Marianna

‘Marianna’ has a remarkably rich sailing history that dates back to the 1920s. The yacht was a successful racer in Germany at the time and took part in prestigious competitions such as the North Sea Race and Kieler Woche.

In the early 1930s, the vessel came into the hands of Fred Retsin, chairman of the SNRA in Antwerp, after which it sailed to England in 1936. There it was purchased by Major Blewitt, founder of the Royal Air Yacht Club. Under his ownership, Marianna competed in numerous British regattas well into the 1950s. In September 1945, the yacht appeared at the start of the first post‑war Cowes–Dinard race.

A notable crew member during that period was Blewitt’s daughter Mary Pera‑Blewitt, later secretary of the RORC and known for her book Celestial Navigation for Yachtmen.

After spending time in Scotland and Wales, Marianna returned to Belgian ownership in 2007. Since then, the yacht has once again been an active and enthusiastic participant in classic regattas such as British Classic Week in Cowes, the Classic Channel Race (Dartmouth–Guernsey–Paimpol), and the Dutch Classic Yacht Regatta.