"SASKIA" International 8mR (K26)

Built by William Fife & Son, "Saskia" is the most iconic 8mR ever constructed.

Achievements include:

• Seawanhaka Cup winner in 1931
• 1936 Berlin Olympic boat for the British team
• Sayonara Cup (Australia) winner in 1955

Saskia has been meticulously maintained by her current owner since 2011. She is configured to race in the prestigious NEPTUNE class but will equally turn heads cruising in a more leisurely fashion.

Potted History

Saskia was designed in 1930 and built by William Fife III as a Royal Northern Yacht Club challenge for the Seawanhaka Cup, a highly contested event at the time. The 1931 event was hosted on the Clyde by her home club, and she won!

After her initial success, Saskia was sold south and raced very successfully in the Solent, where there were nine 8 metres racing at the time. A Sterling silver model of the boat now resides in the Royal Yacht Squadron.

In 1936, she was chosen to represent Britain in the Berlin Olympics, with sailing events held at Kiel. A commemorative plaque marking the event is still displayed aboard.

Saskia raced hard, participating in over 50 races in the 1938 season with astonishing success.

In 1954, the renowned Australian yachtsman, Sir William Northam, purchased Saskia and shipped her to Sydney to win the Sayonara Cup, which had symbolized pre-eminence in big-boat, round-the-buoys racing in Australia since 1904. Saskia won the Cup for the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, ending 34 years of dominance by the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. She remained at her mooring at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, winning many races for the next 52 years.

In 2007, she was shipped back to the UK to participate in the celebration of 100 years of Metre Rule Sailing. She competed at the Centennial World Championships on the Clyde, winning her class and the Sira Cup. She then won the Eight Metre Class at the Metre Class Centenary Regatta at Cowes.

From 2013 to 2017, she consistently won her class in the Cowes Panerai British Classic Yacht Club Week, and in 2013, she won the overall Panerai prize, including the prestigious Concours d’Elegance award.

From 2017 to now, Saskia continues to be the boat to beat and has been the delight of her current custodian, Murdoch McKillop.

Dimensions & General Info

• LOA - 48' / 14.63m
• LWL - 31' / 9.5m
• Beam - 8' 6" / 2.59m
• Draft - 6' 6" / 2.01m
• Displacement - 8.91 Tons / 8083kg
• Sail area - 827sqft / 77msq
• Designer - William Fife III
• Builder - William Fife & Son
• Yard No.793
• Sail number - K26
• IRC rating - 0.981

Hull, Deck & Superstructure

"Saskia" is in excellent condition today and configured to race as a Neptune class 8mR. Her hull is like glass, her varnish work is gleaming, and her structure is sound.

In 2008, she was shipped to Portugal for restoration, which was completed in her current ownership in 2013. Since then, she has been lovingly maintained.

Most Recent Works:

• 6 new frames by Ventis - 2022
• Repainted by Ventis - 2022
• Re-varnished by Ventis - 2022
• New Mahogany rudder by Custom Yacht Works - 2016

Features

• Immaculate teak laid deck
• Varnished King plank with non-slip additive for the foredeck
• Varnished margin boards with inset toe rail incorporating scuppers
• Sliding foredeck hatch for spinnaker retrieval
• Coachroof with inset bronze skylights

Rig, Rigging & Sails

• Sitka spruce double spreader mast with jumpers - 2013 by Ventis, Holland
• Spreaders with laser cut Fife logo on the underside
• Sitka spruce boom - 2017 by Ventis, Holland
• Sitka spruce spinnaker pole - 2018 by Ventis, Holland
• Rod rigging 2013 inspected June 2022 by Tund Rigs and Ropes Enkhuizen
• Spare spinnaker pole

Running Rigging

• Tech Braid on Braid & Dyneema running rigging. Class classic beige outer
• Additional light spinnaker sheets

Sails

• North Mainsail - 2019 - Very good condition
• North training mainsail - Average condition
• North Super Light Genoa - Unused
• North Lt Genoa - Good condition
• North Lt Genoa - Training sail
• North Hvy 1 - Good condition
• North Hvy 1 - Training sail
• North Med 1 - New 2024
• North Med 1 - Training sail
• North No. 2 - Average condition
• North S1.5 - Average condition
• North S4 - Very good condition
• North S4 - Training sail
• Sails being inspected and serviced by North Sept 24

Electronics & Navigation Equipment

• Raymarine multi data units port and starboard at the helm
• Raymarine wind & multi data units on removable mast mount
• Dual transducers
• Carbon fibre anemometer
• Windex
• 2 x side deck compasses
• New high power battery for instrumentation 2024

Deck Equipment

• Absolute 8.30, "Saskia K 26" branded two-speed bronze winches
• Absolute, "8 Saskia" branded classic running blocks
• Winch handles
• Bronze turning blocks sheet/rope guides and deck fittings
• Bronze pinstop Genoa tracks and cars
• Spinnaker pole chocks

Safety Gear & Other Equipment

• She will come with safety gear and equipment to comply with IRC and class racing
• Anchor, chain and warp
• Large canvas zipped dock bag for spare sails and equipment
• Various spares

Island Class 7.5m (2017) RIB - By Separate Negotiation

• "Saskia" branded Island Class 7.5m (2017) RIB with a Suzuki DF200APX. 220L fuel tank