53 ft Sparkman & Stephens/Abeking & Rasmussen Yawl 1966

HILARIA is as fine an example as they come of just why her designer, Sparkman & Stephens, and builder, Abeking and Rasmussen, are among the best of the best. After more than half a century of almost constant sailing, she still does exactly what her original, sailing fanatic owner wanted: races fast and comfortably under whatever handicap system is thrown at her; cruises easily and comfortably. In current ownership for a decade HILARIA has been maintained to ensure everything works; well tested in 2019’s Panerai Transat Classique: Lanzarotte - St Kitts, and the return passage to the Mediterranean in the same year. To say that HILARIA is very capable is an understatement. And then there’s her looks, and provenance.

Regularly maintained by SMN Chantier Naval de Port Grimaud
2020
- Engine pipes, gaskets, filters, belts changed
2019-2020
- Rudder removed; bushes and gaskets renewed
- Paragon 2:1 reduction gear renewed
- Hatch covers renewed
- All stainless steel and chromed fittings re-chromed
2018
- Standing rigging replaced
2011
- Engine completely overhauled

SPARKMAN & STEPHENS DESIGN NO. 1833
ABEKING & RASMUSSEN BUILD NO. 6245

On his passing at the age of 80 in 1985, one newspaper obituary described HILARIA’s first owner, Hubert R. ‘Hugh’ Schaddelee, as an “avid yachtsman”; another as, “a yachtsman and sailboat racer, a director of American Natural Resources Co” … in that order. Bolstered by continuing his father’s success in the utilities industry - electricity and natural gas supply - Albion, Michigan-born Schaddelee was able to indulge his passion for yachting and offshore racing; more than once via arguably the ‘best of the best’ designers and builders of his generation: Sparkman & Stephens of New York and Abeking & Rasmussen of Lemwerder, near Bremen, Germany.

This was the second of Schaddelee’s S&S/ A&R HILARIAs. The first was a 55 ft /17 m yawl built in wood in 1953 and particularly successful on the SORC circuit. By the mid-1960s, Sparkman & Stephens were championing aluminum construction for larger racer-cruisers with serious intent. Their experience with the build by Abeking & Rasmussen (their first in this construction method) of the welded aluminium 73 ft yawl GERMANIA VI for famously particular German industrialist Alfried Krupp was excellent, and everything learned would have been applied to HILARIA. Olin J. Stephens continued to enthuse about aluminium hulls to the end of his extraordinarily long life; that HILARIA is still roaming and racing the oceans as intended, speak volumes.

Hugh Schaddelee was a Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident by the time of the 1966 HILARIA’s commissioning, but still drawn to home waters for the big Lakes races from Port Huron and from Chicago to Mackinac Island. HILARIA was overall and Class A winner of the 1968 Port Huron-Mackinac Race, winning on corrected time from the line-honours winner, NORSAGA, once and now again the Charles Nicholson 12-Metre TRIVIA. Despite many podium places on the US eastern seaboard circuit this may have been Schaddelee's proudest.

After Schaddelee’s time, HILARIA continued to notch up significant victories through the decades. In 1980, in the ownership of C.F. Chapin and G.H. Schryver, she won Class D in the Newport Bermuda Race; in 1985's Chicago-Mackinac, then owned by Robert Stoker, she was winner of the Chicago-Mackinac Cup for Line Honours and the Theodore M Dunlap Trophy for 1st in Class; and in 1995, then owned by Dirk Lohan, she was winner of PHRF Class 6 in the Chicago-Mackinac.

Since HILARIA’s present owner purchased her in Massachusetts in 2011, she has crossed the Atlantic three times:
2012 Massachusetts via Azores to Mediterranean
2019 Panerai Transat Classique: Lanzarotte - St Kitts
2019 Antigua via Azores to Mediterranean

And she has sailed and raced at Antigua Classic Regatta, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Cannes Regates Royales, Vele d'Epoca di Imperia, Monaco Classic Week, Trophée Bailli de Suffren and Corsica Classic. And cruised the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- Aluminium hull
- Aluminium deck beams and sub deck
- Centreboartd ballasted with lead
- Teak laid over deck (c.1995)
- Mahogany trim
- Mahogany cabin trunks uprights and trim (from same log)

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck over aluminium sub deck
- 6 in/ 15 cm Bulwarks
- Varnished mahogany capping rail

AFT/ AFT DECK
- Bumpkin; mizzen sheet; mizzen running backstays
- Chromed mooring fairleads on taffrail
- 3 x Lewmar chromed 40ST self-tailing running backstay winches
- Main mast split backstays to rail port and starboard; winch handle adjustment
- Stainless steel double sheave blocks on rail port and starboard

COCKPIT
- Separate helm and sheet handling 'pits'
- Varnished mahogany coaming
- 2 x Lazarette hatches port and starboard
- Radiused, upholstered helm seat
- Large spoked ship's wheel
- Chromed compass binnacle
- Raymarine E80 and ST60 helm repeaters
- Harken mainsheet traveller, cars and blocks
- Harken 43 mainsheet winch
- Cockpit seats port and starboard
- Very large lockers under
Hard Dodger/ Pilot House
- Varnished handrails port and starboard
- Hinged boom gallows
- V-shaped seating with infill to make double berth
- Engine instrumentation
- Simrad VHF; Sinmrad autopilot; EPIRB; XX??XX??
Sheet Winches on Painted Stainless Steel Plinths
- 1 x Barient chromed 35 port and starboard
- 1 Barient chromed 32ST self tailing port and starboard
- 3 x Associated cleats port and starboard

SIDE DECKS
- Mainmast backstay chainplates port and starboard

TRUNK CABIN
- Varnished mahogany uprights from same log
- 11 x Chromed bronze opening ports to sides
- 1 x Larger chromed bronze opening port fwd
- Large raised hatch
- Dorade box and chromed vent cowl
- Teak liferaft chocks
- Companionway hatch
- Varnished gas locker
- Raised hatch over saloon
Mainmast position
- 2 x Dorade boxes port and starboard; chromed vent cowls
- Raised hatch

FOREDECK
- Raised forehatch
- Spinnaker and jockey poles stowage
- 2 x mooring cleats
- Inner forestay attachment
- Bow roller and stemhead fitting

GROUND TACKLE
- Maxwell 2200 Windlass (2007)
- Chain gipsy and warping drum
- 1 x Delta anchor (2020)
- 60 m Chain; 20 m rode
- 2 x Spare anchors

GENERAL
- Sleeps 8: fwd v-berth and 6 x singles
- Headroom 6 ft 4 in
- Gaboon and mahogany interior
- Teak sole
- 6 x Staps down from companionway hatch

SALOON
- Large oilskin locker immediately to starboard
- S&S/A&R Pattern table on centreline
- Settees to port and starboard; stowage under
- Settees extend to make wider berths
- Pilot berths outboard to port and starboard; stowage under
- Book cases
- Ship's bell
- Clock and barometer
- 3 x Deckhead lights
- 3 x Bulkhead lights
- 4 x Opening ports
- Sideboard with lockers and drawers fwd starboard

AFT CABIN
- Chart table on centreline
- Full size with full size chart stowage under
- Chest of drawers above
- Raymarine VHF
- Furuno AIS
- Large opening port connecting to cockpit
- Oil lamp
- Large hatch in deckhead
- 1 x Bulkhead light
- 2 x Opening ports
- 2 x Deckhead lights
Double berth to starboard
- Lockers under
- Drawers and book case outboard
- Ship's isolator panel
- Large hanging locker
Single berth to port
- Lockers above and under outboard

AFT CABIN EN-SUITE WC COMPARTMENT
- Electric toilet
- Ceramic basin; hot and cold taps
- Lockers
- Drawers
- 1 x Bulkhead light
- 1 x Deckhead light
- 1 x Opening port

WC COMPARTMENT FWD OF SALOON TO PORT
- Manual toilet
- Ceramic sink with mixer tap
- Plates and food lockers
- Large US-style fridge freezer to starboard
- 1 x Deckhead light
- 1 x Opening port

GALLEY FWD
- Paul Luke Heritage 3 x burner hob and oven
- Brushed stainless steel sink
- Chromed hand pump
- Mixer tap
- Filtered water tap
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 3 x Opening ports
- Hatch in deckhead
- Cooking utensils
- Glassware

FORWARD CABIN
- V-Berth for 2 x single berths or large double
- Hanging locker to starboard
- 2nd Locker to port
- Hatch in deckhead
- 1 x Bulkhead light

RIG
- Air height 18.3m
- Keel stepped Awlgrip painted alloy spars
- 2-Spreader main mast (painted 2018)
- 3 x Halyard winches
- Main boom
- 1-Spreader mizzen mast
- 3 x Halyard and other winches
- Mizzen boom
- Spinnaker pole
- Jockey pole

RIGGING
- Standing rigging all 2018

SAILS
Mainsails
- Dacron square [Pentek?] (2018)
- Harding (2008)
Mizzens
- Dacron square [Pentek?] ( 2018)
Mizzen staysail
- Doyle
Headsails
- Genoa Elvstrom regatta tri-radial (2016)
- 2 x Doyle genoas
- Yankee/ staysail (2016)
- Storm jib
Spinnakers
- Doyle 0.6oz 173-176 sq m
- Quantum 0.65 oz 175 sq m (2019)
- Mizzen Spinnaker 59.24 sq m (2018)
- 1 x Asymmetric with 2 x socks

CANVASWORK
- Winter cover
- Bimini

MECHANICAL
American Diesel Corp Lehman Ford 85 hp diesel
- Installed by Palmer Johnson, 1995
- 3000-3100 hours
- Cruising 6.5 kts; max 7.5 kts
- Two primary and secondary fuel filters
- Paragon 2:1 reduction gear
- 1.5 in Stainless steel shaft
- 3-bladed 22 in Max Prop feathering propeller
- 12 V Alternator

ELECTRICAL
- Engine room bilge blower
- 12 V System
- Engine alternator
- 2 x Gel-cell service batteries 235 Ah (2021)
- 2 x Gel engine start batteries
- 220 V Shore power system
- 220-110 V Transformer
- Dolphin 80 A Battery charger; master switch
- Battery condition indicator
- 12 V - 110 V Inverter for fridge
- 1 x Solar panel

TANKAGE
- Fuel tank 450 L / 100 Gal
- Fuel tank 50 L/ 11 Gal (reserve)
- 2 x Water tanks total c.800 L
- Seagull IV Water filters
- 2 x Black water holding tanks

OTHER
- Air conditioning unit
- Diesel (?) heater

NAVIGATION
- Danforth White Constellation Compass in binnacle
- 2nd Compass
- Raymarine E80 Navigation system + radar
- GPan x-band radar/ Raymarine E80
- E80 Multifunction displays
- 8.4 in Colour LCD display
- Wind/ speed/ depth
- Simrad AP16 Autopilot (2007)
- Raymarine AIS 700 AIS Class B (2018)
- 1 x Electric barometer (2021)

COMMUNICATIONS
- Simrad RS86 fixed VHF ASN
- Raymarine Ray 60 fixed VHF ASN (2018)
- Hand held VHF
- AM/FM Radio/ CD

- Arimar Offshore Plus 8-person liferaft
- Cospas-McMurdo EG50 EPIRB with GPS
- 2 x Horse shoe lifebuoys
- Flares
- 10 x harnesses
- First aid kit
- Emergency tiller
- Double lifelines
- Engine room FM200 fire system
- 3 x 2kg Foam fire extinguishers

- Bombard inflatable 5-person tender
- Yamaha 2.5 hp 4-stroke outboard motor
- Cockpit cushions
- Misc. lines
- Misc. spare parts
- Tools