May Be III
Originally built for the legendary Swedish sailor Sven Salén, May Be III soon changed hands, making her way to Switzerland. She sailed in the 1936 Olympics at Kiel, now named Ylliam III, but was sadly disqualified. Various sources can shed some light on her unfortunate exclusion.
The Yachtsman magazine (vol. LXXXVII, page. 448) states: “At the conclusion of the series Great Britain tied with Switzerland and Norway, but Switzerland being subsequently disqualified for all races, Lalage was left at the head of the list by the narrow margin of 1 point from Norway.”
The official Olympic report explains that the Swiss contingent was ultimately disqualified due to the helm, Louis Noverraz, not qualifying as an amateur sailor. The Olympic Yachting Committee issued this statement: “In the six-metre class the points of the Swiss boat could not be allowed, as the helmsman was not eligible according to the amateur definition of the International Olympic Committee. This loss is due to the fact that the Swiss team manager did not seem to have been fully acquainted with the very strict amateur definition for the Olympic Games.”
In 1961, however, the International Yacht Racing Union overturned the decision of the Olympic Committee, stating that: “M. Noverraz has at all times been, and still is, an amateur.”
After the Olympics, May Be III, now renamed Fugue, was kept on Lake Geneva, Switzerland for the next 30 years. In around the 1960s-’70s she made her way to Lake Constance, where she was given the name Marabu and the sail number G21. She remains there today.
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