The Vanity V was designed in 1936 by the architect Fife, who was then 79 years old. Her owner was the British J.R. Payne, one of the best sailors of that time, a part an excellent pianist. The interior design did not entirely convince Payne, as it had several cabins fully equipped for cruising and he just wanted a yacht suitable to compete in races from the category of the 12 meters.

The architect recognized that the poor performance of Vanity V in her first competition was due to her excessive weight on board. Therefore, the mast was reformed and some heavy objects were removed for achieving a greater lightness. In 1936 she managed to win two races, but he just after, he was soon in crisis due to Payne’s bad health, who felt unable to submit to the pressure of the continuous competition.

From 1947 to 1960 she belonged to Sir Hartley Shawcross, the General Attorney of the United Kingdom, who moored her in Falmouth (Great Britain) and who installed a new engine.
In 1961 she was acquired by Captain Michael P.R. Boyle. From 1965 to 1996 she remained in France under the name of La Pinta and participated in races such as La Nioulargue from Saint Tropez (current Les Vients).

Daral Robert and Jean-Paul Guillet bought the boat in 1997 and regained her old name. The yacht was completely rebuilt to resemble as far as possible the original design. Since 2001 she sailed under several hands, as those from the Danish Klaus Helmersen or the French Alan Diques. Her latest achievement was winning the America’s Cup in 2007 in the category of 12 meters.