The origins of the sailboat Marge, a jewel born in the 1930s
The Marge sailboat, originally named Braila, was designed in 1930 by the famous naval architect Johan Anker, father of the famous Dragon. Built at the Stubbekobing shipyard in Denmark under hull number 342, this 10-meter JI-rated racing yacht is a Bermudian cutter sloop, with a Marconi rig. Commissioned by Mr. Nielsen, Braila represented the excellence of naval engineering at the time, with an all-wood structure, mainly mahogany reinforced with oak frames.
Construction and design, the last survivor of its era
Her sistership, the 343-hull Rita V, was delivered 3 years later, in 1933, to Christian X, King of Denmark. On board, the King took part in numerous regattas. Sadly, Rita V was destroyed by fire in 1936, on the quays of Copenhagen, making Marge one of the last existing examples of the pre-war 10-meter JI, with a 100% wooden structure.
Traces of the sailboat Braila were lost during the war, only to be found again at the end of the conflict, purchased by Mrs. Gurli Larsen. She sold it to her husband, who entered it in the Danish Naval Register on September 27, 1952, under her new name, Lasse de Copenhague.
Marge at the movies, a sailboat eternalized by the film Plein Soleil
In 1959, the yacht was chosen by René Clément for his film Plein Soleil, an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's thriller. Acquired by producers Robert and Raymond Hakim, the yacht was renamed Margin for the film. The name change symbolized a new life for the sailboat, which became not only an iconic setting, but a real character in its own right in the plot, starring Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforet. In 1960, the boat was bought by Italian professor and surgeon Paride Stefanini.
A passionate restoration to bring a myth back to life
Between 1974 and 1979, the new owner undertook an extensive restoration of the yacht at the Lacchinini shipyards in Viareggio. She had been badly damaged in a collision in the harbor. Thanks to this meticulous work, Lasse was restored to her original splendor and continued to sail the Mediterranean. Between 1980 and 2000, Lasse was bought by various owners, who converted her into a cruise ship.
In 2005, Jean-Louis Nicolas decided to restore the boat's original lines. After a 5-year restoration, Lasse once again became a racy sports yacht, with its Oregon pine flush-deck and original tiller. In the film, the tiller was replaced by a steering wheel. Architect Guy Ribadeau Dumas, who is overseeing the restoration, notes that the entire planking is iroko and the curved frames are 100% wood, a typical construction in Nordic countries in 1930.
Bought by Stéphane Baudry in 2020, the yacht - renamed Marge in honor of René Clément's film - is due to return to the Mediterranean in 2021, with the ambition of taking part in the AFYT regatta circuit and having her registered with "Bâtiments de France" to protect her heritage.
