MERCURY (SA3)
- 12.8 m / 42 ft
- Sloop Cutter
- van der Stadt: 222 design
- Previous Owners: Various KZN Yacht Clubs; Natal Ocean Racing Foundation; H.E Kearney; D. De Bruin; G.Lewis
- Current Owner: Mercury Yacht Company (Pty) Ltd.
Among five designs which were requested for possible sponsorship by the South African Ocean Racing Trust (SAORT) in the Cape to Rio '71 race, was this design 222 by Ricus van der Stadt. It was taken over by a group of Natal enthusiasts, amongst them the newspaper `Natal Mercury', who raised funds and had Mercury built by de Dood of Bremen, Germany. Thesens of Knysna executed the same design to produce her sister ship, `Albatros II'.
The design was an attempt to create a yacht which could stand up well in hard weather and which could drive along without having to heave to, but would give a fair speed in very little wind.
`Mercury' followed the most modern trends in her rigging, which is usually of stranded stainless steel or galvanised iron wire. She had solid rods of specially hardened stainless steel as her fore and back stays giving virtually no stretch under load.
Restored from 2012 onward, she has been operated in Knysna, South Africa by Southern Yachting Academy for active crewing adventures; for more details, follow this menu...
- Sloop Cutter
- van der Stadt: 222 design
- Previous Owners: Various KZN Yacht Clubs; Natal Ocean Racing Foundation; H.E Kearney; D. De Bruin; G.Lewis
- Current Owner: Mercury Yacht Company (Pty) Ltd.
Among five designs which were requested for possible sponsorship by the South African Ocean Racing Trust (SAORT) in the Cape to Rio '71 race, was this design 222 by Ricus van der Stadt. It was taken over by a group of Natal enthusiasts, amongst them the newspaper `Natal Mercury', who raised funds and had Mercury built by de Dood of Bremen, Germany. Thesens of Knysna executed the same design to produce her sister ship, `Albatros II'.
The design was an attempt to create a yacht which could stand up well in hard weather and which could drive along without having to heave to, but would give a fair speed in very little wind.
`Mercury' followed the most modern trends in her rigging, which is usually of stranded stainless steel or galvanised iron wire. She had solid rods of specially hardened stainless steel as her fore and back stays giving virtually no stretch under load.
Restored from 2012 onward, she has been operated in Knysna, South Africa by Southern Yachting Academy for active crewing adventures; for more details, follow this menu...