Since the revival of the Class Association, we've increasingly come into contact with, and welcomed as members, Stella owners on the other side of the North Sea. Many were the early Class races that saw the East Coast Stella fleet racing to Holland and Belgium and a number of boats subsequently migrated there. The Register has six Stellas located in Holland and one in Belgium. (There is also one supposedly in France but see our tailpiece).

Hans van't Slot is originally listed on our records in 1983, and is still the owner of # 47 `Red Sirius'. We have no note of her original builder or earlier history but between 1992 and 1995 Hans undertook a major rebuild of his boat. This included removing + raising the entire deck and adding an extra 'plank' for the sheer strake thus giving more room inside. The entire hull was resin treated and the exterior epoxy sheathed. The deck is now teak laid, the interior completely refitted and she now has a 10hp Vetus diesel.

Hans lives in Sint Maartensdijk (e-mail me) and is a committee member of the Yacht Club W.S.V. Sint Annaland where `Red Sirius' is based.

# 55 `Scarlet' was sold by Geoff Payne (from Leicester) in 1979 to a Andre de Jong - noted as a member of the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club - who took the boat to Holland. In October 1981 she was in the ownership of Ed Schmidt of Amsterdam. Ed sold her to Paul Romyn who originally wrote that he had acquired `Scarlet' in 1987, that she was built in 1962 and had `.made several trips to England.'. Correspondence to Paul at Almere Haven has since gone unanswered. What news of Paul and is `Scarlet' still in existence?

#57 Carina has been bought by Ben Kemper who lives in Zoutelande (near Vlissingen harbour). He has great plans for the coming season and the story so far can be found at Carina #57

# 81 `Scatty' passed on from a Mr Sainsbury to W.A.Wallhead of Burray in the Orkney Isles early in 1983. In 1992 she was bought by Fokko van Steenwijk of Bilthoven and taken to Holland. When Fokko rejoined the Class Association early in 1997 he commented `.it never entered my mind to pass her on.'. `Scatty was built in 1962 as `Ship number 905' by Rowhedge Ironworks Co. Limited of Colchester, and Fokko now keeps her at Dohkumer Nieuwe Zylen.

# 86 `Sung Foon' (previously called `Nebula') was owned until 1977 by Admiral Sir Anthony Morton KCB, who was the UK's Military Representative at the NATO Building in Brussels. Having sold it to a Dutchman, he wrote again in 1981 to say that he had seen the boat for sale, and in very good order, at Muiden in Holland. (At that time we now know she was owned by Chr. Jongerius of Utrecht).

In May 1982 she was sold to J. Witsen Elias of Bussum who confirmed her built by Tucker Brown in 1964. She was based at the Royal Netherlands Yacht Club at Muiden. In 1988 `Sung Foon' was again for sale, Mr Witsen Elias asking £6,100. In 1997 she was listed with the Class Association by C.M. Verhoven of Doetinchem and based at Ketelhaven.

Most recently we learn that `Sung Foon' is with Frans Peter Verheyen of Gronigen. Frans Peter made contact via the Stella website and told us `.we have to sail her to Oostmahorn (Lauwersmeer) at the most northern point of Holland. There we have found a good Marina (with good winter facilities) and there are direct routes to the Waddenzee and the Northsea. We are planningto sail `Sung Foon' this summer to Denmark for the holidays. This is all to try the boat out, and to make plans to adjust her for our needs. In one or two years (maybe three!), the plan is to take her to the Med. We lived on our old boat for 4 years in and around the Med. So if there are any questions from your side about sailing in sunny parts of Europe, please let me know.'. Frans Peter can be contacted (e-mail me)


The SCA has been contacted by Erik ? from Holland who has bought Sung Foon and has her afloat again after 2 1/2 years out of the water.She will be moored at Ketelhaven near Ijsselmeer, Holland's largest lake. Erik has promised to send us some pictures of Sung Foon before long.

# 87 was originally listed with the name `D-Day' and owned by Jaap Meijer of Amsterdam. Only this week we hear from Arjen Djikstra (again as a result of his finding the Stella website) that he bought the boat from Jaap in 1994 and hed renamed her `Spica'. He confirms she was built by Dan Webb and Feesey in 1964.

Arjen has undertaken a major rebuild of his Stella including the Lister Petter 6hp engine. `.I renamed her because a Stella should have a star's name (Spica was my favourite star for making an evening fix when I was working as a Mate), and in Holland we don't see D-Day as a name, but rather an historic event. (Maybe the first owner landed in Normandy?). It took me two years to bring her back to shape.'

Arjen tells of his friend working six months to renovate the engine - with spare parts being found from shipyard contacts or self-made. He tells that there are still some barges which use the Petter for auxiliary power (as well as examples used for farm use).

I normally sail on the Ijsselmeer, going from Spaarndam through the North Sea Canal and the Oranje sluizen. There are some very nice places there because the Ijsselmeer used to be an inland sea so all the ports have their original entrances and dikes. Don't visit the marinas but stay in the old harbours.!'.

Arjen works as a pilot in the North Sea Canal region and offers help with information about the route from the North Sea to Ijsselmeer. He can be contacted (e-mail me).

For pictures and story see stella87.htm

# 100 `Centaur' is the famous 100th Stella built by Tucker Brown in 1968 for `Dickie' Bird - who also commissioned and owned the very first Stella `La Vie en Rose' nine years earlier. `Centaur' is first recorded in Holland in July 1991 when she was bought by Albertine van Vliet-Kuiper. She is still with the van Vliet family (who are from Apeldoorn) and `Centaur' is based at Kampen.

In 1997 H.M.van Vliet wrote: `.In the past years we have refitted our `Centaur'. She is a beauty now. In 1992 we bought new sails made by Gowen, so she is a fast boat. The two pipe berths were replaced by two solid berths, and we replaced the good old Blake to starboard. We have a table we can use in the cockpit as well as the base for our berth in the cabin. In that way we have a comfortable two-person berth. We have also made a double stay for the Genoa/Jib so we are able to change quickly.'

Tailpiece.

What of # 70 `Aquila'? There were reports that she may have been seen in Dover Harbour at some time in recent years. It has also been said that she had an owner from Maldon in Essex who went to live in Northern France and that `Aquila' may now be owned by a Monsieur Jeunes of Robion. Any news?