André Mauric 46 ft Bermudan Sloop 1939/2007

LAK II is a beautiful yacht that in a sense carries in her timbers the story of France over the past 85 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. In current ownership in England she has been recently given a fully electric propulsion system and new sails, and won her class at the 2022 edition of British Classic Week.

2021-2022
- New Fisher Panda fully electric propulsion system

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

2005-2007
- Major restoration at Classic Works La Ciotat, France
- 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
- New systems

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 (and a successful entrant in the 2023 Ocean Globe Race skippered by Marie Tabarly; 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.

LAK II’s provenance has never been in doubt: an André Mauric masterpiece built by Louis Grossi of Marseille. However, the story of her first ownership seems to have become rather embellished, at least in recent decades - during the “classic yacht revival”.

The tale passed down, that her commissioning owner was Portuguese nobleman Manuel de Carvalho de Ávila, the 3rd Count of Ávila, has not stood the scrutiny of recent research undertaken in the volumes of the venerable French yachting magazine 'Le Yacht'. And this research has solved the previous dilemma of her original name: she has always been LAK II.

Her first 'Le Yacht' mention is in the 18th February 1939 edition:

“M. Pierre Fieux of Société Nautique de Marseille has placed an order with the Grossi shipyard for a fast cruiser, with a Baudouin auxiliary engine…. designed by M. Mauric, architect–director of the Massilia shipyards, in collaboration with Mr. Fieux.”

Pierre Fieux, design engineer at leading French engine makers, Marseille-based Moteurs Baudouin, was originally believed to be LAK II’s second owner, but 'Le Yacht'’s Marseille correspondent is very clear, and it makes perfect sense. Fieux’s first, self-designed LAK, a 35 ft Colin Archer type double-ender, had also been built by Grossi.

Throughout the spring and summer of 1939 'Le Yacht' reported stages in the build. The 1st April 1939 issue recorded the commencement of construction, with the owner again mentioned and the boat described in detail:

“The Grossi shipyards are beginning the construction of the new cruiser ordered from them by Mr. Pierre Fieux, engineer of the Société des Matériaux Baudouin, replacing the LAK, also built by Grossi and which Mr. Fieux recently sold to Dr E. Porry , from Fort-de-France [Martinique].

“The new cruiser laid down will be of the American ocean racing type; designed by the architect André Mauric with the collaboration of Mr. Fieux himself.

“This boat will have the following characteristics: displacement 10 tonnes, total length 14 meters, waterline length 9 m. 90, width at mid-freeboard 3 m. 15, draft 2 m. 33; sail area approximately 90 square meters, and lead ballast, 4 tons. The auxiliary engine will be a 4-cylinder 10 hp Baudouin petrol engine.”

Fit-out was well advanced by mid-August. In the ‘Count of Ávila story,’ the new owner and his wife discovered that France had declared war on Germany on return to port from their first sail, on 3rd September 1939. The date fits the 'Le Yacht' dates even if the owner was in fact Pierre Fieux. The magazine and everyone in France had bigger things to think about by then; LAK II’s launching was never reported.

The story also goes that her ballast keel was 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 (for most of her life) began as camouflage). Her design and build cousin, ARIEL, later SYLPHE IV, now SYLPHE, was also hidden from the Nazis at this time, in her case apparently 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 to become one of the first French yachts to cruise Mediterranean ports in 1945, still owned by Pierre Fieux. And she raced too, successfully. In August 1947 LAK II was overall winner of L’Union Nationale des Croiseurs “Course-croisière de la Méditerrané” series of races, Cannes – Ajaccio – Calvi – Porquerolles.

At some point in the early 1950s, 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.

Then in 2013, after 39 years in LaForest family ownership, LAK II transferred to a Monaco-based owner who truly bought into the Toulon-Hyères-Marseille heritage, especially at Hyères where the black-hulled sloop been based for so long that the port built up around her. She continued to participate in Mediterranean classic regattas until her 2021 sale to her present south coast of England owners - André Mauric aficionados. LAK II won her class in the 2022 edition of the British Classic Yacht Regatta at Cowes.

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

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

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
- Cockpit lockers port and starboard
- Aft locker:
- throttle control and panel
- manual bilge pump
- switches for various deck lights & nav lights

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

RIG
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
- Mainsail (2022)
- Light genoa (2022)
- Heavy jib (2022)
- Solent Jib (2015)
- S1 Light spinnaker (2022)
- S2 Spinnaker new (2022)
- Asymmetrical spinnaker (2015)
- Staysail (2022)

CANVASWORK

PROPULSION
- Fisher Panda full electric system (2022)
- 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
- Victron Energy MFD
- 12 V Cigarette lighter type socket at chart table

TANKAGE
Under cabin sole
- 80 L Water stainless steel tankage under sole
- 85 L Black water tank with Sheiber gauge
- Johnson black water discharge pump

At Chart table
- Ship’s electrical panel (2007)
- Bilge pump switching (2007)
- Tank and bilge alarms (2007)
- Raymarine chart plotter (2022)
- B&G Hydra Pilot (2007)
- Simrad RD68 VHF Radio (2007)
- Sony FM Radio/ CD Player & 2 x speakers (2007)

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: Nigel Sharp