Alan Buchanan 37 ft 'Vashti Class' Sloop 1962/2016

Alan Buchanan’s designs of the 1950s and ‘60s are such renowned masterclasses in moderation, proportion, and sweetness of line, it's often forgotten that many were the hot racers of their day. Buchanan’s 37 ft ‘Vashti’ type is no exception, in fact something of a legend, harking back to a time when racing yachts could be safe, strong, exceptionally good looking, easy to handle by minimum crew, cosy and practical down below, and yet still fast. True cruiser-racers. Or is it racer-cruisers? All boxes ticked for LADY OF HAMFORD’s current owners who were not disappointed with their choice and have lavished ten years of care and sensitive upgrading to this mid-century gem of a handy-sized classic yacht.

"I wanted a classic wooden boat that could be cruised and raced. Being a proper displacement yacht, she does not slam or hesitate in a seaway. Unlike modern boats – many of which often want to round up – she’s predictable. And because you are sitting in her, not on her, you feel safe. In the Round the Island Race [Isle of Wight] we had 35 knots on the nose and she was always happy, while a lot of plastic yachts around us were struggling." [From 'The sweet spot' by Peter K. Poland, Practical Boat Owner, July 2016]

"I have surveyed several Vashti Class yachts during the last thirty years and LADY OF HAMFORD is by far the most outstanding ocean racing yacht of its type we have inspected. Structurally she appears to be in a remarkably sound condition and cosmetically she has clearly been refurbished to an extremely high, professional concours finish. It is obvious that the owner has spared no expense during the last three years or so in returning the vessel to as new condition and a yacht he can be rightly proud of.

2015-2016 MAJOR REFIT BY HARBOUR MARINE SERVICES, SOUTHWOLD
- Nominated, "Restoration of the Year <40 ft", Classic Boat Awards 2017

- Hull stripped and re-painted/ varnished progressively throughout re-fit
- Various areas of local planking softness repaired with graving pieces
- Rudder removed, bronze heel fitting re-bushed, gland repacked
- All new through-hulls and ball valves
- All new rig
- New hollow spruce mast and boom by Collars
- Mast and boom fittings by HMS
- All new standing and running rigging
- All new covers
- Engine removed, overhauled and serviced
- Engine reinstalled on new flexible mounts
- All new plumbing including thru-hulls and valves
- All new engine electrics
- New exhaust system and associated plumbing
- New cutlass bearing
- Volvo Penta dripless seal fitted as stern gland
- New Darglow Featherstream 3-blade propeller and stripper
- All new electrical system
- New gas bottle locker and associated plumbing to cooker
- New stainless steel water tank in bilge
- All new associated plumbing
- All new upholstery

2011-2012 BY HARBOUR MARINE SERVICES, SOUTHWOLD
- All steel floors removed, re-galvanised and refastened

2001-2002 BY R.J. PRIOR, BURNHAM-ON-CROUCH
- New teak laid deck on marine plywood substrate

The original VASHTI of 1958 offered British industrialist and future Commodore and Admiral of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, (later Sir) Maurice Laing his first true and very successful taste of offshore yacht racing: overall champion of East Anglian Offshore Racing Association (EAORA) Class II in seasons 1958, 1959 and 1960, and RORC Class III overall winner in season 1961. And the Australian-built Vashti, RIVAL, was corrected time winner of the 1961 Sydney-Hobart.

For Rochester shipowner with a spectacular Second World War record as a Royal Navy aviator (one of the pilots who sank the Tirpitz), and future Medway Yacht Club Commodore, David Clarabut, DSC -- planning in 1961 to graduate from success in the Club's competitive International Dragon fleet to East Coast of England and beyond offshore racing -- choosing a Vashti may have been a no-brainer.

David Clarabut was an accomplished racing sailor; runner up in the Dragon Class Edinburgh Cup (the open British Championship) at Torquay in 1957. In 1967, VENDETTA (as LADY OF HAMFORD had been launched in the spring of 1962 by Bill Sutton of Great Wakering, one of Burnham-on-Crouch based Alan Buchanan's favoured Essex builders) enjoyed a particularly successful season: overall winner of EAORA Class I ahead of the previous year’s winner, Sir Maurice Laing’s Sparkman & Stephens sloop CLARION OF WIGHT; winner of of Class II in the Royal Southampton YC's Queen's Cup Cowes Week regatta; and for good measure picked up the Royal Temple YC's Gold Cup at Ramsgate on the way home.

In 1969 Clarabut traded up to the GRP Nicholson 43 VENDETTA II, and VENDETTA (I), became LADY OF HAMFORD after the tidal Essex creeks of the Walton Backwaters that we believe were her home waters for the next 45 years in three ownerships:

1969-1973 : George W. Thake
1973-1999 : Charles W.H. Ingle
1999-2015 : The Hon Roland & Mrs Louise Platt

LADY OF HAMFORD’s current owners since 2015 were looking for a classic wooden yacht that could be raced efficiently but still cruise comfortably. As found, she was already a perfect choice. As deeply refitted 2015-2016 by Harbour Marine Services of Southwold, Suffolk, she ticks every box: brought very subtly up to date for home comforts whilst remaining competitive in regattas. From her new base in Sussex, LADY OF HAMFORD has participated in the Round the Island Race and the various Solent classic yacht regattas.

©2026 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

Built to Lloyd's ✠100A1; remained classed until 1976
- Honduras mahogany planking
- Bronze and stainless steel fastened to
- oak and mahogany backbone
- copper rivetted to
- Canadian rock elm steam bent timbers
- Pine bilge stringers and beam shelves
- Galvanised steel ring frames at mast
- Lead ballast keel; bronze keelbolts
- Teak laid deck on marine plywood substrate (2002)
- Mahogany deck beams
- Marine plywood bulkheads

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck on marine plywood substrate (2002)
- Varnished covering boards and
- Varnished teak superstructures
- Stainless steel pushpit, tapered stanchions and pulpit (2016)
- Bronze bases
- Stainless steel guardwires

FROM AFT

AFT DECK
- Chromed mooring fairleads at taffrail
- 3 x Bronze mooring cleats
- 3 x Chromed mushroom vents
- Varnished teak raised hatch to lazarette

COCKPIT
- Varnished teak coamings
- Ash mainsheet purchase blocks with spring supports
- Teak mainsheet cleats on inside of coamings
- Stainless steel and teak winch plinths
- 2 x Anderson 46ST self-tailing two speed primary sheet winches
- 2 x Lewmar 16 self-tailing secondary sheet winches
- Raw teak seating
- Gas locker port aft
- Cockpit locker to starboard
- Stainless steel hatch to steering access
- Chromed rudder head
- Laminated wood tiller; fittings for tiller-pilot
- Laid teak on marine plywood cockpit sole hatches
- Cockpit table socket
- Shore power socket
- Customised Yanmar engine panel
- Ramarine tiller pilot control
- Garmin steering compass
- Speakers

AFT SIDE DECKS
- Springline fairleads at toerail port & starboard

TRUNK CABIN
- Raised aft
- Companionway sliding hatch; garage; washboards
- Varnished teak handrails port & starboard

MAST POSITION
- Varnished Dorade boxes port & starboard
- Chromed vent cowls
- Varnished raised forehatch over forecabin

SIDE DECKS
- Stainless steel foresail sheeting tracks in lieu of caprail port & starboard
- Sheet lead cars port & starboard
- Panama springline fairleads in toerail port & starboard
- Associated bronze mooring cleats fore & aft, port & starboard

FOREDECK
- Spinnaker pole stowage port and starboard
- Bronze mooring cleats port & starboard
- Chromed mushroom vent to starboard
- Samson post with chain lock
- Stainless steel anchor head lock
- Chromed recessed mooring fairleads port & starboard
- Stainless steel stemhead fitting incorporating anchor roller

GROUND TACKLE
- Lewmar Delta 16 kg stainless steel bower anchor
- 25 m of 10 mm stainless steel anchor chain + 15 m warp
- Fortress kedge anchor with chain and warp
- Lewmar Pro-Fish horizontal windlass

GENERAL
- White painted and varnished mahogany finish
- Berths for 5 (including saloon settees)
- Down 5 x steps over engine box
- Varnished solid teak sole
- Carlin grabrails

UNDER RAISED HOUSE
- 6 x Downlighters
- 2 x Bulkhead lights
To Port
- Quarter berth
- Full size chart table
- Lockers below
- Electrical, monitoring, nav. and communications panel outboard
- Detachable navigator's seat
Galley to Starboard
- Top loading Isotherm fridge
- Force 10 gimballed 2 burner hob, grill and oven
- Stainless steel sink with mixer tap
- Lockers under and outboard

SALOON
- Settee berths port & starboard
- Stowage under and outboard
- Bookshelves and lockers outboard
- Table on centreline
- Clock and barometer
- Writing desk/ trotter box/ sideboard to port forward
- 4 x drawers
- 2 x Reading lights

PASSAGE FORWARD
Hanging Locker to Starboard
- Fiddled shelf over
WC/ Shower Compartment to Port
- Jabsco Electric toilet
- Wash basin with mixer tap
- Lockers
- Towel rail
- Deckhead light

FORECABIN
- V-Berths
- Forehatch in deckhead
- 2 x Bulkhead lights
- Access forward to chain locker

ENTERTAINMENT
- Fusion Radio/DVD Player
- JVC LED TV
- Glomex antenna

RIG
All new 2016-2017
- Hollow spruce mast and boom by Collars
- 2 x Lewmar chromed self tailing halyard winches
- 2 x Clutches
- Stainless steel pin rail mast band
- Kicker purchase with in-period Tufnol blocks
- Alloy spinnaker pole
- Standing rigging new in 2016
- Harken foresail furling

SAILS
By North Sails (2016)
- Mainsail
- Genoa (roller furling)
- Cruising chute (with stuffer sock)
- Spinnaker

CANVASWORK
All 2016
- Sprayhood and dodgers
- Beige canvas covers for sails, hatches, winches, tiller
- Boom tent

MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND TANKAGE
- Yanmar GM 30 diesel engine
- Darglow Featherstream 3-blade folding propeller
- Darglow Hydroaxe rope cutter

ELECTRICAL
- 2 x Mastervolt domestic batteries
- 1 x Mastervolt engine starter battery
- Mastervolt charger and inverter
- Shore power socket at cockpit

TANKAGE
Fuel
- Stainless tank under cockpit: 140 L / 30 Gal
Water
- Stainless steel tank in bilge (2016)
- Pressurised hot & cold water to sinks
- Isotemp water heater

OTHER
- Webasto heater

NAVIGATION
- Raymarine Hybrid Touch chart plotter at chart table
- Raymarine p70 autopilot
- Raymarine RS150 GPS antenna
- AIS GPS aerial
- AIS Class B transceiver
- Raymarine Tacktick

COMMUNICATIONS
- Simrad RD68 fixed DSC VHF radio
- Standard Horizon HX320 floating

- 4-Person valise liferaft (may need servicing)
- 4 x Lifejackets
- EPIRB
- 2 x Personal EPIRBs (batteries may need replacing)
- Safety ladder
- Jon buoy
- Flares (may not be in date)
- 2 x Rule electric bilge pumps
- 1 x Manual bilge pump
- Gas safety certificate
- Fire extinguishers incl Fireblitz auto in engine space
- Fire blanket
- Fog horn
- First aid kit
- Bolt/wire cutters
- Echomax radar reflector
- All required nav lights

- Honwave 2.4 m 4-person inflatable tender (unused)
- Suzuki 2.5 four-stroke outboard motor (unused)
- 7 x 50 binoculars with illuminated compass
- Fenders
- Warps