Skeaf II

Design and Construction

Skeaf II was an early International 12 Metre yacht built to the International First Rule and launched in 1908. She was designed by Gerhard Barg and built by Actien-Gesellschaft Neptun in Rostock, Germany. As a First Rule Twelve, Skeaf II belonged to the pioneering generation of the class, characterized by long overhangs, narrow beam, and comparatively light displacement typical of pre-First World War metre-rule yachts.

Ownership and Early Career

At launch, Skeaf II was owned by B. Consul Henry Horn, with her home port listed as Schleswig, Germany. Horn was a prominent German industrialist and major wood importer, as well as one of the most influential private owners in early Twelve Metre history. Over a relatively short period, he commissioned five 12 Metres, each bearing the name Skeaf, often replacing a yacht with a newly commissioned successor as part of an ongoing development program.

Racing Record

The 1908 season is recorded as a particularly successful year for Skeaf II. Contemporary accounts credit her with several race victories, including success at Kiel Woche, which was already among the most important regattas in Northern Europe. In 1909, Skeaf II was defeated by Davo II. Following this result, Henry Horn decided to commission a new Twelve, continuing the Skeaf series with a successor yacht.

Later Ownership and Renaming

By 1931, Skeaf II appears under new ownership. At that time, she was owned by A. Th. Laverge, renamed Mary II, and registered with her home port in Rotterdam, Netherlands. No confirmed records of racing activity during this later period have been identified.

Disappearance from the Record

After 1931, Skeaf II, then sailing as Mary II, disappears from Lloyd’s Register. No formal documentation has been found recording her scrapping, loss, or re-registration under another name. As with many wooden yachts of this era, particularly those withdrawn from competitive racing, her final fate remains undocumented.

Historical Significance

Skeaf II is historically significant as an early First Rule International 12 Metre, as part of the influential Skeaf series commissioned by Henry Horn, and as a yacht with a documented and successful early racing career. Like several other pre-war Twelves, she is today considered a “lost” yacht, with no confirmed record of her ultimate disposition.