| Hallowe'en |
 |
| Rig Class. | Bermudan Cutter |
| Year built: | 1926 |
| Fate: | Still sailing in 2015 |
| General characteristics |
| Class & Type: | Bermudan Cutter |
| Ton: | 51 tons |
| Beam: | |
Known as one of the most beautiful yachts in the world, Hallowe'en was ordered by Colonel Baxendale and launched in 1926 as Fife's first large bermudan yacht.
She won line honours at that year's Fastnet in the incredible time of 3 days and 19 hours, a time that has never been beaten as the course was later changed. To put that into context, the first winner the year before, Jolie Brise, took just over 6 days and that was considered to be a good time.
The launch of Hallowe'en is said to have marked the invention of the cruiser/racer.
In 1928 the yacht became a gaff cutter, the first of many rig changes, names, owners and home ports.
In 1931 she was bought by the Norwegian Alfred Larsen, who reinstated the bermudan rig, re-named her Magda XII and raced her in the Baltic.
The Canadian John Mickles bought her in 1938, changed her name to Maiki II and sailed her to the eastern seaboard of the USA where she remained for five years.
In 1952 she was bought by the avid American yachtsman Walter Wheeler who re-named her Cotton Blossom IV, changed her rig to bermudan yawl (overseen by Rod Stephens) and raced her to victory in many long-distance courses over a period of 34 years.
She had a 5 year restoration in the late 1980s when her name reverted to Hallowe'en, she was moved to the Med and her rig was changed yet again, to a new bermudan yawl configuration.
By 1991 she was again owner-less, but was rescued by Elizabeth Meyer (of the J Class Endeavour fame) and she sailed until 1998 with another bermudan cutter rig.
Then the Dutch owner Paul Van der Bijl took her on, changed her rig yet again, and this one seems to have been a success because she still (2015) has it.
Fife's design was for a low-aspect, triple-headed masthead rig, and the boom extended 10 feet aft of the transom. The present arrangement is set on a taller mast with a fractional plan that removes the need for a topmast backstay, and the shorter boom ends just inside the transom. She now flies just two headsails, a boomed staysail with a Yankee jib or larger reaching sail.
Owners