Mariquita Book - mk2

Helming Mariquita, on a broad reach with full sails set, is the most exhilarating experience.
The sheer power of the yacht with spray flying and lee rail under is matched by the muscle
power of the 24 well-orchestrated crew. No mechanical or hydraulic power, just sheer
strength and great skill. The sounds aboard Mariquita are hypnotic as she rushes through the
sea with every piece of gear – spars, halyards, sheets, runners, blocks – crying out under the
strain to produce that extra fraction of a knot to win the race. Over the years I must have
steered a hundred yachts, from a Lymington Scow to a J-Class, from the latest maxi to a
three-masted schooner. Mariquita, however is in a class of her own.
Nicholas Edmiston
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