Owners & history

(As descriped in "The 12 Metre Class")

1936 – 1946: J.R. Payne; name: Vanity V, home port: London and Greenock. Vanity V cost of £3572 (labour £1800, wood £441, other materials £951, sails £380). Fife was aged 79 when he designed Vanity V. Mr. Payne was famous for being one of the best helmsmen in the 52 footers, 15M and 12M classessince 1905. He had been the owner of Vanity owner of the most successful twelves of the twenties. He was also an accomplished violinist known as the Fiddler Payne. As for the previous vanity, her owner wanted to live on board and to use her for cruising and racing. An exchange of letters between Payne and Fife told us about Payne’s disappointment as he did not like the accommodation typical on a racing 12 Meter. After he complained about her racing performance, Fife replied that it was caused by too much weight on board. There was also complaints about the mast which showed a bad bend between the two lower crosstrees and the deck when on port tack in an fresh breeze. In fact, just a few weeks after her launch, Vanity V lost her mast. During the 1936 season she entered 11 races and won 2 first, 1 second and 1 third. In the 1937 season Vanity V entered the handicap class, where she won by outclassing her competitors and, by performing better than some of the competing twelves. “Vainty V the only Fife boat in the class, started ten times. Owning to Mr. Payne’s bad health, he was not able to undergo the strain of continuing racing. In light and medium winds the yacht was in her first flight, especially to windward and there were several occasions where the veteran helmsman steered to windward, leading the whole fleet.” At the end of the season, she had ten starts with one first, one second and 3 thirds for a total of five flags. Trivia the leader that year totaled 48 starts with 39 flags. She was again on the race course in 1939 in the handicap class for yachts over 20 ton where she raced against Noreen.

1947-1960: Sir Hartley Showcross, (U.K. Attorney General); home port:Falmouth. Engine Installed 1953

1961-1964: Capt. Michael P.R. Boyle; Home port Cowes; engine removed 1960. In 1963 she was altered to yawl rig and modernized for cruising at the Groves and Guttbridge yard.

1965-1996: Albert A. Prouvost; new name: La Pinta; Home port: Toulon. In 1981 she disappeared from Lloyd’s register. Extensive cruising along the Portuguese cost and in the Mediterranean. In the early 90’s she entered La Nioulargue. She was then transported to the Labbé yard at St. Malo to be refitted, but she was left for several years.

1997-2000: Robert Daral and Jean-Poul Guillet; new name Vanity V. Relaunshed in Brest on the 14th of June 2000. The yacht was completely rebuilt sticking close to the original design (but for the part of interior and deck layouts, a new mast, the stainless steel rigging and the winches) by naval architect Gay Ribadeau Dumas at Chantier du Guip in Brest

2001-2003: Klaus Helmersen; Home port: Copenhagen, Denmark

2003 ->: To be added