Celebration of life

Hallowe’en, a record-holder of the legendary Fastnet Race and one of the most elegant yachts ever crafted by the renowned William Fife III, continues to compete for trophies to this day, captivating classic yacht enthusiasts with her grace and performance.

The history of surviving vintage yachts is often filled with coincidences and inexplicable twists of fate, and Hallowe’en is no exception. At first glance, she resembles a 15-meter class yacht—until you consider that she was originally designed as a pure cruiser. William Fife III built this 24-meter Bermudian-rigged sloop for Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Baxendale without any intention of creating a racing yacht. Yet, just a month after her launch in the summer of 1926, Hallowe’en won the Fastnet Race, leaving the entire fleet in her wake and crossing the finish line nearly 10 hours ahead of her closest competitor. Her record time stood unbroken until 1939, only surpassed after the course was altered and became shorter.

At the time, offshore racing in Britain was still in its infancy. Baxendale, a 48-year-old gentleman from Hampshire, commissioned the yacht from the famous Scottish yard William Fife & Son. Not particularly driven by racing, Baxendale had previously sailed a 39-foot yacht modelled after Scottish fishing boats that plied the waters of Loch Fyne. Why he decided to commission such a radically different yacht is anyone’s guess. Perhaps he sought greater comfort, or perhaps his recent membership in the prestigious Ocean Racing Club (later to become the Royal Ocean Racing Club) played a role. Whatever his reasoning, the fact remains: the owner of a utilitarian fishing yacht suddenly turned to one of the most respected designers of the era and ordered a 70-foot high-performance offshore vessel. It was the equivalent of trading in a tractor for a Lamborghini.

Baxendale likely harboured a vague dream of competing in the Fastnet Race, but it’s certain that Fife had no such goal in mind while designing Hallowe’en. In fact, the only thing she had in common with Ocean Racing Club yachts was her waterline length. Fife built her completely out of the box. Hallowe’en featured a low freeboard, a modest deckhouse, long overhangs, and a Bermudian rig—at a time when gaff-rigged yachts dominated regattas. Offshore sailors of the era saw neither racing nor cruising potential in her, a serious misjudgment.

Baxendale ordered the yacht in the autumn of 1925, and by the summer of 1926, she was ready. Hallowe’en immediately headed south to compete in the Ocean Race. She rounded Fastnet Rock just 61.5 hours after the start and completed the race with a record-breaking time of 91 hours and 5 minutes. (It’s worth noting that while she was the first to finish, the overall winner on corrected time was the 50-foot Ilex, designed by Charles Nicholson.)

After her dazzling Fastnet performance, Hallowe’en ventured into Mediterranean racing before returning to the Atlantic. In 1931, she was renamed Magda XII and became the flagship of the Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (Kongelig Norsk Seilforening), often helmed by Prince Olav, the future King of Norway. After seven seasons in the Norwegian fjords, she disappeared from public view, only to resurface in 1952 in the United States under the ownership of legendary offshore racer Walter Wheeler. Renamed Cotton Blossom IV, she once again shone in major regattas, claiming victories in races such as the Annapolis-Newport, Astor Cup, Vineyard Race, Larchmont Long Distance Race, and Bermuda Race.

In 1986, Wheeler donated Hallowe’en to the Museum of Yachting in Newport, ensuring her preservation for future generations. A refit from 1988 to 1991 restored much of her original appearance, with updated equipment, sails, and a new rudder while retaining her classic William Fife interiors. Four bronze winches were added to her deck. However, financial difficulties forced the museum to sell her.

By 1992, Hallowe'en had entered the charter market under the stewardship of Elizabeth Meyer, owner of the legendary J-Class yacht Endeavour. This marked her return to the Mediterranean, where she spent years cruising along the Spanish coastline. Further restoration work brought her mast and bowsprit back to their original dimensions.

In 1999, Hallowe’en was sold to Paul van der Bijl, who undertook another major refit. Her performance was optimised for both cruising and coastal racing, and her layout was reimagined by the Van de Stadt design studio. The refit included a new mast crafted by Pasqui in Villefranche and modern Meissner winches. In the winter of 2009, she was sent to the UK, where Fairlie Restorations carried out significant structural work on her hull and keel.

Today, Hallowe’en is easier to handle than ever, thanks to a thoughtfully redesigned deck layout. For short passages, she requires just two crew members, while a racing crew of six is sufficient for regattas. She remains a formidable competitor on the racecourse and is equally capable of swift ocean crossings, all while retaining her timeless beauty and charm.

Hallowe’en’s extraordinary journey—from a gentleman’s cruiser to a record-breaking racer and a cherished classic—stands as a testament to her exceptional design and enduring legacy.