Sparkman & Stephens 37 ft RORC One Ton Sloop 1967

Two boats were built to this RORC One Ton Cup design - another example of further development of CLARIONET, S&S design #1857, featuring the separate skeg and rudder in vogue at the time. SUNMAID V was built of wood by the Clare Lallow yard in Cowes and launched in 1967. She was very substantially built both for the sake of her rating and drawing from the experience of ROUNDABOUT, in retrospect thought to have been too lightly built with no noticeable advantage on performance. Given a new deck and engine at The Elephant Boatyard in current ownership, along with many fine results in the classic fleet amid a flourishing of interest in the One Tonners of the 1960s and early 1970s - what's there not to like.

2021 - ELEPHANT BOATYARD, HAMBLE
- New teak laid deck
- Topsides stripped back and re-varnished

2014-2015 - JOE IRVING, DRAUGHTSMAN YACHTS, BARTON ON HUMBER
Major refit
- Stripped all external varnish- re-varnished with 12/13 coats
- Below waterline stripped to bare wood; epoxy primer coated, primed; anti fouled
- Refastened about 75% of covering board and toe rail
- Replaced 1 m of damaged toe rail
- 3 x keel bolts removed and found to be still coated in white lead and as good as new!
- Teak deck sanded back and re-payed where required (subsequently new teak deck fitted)
- Removed sliding forehatch (prone to leaking )
- Replaced with Lewmar ocean hatch
- All deck fittings removed, refastened and sealed
- Coach roof top section removed (top curve quad)
- Renewed and re-glued and fastened
- All winches removed and serviced
- Worn out cockpit teak faced ply removed
- 2 x New lockers formed
- 1 x Dedicated gas locker w. stainless steel lining and drain
- New teak seating to whole cockpit
- Main hatch removed, re-glued, re-fastened, including curved spray guard
- All interior sanded; re-varnished/ re-painted
- All new larch sole boards made and fitted
- Rewired; all new low voltage light fittings; new switch panel; new automatic bilge pump
- Pipe cot from the forepeak removed; new double berth formed with storage under
- Baby Blake toilet removed and serviced
- All seacocks removed and serviced
- Two small repairs to two cracked ribs on the turn of the bilge (under the engine)
- New 25 hp Beta marine engine; new prop shaft; new Gorie 3 blade folding prop
- New stainless steel diesel tank
- Two new stainless steel water tanks
- All new Raymaine instruments including plotter
- Digital compass and timer mounted on the mast and solar charged
- New mast, boom and 2 x spinnaker poles with all new standing and running rigging
- New Harken mainsheet system and track
- New strut boom vang
- New Harken blocks for spinnaker sheets, guys and downhaul
- New guard wires
- New jackstays

SPARKMAN & STEPHENS DESIGN NO. 1894

Hampshire farmer and Royal Southern Yacht Club Rear Commodore Guy Bowles’s fifth SUNMAID was the most special of all six, though not entirely unique: a second boat to the Sparkman & Stephens drawings, TINA Of MELBOURNE (S&S; design no. 1894.1), was built by Henk Groen for Barry and Ernie Scott, winner of the One Ton Class in the 1969 Sydney-Hobart and of Class 2 in 1970; and SUNMAID V is a very close cousin to the previous year’s pioneering true fin and skeg offshore racers, the ‘terrible twins’, Derek Boyer’s CLARIONET and Sir Max Aitken’s ROUNDABOUT.

As were the ‘terrible twins’, SUNMAID V was beautifully built (they knew no other way) by Clare Lallow of Cowes, the third boat constructed or finished by Lallows for Bowles after SUNMAID III (1959), a C.A. Nicholson-designed 35ft Jolina Class, and SUNMAID IV (1962), a fibreglass-hulled Nicholson 36, also designed by C.A. Nicholson, moulded by Halmatic, with everything else, including the deck, fitted out in wood by Lallow.

A key element of Guy Bowles’s success with his SUNMAIDs was the astute hiring of Owen Aisher as professional, originally from the late 1950s aboard Bowles’s 14-Ton Berthon Gauntlet GAY GAUNTLET, through SUNMAID II and SUNMAID IV. After a 1964 ‘sabbatical’ as skipper of Owen Aisher’s potential America’s Cup challenger KURREWA V (now IKRA), Parker re-joined Bowles for the SUNMAID V campaigns and became noteworthy for his on board development of twin-pole gybing and winch arrangements (he’d worked for Lewmar).

SUNMAID IV would be a hard act to follow, the winner of 100 prize flags (including 72 firsts) in 113 starts between 1962 and 1966, but SUNMAID V was fast out the box, winning 17 first prizes in a remarkably successful first season. This included victory in the first race of the very light airs 1967 One Ton Cup at Le Havre. In an event dominated by the Dick Carter designs OPTIMIST (1st) and TINA (2nd), SUNMAID V eventually finished 10th in a stellar fleet of 21, the top UK finisher, with CLARIONET 13th, ROUNDABOUT 15th - and, perhaps in a reflection on the conditions, four-times Olympic gold medal-winner Paul Elvstrom 17th aboard another varnished S&S; boat, WESTWIND. Later in her first season, SUNMAID V was winner of the Honeywell Performance Prize at Cowes. Some of her success was attributed to her blue and white striped, relatively heavy weight Ratsey & Lapthorn spinnaker and her ability under it to point less than 60 degrees to the wind extremely effectively.

After four happy and incredibly successful seasons with SUNMAID V - Parker having transferred after three of them to become Edward Heath’s professional on the MORNING CLOUDs - Guy Bowles replaced her in 1971 with the David Sadler-designed, Jeremy Rodgers-built Contessa 32, SUNMAID VI.

SUNMAID V moved northeast to Blyth, home of the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club, becoming SUNMAID V OF NORTHUMBRIA in the ownership of the McIntyre twins, Bill and Doug; a 40th birthday present from their father. She is still well-remembered there: of course, for her beauty and performance, but also for her owners’ old-school charm; always impeccably turned out in yachting best and with a reputation for regularly cooking a roast for their crew during a Sunday race. In the McIntyres’ ownership, SUNMAID V OF NORTHUMBRIA was equally legendary on the west coast of Scotland where she would compete regularly and often winter on the Gareloch at either the McGruer or Silver yards.

After the last McIntyre twin's death in 2007, SUNMAID V remained at Blyth, eventually in the ownership of Kenneth and Joan Merrell until purchased by her present owners in 2013, since when she has become well-known again at her old south coast of England haunts: a regular prize-winner at the Cowes classic regattas and kept entirely to the manner born.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

SUNMAID [I]
1948 - 1953
Knud Reimers 30 Square Metre Skerry Cruiser 1938
Originally imported to UK 1938 by J. Lauriston Lewis to be part of the fledgling, but burgeoning pre WWII UK 30 Square Metre fleet.

SUNMAID II
1953 - 1955
Robert Clark/Aero Marine 35.5ft sloop 1953

SUNMAID III
1959 - 1962
CA Nicholson/ Clare Lallow 35ft 'JOLINA' sloop 1959

SUNMAID IV
1962 - 1967
CA Nicholson/ Halmatic/ Clare Lallow Nicholson 36 sloop 1962

SUNMAID V
1967 - 1970

SUNMAID VI
1971 - 1972 (but remained in family ownership until 1975)
David Sadler/ Jeremy Rodgers Contessa 32 sloop 1971

- Honduras mahogany 1⅜ in carvel close seamed planking
- All planking from a single tree
- White oak frames; spruce stringers
- Bronze chain plates - run right down to the keel
- Other bronze reinforcement
- Teak laid deck over marine ply (2021)

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck on Marine plywood (2021)
- Varnished mahogany toe rails
- Lewmar stainless steel stanchions, pulpit and pushpit

AFT DECK
- Custom chromed backstay chainplate/ pushpit socket
- Chromed open and closed fairleads at quarters
- Chromed ensign socket
- Teak and chromed mooring cleat on centreline

COCKPIT
- Varnished mahogany coaming
- Close-planked raw teak sole
- Flush hatch aft to lazarette
- Manual bilge pump inside
- Shore power socket
- Laminated tiller
- Morse engine control
- Beta Marine engine panel
- Lockers under port and starboard teak laid cockpit seating
- 2 x Lewmar ST 44 Secondary winches port and starboard aft outside
- 2 x Lewmar ST 46 Primary winches port and starboard forward inside
- Harken traveller and mainsheet block at bridge deck
- Provision in bridge deck locker for a life raft

TRUNK CABIN
- Varnished mahogany uprights
- Painted, glassed roof
- 1 x Chrome framed portlight port and starboard
- Varnished grabrails port and starboard
- Sliding heavy clear perspex companionway hatch
- Line clutches port and starboard of companionway
- Lewmar ST 16 winch on teak base to starboard of companionway
- 3 x Varnished cleats on roof
- 3 x Original Lewmar chromed winches on roof
- Large chromed frame decklights port and starboard over saloon

SIDE DECKS
- Spinnaker sheave blocks port and starboard on varnished mounts
- Lewmar headsail tracks port and starboard
- Lewmar Tufnol sheave cars

FOREDECK
- Harken lead blocks at mast partners
- Large centreline chromed deck prism
- Dorade boxes and cowls port and starboard
- Raised alloy hatch on teak plinth
- Stowage at rails for 2 x alloy spinnaker poles
- Chromed and teak mooring cleats port and starboard
- Chromed mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Bow rollers
- Harken headsail furler

GROUND TACKLE
- 1 x 16 kg/ 35 lb Delta anchor with chain and warp
- 1 x Kedge anchor

4 x STEPS DOWN FROM COMPANIONWAY
- Glass lights in trunk cabin, perspex hatches & prism over wc = good light below
- Varnished spruce sole and localised hull ceiling
- 1 x Quarter berth to port, aft of chart table
- Ship's electrical panel
- Stowage under cockpit as engine is mounted centrally in saloon

NAVIGATION STATION TO PORT
- Large forward facing chart table; drawers under
- Navigation and communication equipment
- Carlin grabrail
- Deckhead light
- Chart reading light

GALLEY TO STARBOARD
- Gimballed Bainbridge Neptune 4500 2 x burner hob
- Period blue Formica trim
- Stainless steel sink with hand pump
- Plate and cup lockers
- Food lockers
- Carlin grabrail
- Deckhead light

SALOON
- Stainless steel grab columns port and starboard
- Carlin grabrails port and starboard
- 2 x Settee berths with lee cloths; lockers outboard
- Back rests rise to create wider berth
- Low level engine box in sole; blue cover
- Clock and barometer at port forward bulkhead
- 3 x Deckhead lights

PASSAGE FORWARD
WC Compartment to port
- Original Baby Blake toilet
- Hand basin; manual pump
- 6 x Stowage pockets; large deck prism over
Hanging locker to starboard

FORECABIN
- Double berth with stowage under
- Sail stowage
- Jockey pole stowage to starboard
- Forehatch in deckhead
- 1 x Bulkhead light
- 1 x Deckhead light

RIG
- Silver Super Spars anodised aluminium mast and spars (2015)
- 2-Spreader set mast
- Lewmar 15 halyard winch
- Traditional spinnaker pole lift on leading edge
- Boom
- Z-Spars boom vang strut
- 2 x Super Spars spinnaker poles
- Standing rigging new 2015

SAILS
- Mainsail One Sails (2015)
- Genoa One Sails (2015)
- Jib One Sails (2017)
- Spinnaker One Sails (2016)
- Asymmetric spinnaker One Sails (2015)
- Genoa One Sails (2022)
- Storm Jib old but appears unused

MECHANICAL
- Beta Marine 25 hp diesel (2020)
- Gori 3-bladed feathering propeller (2015)

ELECTRICAL
Batteries (alternator engine charging)
- Dedicated engine battery
- Service battery

TANKAGE
- Stainless Steel fuel tank (2015)
- 2 x Stainless steel water tanks under each saloon berth (2015)

NAVIGATION
- Raymarine wind speed, direction, close hauled and log instruments
- Drops into washboard runners (2015)
- Raymarine Plotter (2015)
- Mast mounted digital compass and timer

COMMUNICATIONS
- Icom IC M2VHF Radio

- 2 Life buoys mounted on the pushpit
- 2 Jackstays
- Automatic bilge pump
- Manual bilge pump
- Fire extinguishers
- Fire blanket

- Fully fitted heavy duty winter cover (2015)