All grown up now

Back in 2011, Robbie Fabre became the youngest recipient of our Restoration of the Year Award. We catch up on the missing years

- STEFFAN MEYRIC HUGHES

Eight years ago, the pages of this magazine were alive with one of the rarest and most enlivening stories we have ever published. Our Restoration of the Year Award, started in 2007 for the rebuild of the 122ft (37m), 1920-built Herbert White cutter Lulworth, was split for the first time in 2011 into two categories: over and under 40ft (12.2m). The small-boat prize went to the 26ft (7.9m), 1935 Harrison Butler sloop Mischief, while the big-boat winner was the 42ft (12.8m), 1945 German Frers ketch Vagabundo II. The story of her restoration, by her 23-year-old owner and his mates from boatbuilding college, was a riot of youthful energy on a shoestring budget. For the next few years, the classic yacht racing scene, traditionally the preserve of an older, wealthier crowd, welcomed young Robbie and a revolving gang of 20-something vagabonds as they sailed the world, racing and partying hard in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and USA. Years passed, then in 2017, we published the news of the death of Robbie’s father, Philippe, so instrumental to Robbie’s life.

Robbie, who I never met at the time, and Vagabundo II were the last things on my mind while tramping the pontoons at the Yacht Club de Monaco back in September at the biennial classic – on a day so still, it seemed unclear whether there would be any sailing at all. A smiling young man in a Mylne T-shirt and cap approached and offered a ride out on his RIB to see the fleet. He stuck out his hand and said: “I’m Robbie Fabre.” Girlfriend Pippa and younger brother Henry and partner also hopped aboard, and we headed out into a still, blue sea, where crew were jumping overboard from yachts to cool off. Robbie drove slowly around the fleet, as the rest of us sat astride the RIB’s sides, trailing our feet in the sea, while we caught up on his life before, and after, Vagabundo II.