Name Wild Rival

WILD RIVAL was the first of 174 Rival 34 yachts designed by Peter Brett and the one of the first production yachts to have been tank-tested heeled. Wild Rival was built in GRP by Southern Boatbuilding of Woolston in 1971 and owned for her first few years by the designer, Peter Brett and boasts the distinctive Rival keyhole bulkhead. The design was clearly influenced by the early IOR rating rule, but not to the detriment of her seaworthiness and she has a fin and skeg underwater configuration, with a graceful sheerline. 

In her early years, she was raced extensively, completing 2 x Observer Singlehanded Trans Atlantic Race (OSTAR), 2 x Azores and Back (AZAB) Races, the first solo in 1975, skippered by Mervyn Wheatley, 2 Round Britain races, 1 x 2STAR and an OCC pursuit race to the Azores. Of particular note, she won the very windy 1976 OSTAR (Monohull) on handicap, when skippered by Geoff Hales, beating Eric Tabarlay in Pen Duick VI on corrected time. 

In her current ownership since 2007, she is well maintained, including a replacement engine and mast, but remains very true to the original design, including an array of piston-hanked headsails, whilst benefiting from modern electronics. She continues to race in Classic and passage races, including several Classics Channel Regattas, Hamble Classics Regattas and Dartmouth Classics.