La Vie en Rose

Current boat name

La Vie en Rose

Boat class

7541

Sail number

1

Number

302651

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

7.87 / 25ft 10in

Beam (m / ft)

2.59 / 7ft 6in

Leeward

Keel - long

Masts

1

Rig type

Bermudian Sloop

Propulsion

Sail/engine

Designer

Holman K

Date of build

1959

Place of build

Burnham on Crouch

Present use

Racing

On return from a holiday in the Baltic sailing Folkboats, Mr Bird asked Kim Holman if it would be possible to design a similar type of boat but for North Sea conditions with more room inside and greater initial stability: more freeboard and beam. It should be as economical as possible with no unnecessary frills or complications in the structure. She was built to compete in the 1959 Burnham Week and was completed only a few days before. She won every race on handicap. Tucker Brown were inundated with enquiries and orders and 104 Stellas were built at 5 East Coast yards and in Scotland: the first class of UK cruiser/racers. A handful were also built in Australia. La Vie En Rose, prototype of her class, is clinker built of mahogany planks on oak frames, she has a larch planked deck on oak deck beams and a fractional rig. She is still cruising and racing on the East Coast of England (2015). LA VIE EN ROSE was the prototype of the Stella class of racer/cruiser. She took part in Burnham Week 1959 and won every race in which she took part. GH May 15 LA VIE EN ROSE was the winning Boat in the 2017 Stella Class Association annual championship series. OC Oct 17