"Mariquita" (Coccinella in spagnolo) disegnata da W. Fife III e costruita dai Cantieri Fife & Sons nel 1911 perA. K. Stothert, già armatore del "15 Metre" Mariska, è probabilmente l'ultima Classe "19 Metre" rimasta in navigazione.
Il Signor Tony Beckett racconta: "Sono stato il proprietario di Mariquita dal 1967 al 1973, quando era ormeggiata nel fango a Pinmill, sull'estuario dell'Orwell. Quello che so è che la barca era ormeggiata sul Deben durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale; poi fu trainata a Pinmill ed ormeggiata nel fango, proprio a valle del Butt and Oyster Pub, trattenuta da catene, fra quattro pali: tornava a galleggiare con le alte maree, adagiandosi di nuovo sul fondo, non sempre in linea, quando la marea si ritirava ..."
Mariquita fu riscoperta nel 1991 e fu sottoposta a restauro, nei cantieri Fairlie Restorations, dal 2001 al 2004, quando finalmente riprese il mare.
Successivamente prese parte a diverse regate nel Mediterraneo, vincendo ad Imperia e ben figurando accanto a rivali come Moonbeam III e IV. Dopo un inverno a San Remo, salpò per crociere ed allenamenti a regatare in Grecia, per due mesi.
Ha partecipato quindi a 5 regate, incluse quelle di Porto Rotondo ed alla famosa manifestazione velica di Saint Tropez.
Nel giugno 2008 ha preso parte alla Fife Regatta, sul Clyde in Scozia, e successivamente a diverse regate sulla costa meridionale d' Inghilterra, come la Pendennis Cup, dall' 11 al 16 Agosto 2008, gareggiando con barche come Altair, Mariette, Lutine, Kelpie, Adix and The Lady Anne.
| Name: | Mariquita |
| Type of Boat: | Gaff Cutter 19 Metre |
| Designer: | William Fife III |
| Built by: | William Fife & Son, Fairlie |
| Year Built: | 1911 |
| Yard No: | 595 |
| Displacement: | 79 tonnes |
| LOA m / ft: | 38.16m / 125'2" |
| LOD m / ft: | 29m / 95' 4 |
| LWL m / ft: | 19.2m / 66' |
| Beam m / ft: | 5.21m / 17' |
| Draft m / ft: | 3.57m / 11'8" |
| Sail Area: | 582 sq.m / sq.ft |
| Sail No. | C1 |
"Mariquita" (ladybird in Spanish) designed by W. Fife III and built by Fife & Sons in 1911 for A. K. Stothert (owner of the "15 Metre" Mariska) is probably the last 19-Metre in existence.
Mr Tony Beckett says: "I was tenant and then owner of Mariquita from 1967 to 1973 when she was in a mud berth at Pinmill on the Orwell. The story I heard was that Mariquita was laid up on the Deben during the 2nd World War, then afterwards towed round to Pinmill and put into a mud berth just down stream of the Butt and Oyster pub, moored with chains and supported between 4 very large posts. At high springs she would float, settling again, not always level, as the tide went down. ... "
It was from Pin Mill in 1991 that Fairlie Restorations rescued Mariquita, she was taken round to the Hamble in a Thames lighter. Work started on the restoration in 2001.'She was restored at Fairlie Restorations in the UK and was launched in the summer of 2004.
She took part in the subsequent Mediterranean regattas, winning Imperia and looking great alongside the likes of Moonbeam III and IV. After a winter in San Remo, Italy, Mariquita headed down to Greece for 2 months of cruising and race training with the owner. She went on to attend 5 classic regattas, including the new Porto Rotondo event and the renowned race week at St Tropez.
In June, 2008 she attended the Fife Regatta on the Clyde in Scotland and then took part in various regattas on England's south coast, as the Pendennis Cup (Aug 11-16, 2008) in which she engaged with Altair, Mariette, Lutine, Kelpie, Adix and The Lady Anne