It's that time of year in the classics calendar when the focus is on Maine, with the Eggemoggin Reach Race in the first Saturday of August a feast of finery as the best of venerable designs from the likes of Sparkman & Stephens, Nat Herreshoff, John Alden, Phil Rhodes, Starling Burgess and others step out in superbly restored style.
Back in 2021, a new name appeared on the leaderboard. One John Breslin Kearney (1880-1968) of Dublin. In addition to emerging as a yacht designer of note after a working life in the Engineering Department of Dublin Port, JB was Rear Commodore of the National YC in Dun Laoghaire from 1942 until 1952, and a successful cruising and racing owner-skipper, both inshore and offshore.
Ron Hawkins in the National Yacht Club in April 2024 with the photo of Mavis winning Skerries Regatta 1928. Photo: W M Nixon
His 39ft own-built own-designed yawl Mavis of 1925 vintage placed second in the Eggemoggin contest of 2021. It was an extraordinary return to life for a boat that was still in process of restoration by her owner-skipper, master shipwright Ron Hawkins.
"VERY LAID BACK"
Despite that, while others may be emotionally charged by 2025 being the Centenary of this interesting boat, Ron Hawkins is "very laid back, and since this restoration has been a twenty year project for him, he shows little excitement for having a centenary celebration….(he) is just happy to have her in the water and sailing".
These are the comments of US-based Johnny Smullen, a National YC member since 1972 who is into the technical (sometimes very technical) side of the marine industry in America, having worked with the likes of Dennis Conner. However, Maine is where you'll find him and his wife Theresa in late July and early August's classics time, sailing and racing on the New York 32 Isla, and this year they got together with Ron & Denise of the Mavis for a National YC evening at the Camden Yacht Club.
"It's only a number". Mavis takes her Centenary in her stride at Camden, with a classic dory as her ship's tender. Photo: Johnny Smullen
STURDY BUILD, SEAWORTHY
Johnny was much taken with Mavis – "very nice, a sturdy build, a very seaworthy looking yacht". And as for Ron Hawkins' attitude to Centenaries, maybe there's a lesson for us all here. While it may be fine and dandy to celebrate a one-off, such as June's festive marking in Dun Laoghaire of the Centenary of the completion of Conor O'Brien's pioneering voyage round the world south of the Great Capes in the 42ft Saoirse, when life continues steadily after the Centenary, as it does with Mavis, perhaps it's better just to take the hundred years in your stride without too much fuss.
For it is surely much better to have Mavis recognised as a remarkable boat that attracted the admiration of people of the calibre of Humphrey Barton, founding Commodore in 1954 of the Ocean Cruising Club, rather than have her ranked as just another Centenarian.
The restored Mavis revelling in the Maine breeze. Photo: Ben Mendlowitz
