 FRANCE II America’s Cup 12mR for Baron Bich; Michel Malinovsky’s various ocean racing KRITERS; 1985 ALCYONE turbosail-hybrid monocat for Jacques Cousteau.

- Mahogany carvel planking
- Bronze rivetted (2017)
- Acacia bent timbers
- Bilge stringer
- Steel floors
- Lead keel
- Bronze keelbolts
- Raw teak laid on plywood composite deck
- Mahogany coachroof and trim

From aft

- Raw teak laid composite deck with mahogany trim
- Mahogany flush covering board and taffrail
- Covering board bronze sockets for
- 6 x Bronze stanchions port and starboard
- Single guardrail
- Toerail inset on covering board
- Tiller steering
- Bronze rudder head
- 1 x Bronze and teak bar mooring cleat aft
- 2 x Bronze Giles type Highfield leavers
- 2 x Wood covered foresail sheeting sheaves at covering board

Well type self-draining cockpit
- Teak grating/ table
- Mahogany coamings
- 1 x Bronze sheet cleat port and starboard

Aft locker contains
- Volvo Penta throttle control and panel
- Manual bilge pump
- Switches for various deck lights & nav lights
- Cockpit lockers port and starboard

Sheet winches
- 2 x Barlow 32 bronze self-tailing on mahogany coaming plinths
- 2 x Hutton-Arco 30 bronze self-tailing at aft coachroof

Coachroof
- Sliding companionway hatch with washboard
- Mahogany sided coachhouse
- 2 x Fixed port lights port and starboard
- Composite laid raw teak and plywood roof
- 2 x Butterfly skylights
- Grab rails port and starboard

Foredeck forehatch
- Anker & Jensen type
- Fixed portlight on hatch roof

2 x Bronze and teak bar mooring cleats
2 x Bronze mooring fairleads

Ground tackle
- Muir VRC 2200 12 V electric windlass (2007)
- Vertical chain gipsy and warping drum
- Lewmar Delta 20kg galvanised anchor
- 40 m Galvanised calibrated anchor chain
- Bronze bow roller fitting

Down 6 x steps from companionway
- Full length of coachroof carlin grab rails port and stbd
- 2 x deadlights port and starboard
- Varnished teak sole
- Small cabin sole access hatch to engine sea cock

Galley to port
- Sink basin
- Davey & Co Manual freshwater pump
- Davey & Co Manual sink discharge pump
- Stowage under and outboard
- Waeco Coolbreeze CF25 12V Refrigerator
- Portable aerosol gas camping hob
- Portable 220V single electric hob

Chart table to starboard
- Electrical panel and electronics outboard
- Stowage under and outboard

- Double quarter berths port and starboard

- Small cabin sole access hatch to engine sea cock

Forward to Saloon
- 2 x Red Chesterfield leather upholstered settees P & S
- Panelled forward bulkhead
- Ship's bell and light at deckhead

Forward via door in fwd bulkhead to WC compartment
- Raske & van der Meyde RM69 Manual seawater flush toilet
- Wash basin with manual fresh water pump
- Stowage locker over and under basin

Forward to forepeak - stowage

Forward to chain locker

Mast and rigging
- Spruce hollow mast by Pasqui (2019)
- 2 x sets of spreaders plus jumpers
- 2 x Bronze self-tailing halyard winches

- Spruce boom
- Stainless steel standing rigging

Sails (Grand Voile 2015)
- Mainsail
- Genoa
- Solent jib
- Asymmetric spinnaker

MECHANICAL
- Volvo Penta 3cy MD2040 40hp
- Hours - 1374 @ 03/19
- 2,35 : 1 Gearbox
- Engine recond by Ateliers Louis Galli, Marseille (2007)
- 28mm Stainless steel propeller shaft
- Ambassador Marine propeller shaft Stripper
- Volvo Penta 15 in 3-blade left hand folding propeller (2007)

ELECTRICAL
2 x Batteries under each quarter berth
- Mastervolt IVO Smart 12/35-3 battery charger
- 12 V Cigarette lighter type socket at chart table

TANKAGE
In starboard cockpit locker
- 50 L Polyethylene Diesel tank
Under cabin sole
- 80 L Water stainless steel tankage

- 85 L Black water tank with Sheiber gauge
- Johnson black water discharge pump

At Chart table (all 2007)
- Ship’s electrical panel
- Bilge pump switching
- Tank and bilge alarms
- Simrad CX34 GPS Chart Plotter
- B&G Hydra Pilot
- Simrad RD68 VHF Radio
- Sony FM Radio/ CD Player & 2 x speakers

Under starboard aft bunk
- Main electrical power switch
- Shore power breakers

- Steering Compass
- Hand bearing compass

Navigation lights
- Tri-colour masthead

- Whale Gusher Mk 3 manual bilge pump in cockpit
- Johnson F3B19 12 V auto bilge pump
- Volvo engine-driven emergency bilge pump
- 6 x 2-Person floats
- 6 x Inflatable lifejackets
- 8 x Harnesses
- 1 x Floating light
- Wood plugs
- Radar reflector
- Boarding ladder
- First aid and medicine kit
- Signal mirror
- Steering compass
- Flashlight
- Flare pack six miles
- Wire cutters
- Fire extinguishers

Sailing images 4,5, 8, 9, 10 by James Robinson Taylor