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MYSTIQUE
I have owned my Victoria Frances 26 since the fall of 1986. She is a 1982 trunk cabin built for the 1983 London Boat Show by Victoria Yachts LTD of South Hampton England. This makes her a Victoria Frances 26 and not a Frances 26 built by Tom Morris Yachts in the US. Both models had the same mold. Sadly, Victoria Yachts and Morris Yachts are no longer in business. She was purchased at the 1983 show and shipped to the Boston MA by a couple who sailed her for fours years. Doing the math, I have owned her for 34 of her 38 years and have done about 16,000 nm with her. I mostly single-handed day sailed on New England waters with Onset Bay MA as her home port. “mystique” now resides at Telemar Bay Marina in Indian Hbr Bch off the ICW on the Banana River.
She sports an antique decal because she is over the age of 30. Her original name was Sintram III and came over from England as such. In my travels on the water I have seen and/or been on Soleil, Heartbreaker (now Opus Two seen at my marina in FL), Aurora, Pearla (now Blueberry), Sea Bird: not on your list: Weetamoe, Georgia, Peregrine, Skimmer and Sweet Paradee (another Victoria Frances).
She is a basic boat with no horns, bells, whistles or shore power even in 2020! She does have a radio, depth sounder and a handheld GPS! I sailed Buzzards Bay for 20 years and miss the challenge of opposing wind and current, the commercial traffic and regular boat traffic. I sneak out and single hand when I can. My current gentleman friend is also a sailor so……
My “mystique” still turns heads even on the ICW in FL. The first photo is my daughter and I in Jan 2020 being chased down by a fellow sailor who took this picture. It will be a sad day when I cannot single hand but at 75, I am still going strong and have a partner to tag along.