he modest shed that sits on the hard at Suffolk Yacht Harbour (SHY) has played host to a broad array of restorations over the years, more than a few of which have featured in our annual awards. On our visit, for instance, we see the continuing work, which went twice around the world in the 90s (as reported extensively in this magazine); a classic glassfibre Swan having its deck redone, and lastly, yet another Stella. This isn’t any Stella though; this is Holman’s own Stella, built in 1959 by Tucker Brown, as so many were, and like most Stellas (lightly built in clinker to race), is suffering nail sickness and the leaking that goes along with it. The solution that SYH has adopted, a few years ago, is to sheath Stella hulls on the outside with glassfibre and epoxy, a solution that has been adopted by the class association, and one that offers a new lease of longevity. The stiffening effect means a sheathed Stella can be towed without risk of plank movement, and it creates a low-maintenance, future-proof yacht that looks identical to an un-sheathed boat.
