Mariquita Book - mk2.5

Helming Mariquita is a defining experience.
Like any boat she has her sweet spot and on
Mariquita it’s in 10-12 knots of breeze going to
windward and the boat’s got a groove and it feels
fantastic when you’re in that groove and you
know you’re there.
Get her in 25 knots of breeze, let alone any more, and the whole thing
becomes a very different experience. At the end of the day it’s a huge
physical workout. When the boat becomes loaded up it’s a handful.
I mean a real handful. You’ve got 25 foot of boom overhanging the
transom. When you get to the weather mark wanting to bear away,
unless that mainsheet is dumped you don’t have a hope. You can’t
physically move the wheel. That’s not just a case of strength it’s a
question of dynamics.
John Caulcutt
87