Edge of ages
A glossy black hull, black sails, and teak decks – the Flica II stands out from afar. One of the most unusual boats in the modern vintage fleet, she made history even before touching the water.
Her brilliant predecessor, Flica (K-16), was built in 1928 through the joint efforts of Charles Richard Fairey, a pioneer of aviation, and the famous yacht designer Charles Nicholson.
Flica proved to be one of the most successful yachts of her era, recognised as one of the finest "12-metres" built according to the Second International Rule.
The 12 Metre class (12mR) first appeared in 1907. It standardised yacht design through an original formula, ensuring a balance between hull length, sail area, and displacement. This revolutionary approach opened up opportunities for creating boats that combined speed, seaworthiness, and creative freedom. The class gained renown through its participation in the Olympic Games from 1908 to 1920. From 1958 to 1987, it served as the official class for the America's Cup, receiving unprecedented attention and resources. Today, every 12 Metre yacht is a piece of sailing's historical heritage. Dominating regattas under Fairey's command, Flica established herself as a vessel possessing excellent performance and elegance. Beneath her exterior and achievements, the ambitions and engineering acumen of her creators were clearly evident. After the yacht was acquired by Hugh Goodson in 1934, her reputation only strengthened. Goodson raced Flica for four years, all the while contemplating the pursuit of his dream race — the America's Cup. He was plagued by doubts that Flica would be capable of winning. The competition clearly demanded a more modern and promising boat, and he decided to build one from scratch.
The design for Flica II (K-14) was created by Laurent Giles in accordance with the Third International Rule. A Cambridge engineering graduate and one of the most innovative designers of the interwar period, Giles envisioned the future of yacht building in the broad application of the most advanced scientific achievements, distinguished by a certain boldness in his creative explorations. (Flica II was the only one of his yachts to belong to the 12 Metre class). The William Fife shipyard brought Giles' plans to life, making this project a sort of final chord in the long history of the great Scotsman's family business.
In her class, she immediately became an object of intense interest. Her competitors were the finest of her time: William Fife's Vanity V, Alfred Milne's Jenetta, Nicholson's Tomahawk, and Olin Stephens' Vim. To compete on equal footing with these brilliant rivals, Flica II received a set of innovative solutions rare for the late 1930s: tank testing of the design, an aluminium mast and rigging, steering trim tabs, and a new type of "coffee grinder" winches that would later become standard on racing yachts.
Contemporary reviews were mixed: the yacht was considered by turns too long, too narrow, or too heavy. Giles ignored his detractors, remaining confident that this particular hull possessed great potential. The statistics from the first races, alas, did not help his arguments — in the 1939 season, Flica II completed 24 starts with one first, one second, and five third places. The owner sought the reason for this modest debut not in the design, but in the rigging. In 1958, Goodson headed the Royal Yacht Squadron syndicate, which became the first post-war challenger for the America's Cup. Flica II participated in the selection trials for the challenger yacht, inscribing herself in the history of the world's premier regatta. Ultimately, another yacht — Sceptre (K-17) — was chosen to challenge Columbia (US-16) and lost to the Americans, but Flica II remained an important part of the process and almost a ghost of an alternative future. Despite missing the chance at the America's Cup, the Flica II continued an active racing life. In 1958, she became the winner in her class at the famous Cowes Week, and in 1961, she won the Queen's Cup. After these successes, the yacht changed owners about a dozen times. Then began a phase of transformations. In 1964, an engine was installed in the hull, and four years later, the mast was moved, a deckhouse and portholes were added, transforming Flica II into a comfortable cruising ketch. In the late 1970s, she disappeared entirely, as if weary of attention, and faded into obscurity for the rest of the decade.
In 1989, a miracle occurred: the yacht, abandoned on a Caribbean shore, was discovered by Robert Tiedemann. After a salvage operation, she was sold to Bruno Pozzi, who commissioned a total restoration at the historic Camper & Nicholsons shipyard in Gosport, which has been operating since 1782. The work was overseen by the Milanese design firm Giorgetti e Magrini, whose portfolio already included the restoration of Creole, one of the most famous classic yachts in the Mediterranean. Flica II arrived for restoration in a dire state.
The boat's hull has a composite construction: steel frames and mahogany planking. Corrosion affecting the metal parts caused the wood to rot at contact points, inflicting significant damage.
The restoration work was carried out under the supervision of Lloyd's Register. First, the vessel was completely stripped of all internal structures, and then the planking was removed to analyse which parts were still in good condition and could be preserved.
During the restoration, all the technical specifications of the original design were meticulously adhered to, while the interiors were recreated to meet modern standards of yachting life, although most attributes of the late 1930s were retained. The yacht's layout includes three crew berths, a galley, a saloon with a table and settees, and two double cabins with bathrooms.
The rebirth of Flica II proved triumphant. From 1993 to 1999, under the care of Stefano and Francesca Tanzi, the yacht once again conquered the Mediterranean, winning the European Cup in 1995. Since 2000, Flica II has belonged to Alexander Falk, is based in Hamburg, and continues to successfully compete in regattas as part of the Northern European fleet of the International 12 Metre Association (ITMA). With her distinctive black and red hull, black sails, teak decks, and the signature "Fife dragon" on her spinnaker, Flica II is a stunning modernist icon of the classic fleet. A boat conceived to conquer the America's Cup, she passed through oblivion and rebirth to once again, many decades later, prove her speed and elegance, embodying the living spirit of innovation, history, and the enduring beauty of the 12 Metre class.
