SPARKMAN & STEPHENS / CAMPER & NICHOLSONS 73 FT YAWL 1972/2016

Launched with superb design and build provenance, and benefitting from Sparkman & Stephens' uncanny ability to effortlessly apply the maximum accommodation - including five double or twin cabins, four of them en-suite, and two saloons - into to a slippery, low wetted-surface hull, AMAZON ticks many boxes. Then there is her timeless elegance: it's hard to believe that she is half a century old. In that time AMAZON has been a family cruiser-racer, an offshore racer at the original ‘Maxi Class’ limit of 73 feet, and, thanks to her astonishing accommodation, a highly successful charter yacht on both sides of the North Atlantic. Originally built to Lloyd’s ✠100A1, and in-class until a major early 1990s rebuild in Holland, subsequent owners have attended to her needs and kept equipment, systems and sail handling modern. There is nothing quite like AMAZON.

2016
- New engine, Perkins M 185C engine
- New batteries
- New electric windlass
- New hydraulic furlers for genoa and staysail

2013-2015
- New navigation equipment
- Incl. 2 x Plotters
- VHF
- Digital and analogue repeaters, screens
- Inmarsat telephone
- Radar
- Autopilot
- Navigation software

2013
- New Northern Lights generator 20 kW

2010-2012 - MAJOR REFIT
LED BY CHANTIER NAVAL DES MINIMES, LA ROCHELLE
- New teak deck by Wolz Nautic
- Refinishing entire hull 3 x Awlgrip 545 (Chantier Nautique du Vieux Port)
- New hydraulic bow thruster
- New running rigging.
- Refit of the main mast
- Standing rigging restored and changed when needed.
- Teak wood work for cockpit and trim
- Complete refit of hydraulic system
- Incl. winches, vang, backstay, auto pilot
- New Varifold propeller, 4 blades 26 in
- New fire extinguisher system

1991-1992
REBUILD IN HOLLAND
Complete, back to bare hull rebuild (not refit) in Holland
- Interior removed
- Sandblasting interior hull plating, bilge, and tank interiors
- Two coats of epoxy primary to entire interior including all tanks
- New stainless tank tops
- New foam sprayed hull insulation
- New 300 gallon black water tank
- New heads, marble walls and counter tops
- New stainless deck fittings & chocks
- All new plumbing and engine equipment
- All new electricity.

SPARKMAN & STEPHENS DESIGN NO: 2084
CAMPER & NICHOLSONS YARD NO: 1088

The story goes that AMAZON's commissioning owner, John B. Goulandris of the London-based Greek shipowning family, was friendly with fellow Greek shipowner George S. Coumantaros, and had sailed aboard Coumantaros's 73 ft aluminium Sparkman & Stephens/ Abeking & Rasmussen maxi yawl BACCARA in the 1970 Newport - Bermuda Race. BACCARA had finished only half an hour behind the lighter, significantly longer on the waterline, and more radical WINDWARD PASSAGE to take 2nd on line honours, and sportingly towed the Alan Gurney ketch to the harbour mouth after the finish.

Goulandris was smitten, and wanted one. He was already the owner of a Sparkman & Stephens design, the 1969 Cantiere Benello Freya 45 Class sloop MANIA which would remain in family hands and take line honours for Peter Goulandris in the 1972 RORC Middle Sea Race. So it all made sense, and AMAZON was the wonderful result: built in steel under Lloyd’s ✠100A1 supervision at Camper & Nicholsons' Southampton yard (now "Shamrock Quay"), and launched in the late spring of 1972.

It is possible that the young German Frers, then honing his trade with Sparkman & Stephens, had a hand in BACARRA's lines 1968/69 (certainly he subsequently designed George S. Coumantaros's second and third BOOMERANG Maxis) and perhaps thereby also in AMAZON's lines, a sister in many ways to BACCARA, though the latter is slightly longer on the waterline.

As a flavour of what it was like to be working with S&S in the late 1960s/ early 1970s, here are German Frers' own words - from the SailFarLiveFree blog:

"Working at Sparkman & Stephens (S&S) was fantastic with lots going on.The S&S designs were some of the best: America's Cup Twelves, RORC Admiral's Cuppers, CCA racers, large production cruising boat designs, etc. I learned the importance of designing to a rule and finding loopholes, the importance of delivering the work on time and assisting builders worldwide. Olin's designs and Rod's methodical attention to detail during construction formed an unbeatable team, assisted by a number of engineers and draftsmen. I think we were about 40 or more persons at Madison Ave."

John B. Goulandris seems to have been mainly a small boat racer, in the International One Design and International Dragon classes, which may explain that records can't easily be found of AMAZON racing in her earlier years. This, and her stoutly built Corten steel hull (which would subsequently prove its worth in extremis) suggests she was conceived mainly as an undoubtedly fast and very comfortable cruiser-racer. In Goulandris's ownership until 1977 she is believed to have been US East Coast/ Caribbeanbased, but to have also crossed to Europe more than once.

In 1977 ownership transferred to Maine-based Bryce Muir and family. In thick spring 1978 fog on a delivery passage from the Caribbean to Maine, AMAZON grounded near the tip of Long Island at Montauk and this was when her strong steel construction saved her. After an epic salvage, she was thoroughly repaired and refitted in the best possible hands, again under Lloyd's supervision to remain ✠100A1 - by none other than Robert E. Derecktor at Mamaroneck, N.Y. Interestingly, the timing coincides with the design and construction by Derecktor of George Coumantaros's first BOOMERANG.

Through the 1980s into the early 2000s AMAZON was a regular sight on both sides of the Atlantic. During 1991-1992, in the ownership of German national Klaus Lower she went through the major rebuild in Holland described above, and from the mid 1990s into the early 2000s she operated as a luxury Caribbean charter boat in Scandinavian ownership. AMAZON was purchased by the present owner in 2009 and enjoyed winter refits 2010-2012 at La Rochelle, France. In 2010, she participated in the British Classic Yacht Club Regatta at Cowes, Brest Classic Week, the Judith Trophy (Douarnenez-Southampton) and took overall victory in the Atlantic Trophy (Douarnenez-Horta-Douarnenez). In 2015 AMAZON crossed the Atlantic again with the Panerai Transat Classic, finishing 2nd in real time. In more recent years she has been a regular at Vela Clasica Menorca.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Traditional welded steel construction
- Built under Lloyd's ✠100A1 supervision
- 2023 Ultrasound hull thickness report available
- Teak laid deck

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck
- Varnished teak toerails and taffrail

FROM AFT
- Stainless steel pushpit with gate
- Ensign staff socket
- 2 x Chromed fairleads
- 2 x Antal double cheek blocks at rail
- Barient 52ST winch
- Flush lazarette hatch
- Spinnaker cheek blocks port and starboard
- Metal mooring cleats port and starboard

MIZZEN POSITION
- Mainmast backstay chainplate
- Teak lockers to aft, port and starboard

COCKPIT
- Navtec hydraulic backstay and vang control
- Switches for hydraulic genoa winch and furlers
- Switch for hydraulic windlass
- Perkins engine panel
- Ship's wheel
- Instrument displays and repeaters
- 2 x Anderson 66ST winches on plinths aft
- 2 x Anderson 66ST winches on plinths forward
- 2 x Anderson 66ST mainsheet winches
- 2 x Anderson 401ST mainsheet traveller winches
- 2 x Andersen 52STwinches at bridge deck
- B&G Analog wind speed and direction at bridge deck
- 2 x Lockers either side of companionway

DECK HOUSE
- 2 x Alloy Hatches
- Chromed ventilators port and starboard

PIT
- Alloy hatches
- 2 x Barient coffeegrinders on pedestals
- 2 x Alloy hatches
- 1 x Anderson 68ST winch

SIDE DECKS
- Cheek blocks aft of foresail track port and starboard

MAINMAST POSITION
- 14 x Frederiksen line blocks
- 2 x Barient 32 halyard winches
- 2 x Andersen 66ST halyard winches
- 2 x Andersen 56ST halyard winches

FOREDECK
- 3 x Alloy framed smoked acrylic hatches
- 2 X Large alloy foredeck hatch
- 2 x Metal mooring cleats port and starboard
- Facnor inner forestay headsail furler (2016)
- Facnor forward forestay headsail furler (2016)

GROUND TACKLE
- Maxwell vertical anchor windlass (2016)
- Warping drum; chain gipsy
- Chain lock
- CQR Anchor stowed at bow roller
- Galvanised anchor chain

Finished in glowing mahogany with solid wood doors, and teak and holly sole throughout. The accommodation offers five cabins - 4 of then en-suite - with potential to sleep 11 as an owner driver boat, or 9 with a skipper. It includes (numbers relate to the accommodation plan in our image gallery): a private full-width aft owner’s stateroom (1), aft; plus two additional guest staterooms
(3 & 4), all featuring en-suite heads. A fourth guest cabin (7) has over and under single berths and can be used either for overflow guests or as a second crew cabin. A separate captain’s cabin (6) is forward with en-suite head. A low profile raised pilot house (8) separates the two aft cabins from the rest of the living quarters, providing privacy for the owners. 'Public' areas forward from the pilot house are the large main saloon (2) and the galley (5).

Down 6 x steps to PILOT HOUSE/ DECK SALOON (8)
- Settees port and starboard
- Stowage under
- Seat backs raise to create pilot berths
- Drop leaf table on centreline
- Ship's 220 V isolator panel to port
- Ship's 12 V isolator panel to starboard
- Main Hydraulics panel
- Standing chart table to port forward
- Chart plotter and B&G repeater
- VHF Radio
- Satphone
- Lockers over and under
- Clock and barometer
- Lockers to starboard forward
- Barograph
- CD Player

Down 3 x steps to LOWER SALOON (2)
- Sideboard immediately to port of steps
- Passage offset to starboard
- U-shaped seating/ dining area to port
- Oval dining table
- Sideboard forward to port
- Sideboard and display cabinet to starboard
- Large hatch in deckhead
- 2 x Bulkhead lights
- 6 x Spotlights in deckhead

STARBOARD EN-SUITE GUEST CABIN (3)
- Accessed from Lower Saloon
- 2 x Bunk berths
- Hanging lockers
- 2 x Electric fans
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Bulkhead lights

STARBOARD GUEST CABIN EN-SUITE WC/SHOWER
- Also accessed from saloon as a 'day head'
Walk-in shower with teak grating
- Electric toilet
- Sink; mixer tap
- Lockers
- Hatch in deckhead
- Spotlights

PASSAGE FORWARD

GALLEY TO STARBOARD (5)
- 2 x Stainless steel sinks
- Mixer tap
- 3 x Burner Force 10 cooker with oven
- Many food, crockery lockers
- 3 x Refrigerators
- 2 x Freezers
- Microwave oven
- 2 x Hatches in deckhead
- 4 x Deckhead lights

PORT EN-SUITE GUEST CABIN (4)
- Opposite galley
- 2 x Bunk berths
- Stowage under lower berth
- Hanging locker
- Large hatch in deckhead
- 2 x Electric fans
- 2 x Deckhead spotlights
- 2 x Bullhead lights

STARBOARD GUEST CABIN EN-SUITE WC/ SHOWER
- Also accessed from fwd passage as a 'day head'
- Walk-in shower with teak grating
- Electric toilet
- Sink; mixer tap
- Lockers
- Hatch in deckhead
- 1 x Spotlights in deckhead

FORWARD EN-SUITE CABIN/ CAPTAIN'S CABIN (6)
- Large double berth
- Stowage under and outboard
- Book shelves
- Large hatch in deckhead
- 1 x Electric fan
- Deckhead spotlights
- Access forward to chain locker

FORWARD CABIN EN-SUITE WC/ SHOWER
- Teak sole
- Electric toilet
- Many lockers including hanging locker

Aft via Deck Saloon to AFT ACCOMMODATION
- Down 3 x steps to passage

GUEST CABIN TO STARBOARD (7)
- 2 x Bunk berths
- Hanging locker
- 2 x Deckhead spotlights
- 1 x Bulkhead light
- Opening port to cockpit

MASTER EN-SUITE AFT CABIN (1)
- Large double berth to port
- Lee cloths
- Banquette
- Lockers under
- Large single berth to starboard
- Lee cloth
- Lockers under
- 3 x Hatches to cockpit
- Hatch in deckhead
- 3 x Deckhead spotlights
- 3 x Bulkhead lights

MASTER CABIN EN-SUITE WC/ SHOWER
- Also accessed from passage aft as a 'day head'
- Raw teak grating sole
- Shower
- Electric toilet
- Sink; mixer tap
- Hatch in deckhead
- 2 x Deckhead spotlights

RIG
Alloy main mast
- 2 x Pairs of spreaders; jumper strut
- (See deck layout for halyard winches)
- Spinnaker pole on track stowed at leading edge
Alloy mizzen mast
- 1 x Pair of spreaders
- 2 x Anderson 46ST halyard winches
- 2 x Anderson 40ST halyard winches

SAILS
North
- Fully battened mainsail NorDac 2 ply - 120 sqm (2016)
- Genoa pro Radian 10.50 – 150 sqm 140pc (2020)
- Genoa light/ medium Radian NorDac 7.5 – 190 sqm 160 pc (2018)
- Spi G1 Asymmetric - 260 sqm white (2016)
- Spi S2 Symmetric - 330 sqm blue (2015)
- Mizzen staysail 80 sqm white (2015)
Other sailmaker
- Fully battened mizzen

CANVASWORK
- Spray hood
- Cockpit sun awning
- Boom covers for main and mizzen sails

MECHANICAL
Propulsion
- Perkins M185C 185 hp turbo (2016)
- c.1890 hrs (2023)
- Varifold propeller, 4 blades 26 in
- Bow thruster - Specs TBA
Mechanical-Electrical
- Northern Lights 20 kw Generator (2013)
- c.3180 hrs (2023)

ELECTRICAL
-TBA
TANKAGE
- Fuel capacity: 480 US Gal / 1820 L
- Water capacity: 864 US Gal /3270 L

AIR CONDITIONING
- To owner and guest accommodation

NAVIGATION
- Plastimo steering compass
- 2 Garmin GPSMAP Plotters (1 x new 2022)
- B&G H3000 electronics
- Simrad AP 22 autopilot
- Navcore 3 PC nav
- Time Zero navigation software
- Garmin GMR24 high definition radar
- AIS transmitter/recipient B class
- Transponder Kannad Rescuer

COMMUNICATIONS
VHF
- Standard Horizon VHF Radio
Satellite
- Inmarsat Fleet broadband FB 150 sailor

- Transponder Kannad Rescuer
- More TBA

- Alloy and teak grating passarelle
- Swim/ boarding ladder