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As well as chartering the luxury Motor Yacht  , the owner, Michael Earl, also has an interest in classic motor boats. So for those of you who are also interested in classic boats we have picture below of ‘MAY BRITTS MAVERICK’.
MAY BRITTS MAVERICK is a 1971 Fairey Marine Huntsman 28, designed in 1960 by Alan Burnard of Fairey Marine. This was a larger version of the company’s highly successful 22ft Fairey Huntress designed earlier by Alan Burnard & Ray Hunt. Built with hot moulded & laminated agba mahogany the Huntsman 28 was ultra strong and light compared to the then just emerging glass fibre technology. With twin diesel engines Fairey were at the forefront of technology and in the 1960’s it was the boat everyone wanted. Not surprising then that both the Huntress & Huntsman had starring roles in the James Bond Film ‘From Russia with love’ staring Sean Connery.
Built from 1960 though until 1972 the boats took part in all the power boat races, including the gruelling ‘Round Britain Power Boat Race’, bringing home a string of trophies. Fairey delighted in advertising the Huntsman as one of the best sea keeping boats built by showing a Huntsman 28 flying off the top of a wave whilst racing and asking the question, “Can you do this with your house?”
Anybody familiar with another classic boat the ‘Dell Quay Ranger’ will probably recognise the hull shape - Dell Quay bought their hulls from Fairey Marine.
Fairey only ceased production of the Huntsman as their newer glass fibre boats started to take centre stage. MBM was on of the last Huntsman 28’s to be built with Hull No 123. The last to leave the Hamble Point boatyard was Hull No 128.
Michael Earl, owner of Earl Associates, bought MBM in late 2006 and carried out an extensive restoration to the top sides of the boat, as well as internally and electrically.(The hot moulded hull was in as good condition as when it left the factory!)
From 2007 to 2009 she covered over 3,500 nautical miles, without a hitch, sailing to & from Norway, attending a number of boat shows for classic & wooden boats and exploring large parts of the Norwegian, Swedish & Danish coasts - not bad for a 50 year old design and a 35+ year old boat! A small boat by todays motor yacht standards, but she really is an excellent sea boat.
MBM is listed on the British Register of Shipping.
Sadly both Fairey Marine & Fairey Aviation no longer exist, but you can read more about Fairey Marine & their great boats by going the excellent Fairey Owners Club site at www.faireyownersclub.co.uk or by clicking on the hyperlink on the links page
M J Earl October 2010
Footnote - 16th December 2012
After being laid up under cover, outside, for two years, ‘MAY BRITTS MAVERICK’ has been sold to a new owner. She has been transported back to Fairey Marine’s old home on the South Coast and she’ll eventually be domiciled on the Isle of Wight. There she will enjoy the luxury of being kept in a heated shed in the winters. This should make her marvelous sea boat for at least another 35 years. MJE
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![h28_'Maverick'[1]](./h28_-Maverick--1-.jpg "h28_'Maverick'[1]")
