Impala
Archie McMillan and William Fife III
Builder
Fairlie Yacht Slip, Scotland
Built
1960
Type
39-foot Bermudan sloop
Construction
Carvel teak planking over laminated kauri
Design and history
Impala was built for Scottish owner Bertie McFadden.
She later sailed from England to New Zealand and passed through several local owners before being left on an Auckland farm for approximately 25 years.
Her surviving construction presented a rare opportunity: a late-period Fairlie-built cruiser-racer with carvel teak planking over laminated kauri.
Peter Brookes undertook the structural restoration with close attention to Impala’s surviving materials, hull form and intended sailing use.
The work gives a future owner a sound basis from which to complete the yacht, rather than a generic refit that disregards her original construction.
CAPTIONS
Project enquiries
Every wooden yacht presents a different combination of construction, condition, history and intended use.
Speak with Peter Brookes about what should be retained, what requires attention and the right scope for the work.