Innehållsförteckning för Classic Yachts 2023 från Classic Boat

Many a restoration article starts with a brief history of the boat before going on to describe the job, making reference in passing to the builder. Sometimes, though, the man in question is as interesting as his boat, so before taking readers through the life and changing times of Uandi, I’m going to introduce you to Alastair Garland. Alastair and I first crossed tacks around 1990 when the foreman of the Elephant Boatyard at Bursledon sent him along to caulk my old pilot cutter. This should have been a daunting task with 50ft of planking, as he observed, on both sides. The seams were 80 years from new and had been around the block more than once, but Alastair had her ‘clattered up tight’ in short order. Learning that he’s…

Over the years, articles on advances in yacht design have invariably focused on hull form and rig, and very rarely on interiors – but it’s here that some of the most important changes have taken place, changes that affect not just the accommodation, but the entire vessel. The traditional yacht interior – at least up to around 30ft (9.1m), which was typical for cruising yachts of old – barely changed since it was standardised between the two wars by serial builders like Berthon, Hillyard and countless others. Spirit Yachts founder Sean McMillan has designed at least 100 yacht interiors, and although these include the wildly futuristic, like his collaboration with Rhoades Young on the Spirit 111 Geist, he has mostly held the hard-won wisdom of the past tightly in his…

Once the superyachts have cast off their lines in April and sailed for the Med or the USA, Antigua hosts its much-loved Classic Yacht Regatta for all wooden boat lovers. The event’s 34th year in 2023 saw an international fleet of 36 boats gather in Nelson’s Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the beautifully restored Georgian buildings made a fitting backdrop. National Parks welcomed everyone with fire dancers, steel drums and stilt walkers and traditional rum punch. The popular music night drew talented sailors and their instruments for sea shanties and dancing. The weather was uncharacteristically light and southerly, but there was enough breeze for even the heaviest of schooners to sail well, with courses and start times adjusted accordingly. Five boats sailed in the singlehanded race and over…

The start of the 2022 Golden Globe solo non-stop round the world yacht race from Les Sables d’Olonne gave some the opportunity to make the pilgrimage to the grave of French solo pioneer Bernard Moitessier. As Australian Simon Blake found when he visited the cemetery at Bone in Brittany, France, recent publicity surrounding the GGR has re-awoken interest in the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race back in 1968/9 when Moitessier, aboard Joshua, abandoned his efforts to catch Robin Knox-Johnston soon after rounding Cape Horn and instead turned west to circle the Globe again – “To save my soul”. Moitessier, who remains a legend in French sailing circles as much for discarding the trappings of fame and glory as much as his voyaging, died in June 1994. He was buried…

Creator of a brand symbol of luxury and quality, Carlo Riva would have been 100 years old in 2022. In our tribute here, each letter of his name recalls the outlines of his exceptional pioneering career. VISION The genesis of so many success stories is often in the family environment. Carlo Riva was no exception to this, founding a world-famous brand as the heir to a long line of builders of transport and work boats originating from Lake Como. His father Serafino took the helm in the early 1920s, building himself a solid reputation in competition, both as a driver and as a craftsman. His speedboats won numerous trophies, attracting orders including from the Italian government for a small series of service boats destined for overseas operation. Located in Sarnico…

Our Charity of the Year, Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) is a youth development outdoor learning charity that has been providing transformational voyages to young people from all walks of life for the past 66 years. The trust operates a fleet of four 72ft Challenger yachts and a 55ft ketch vessel all-year round, providing young people aged 12 to 25 nationwide, with a residential sailing adventure. Alastair Floyd, CEO at TSYT, says: “By blending youth development, outdoor learning and sail training we provide a unique environment that supports young people on their journey into adulthood. Our voyage experiences develop and equip young people with the skills and confidence needed to strive to create better outcomes for themselves and their communities. “Formed in 1956, we’re the UK’s oldest and largest youth…

How many of you reading this had your first taste of life under sail on the tall ships the Sir Winston Churchill, Malcolm Miller, Prince William or Stavros S Niarchos? Under their parent company the Sailing Training Association, these great landmark ships introduced generations of young people to the benefits of sailing from the 1950s onwards. If you talk to one of the lucky souls who sailed aboard them, the glint in their eye as they recall the thrill of scaling the ratlines and making their way along the yard is unmistakable. In 2003, the Sailing Training Association adopted a new name, Tall Ships Youth Trust, and the man in charge of continuing that life-changing work is sitting before me in the RAF Club in Piccadilly. Alastair Floyd grew up…

The build up to the Voiles de Saint Tropez cannot be exaggerated. It’s the last event of the classic calendar and the end of the summer, so there’s quite often an emotional attachment to this regatta for a lot of sailors. For us on Shenandoah the intention was to bring the boat to the south of France to showcase her on the circuit because, after a 22-year tenure, the owners are looking for the next custodian to look after her. As is customary before Saint-Tropez, we took part in the Régates Royales in Cannes, with a couple of days training preceding it. It’s been a while since Shenandoah has graced the racecourse, so we spent a week removing all the charter toys, extra anchor, books and many spares that we…

RIVA PAINTING Canadian artist Paul Clark painted these retro cool images of a Riva Aquarama bow, size 135cm x 105cm, and a Riva Aquarama, size 150cm x 80cm. Each €1,800 Available through kontrastwerke.de ENDEAVOUR MODEL The J-Class yacht Endeavour was “reserved for the elite and wealthy”, say Premier Ship Models. True enough but let’s not forget the 30 people who were sailing it! This model boasts a “stunning level of detail is second-to-none”. Prices start at £593 premiershipmodels.co.uk RECYCLED SUNGLASSES SunGod’s 8KO Infinite Lenses feature ‘50% recycled materials…continuing ‘to push the boundaries of sustainable innovation in the eyewear industry’. Plus the company’s limited edition Sierra model has been ‘designed in collaboration with’ the Great Britain SailGP team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie with Hannah Mills, pictured, also on the team.…

The 60-strong eclectic fleet at the 2023 Suffolk Yacht Harbour regatta on the River Orwell spanned 131 years between the oldest - the Oyster Smack Primrose - and the newest yacht, Spirit Yachts’ Gwenhyfar II. Racing off Harwich under brilliant blue skies, the yachts were seen at their very best. Crossing the startline in my 8-Ton Gauntlet Bardu we were accompanied to port by a delightful fleet of four 21ft Cherubs from the Deben and to our starboard another Gauntlet, the 12-ton Grey Seal. Then there was the Kentish smack yacht Cachalot and Phialle, a Kim Holman No 1, with Vashti an Alan Buchannan sloop and Malwen, a Solani class sloop. Plus the Twister, Cheetah of Burnham and a Holman Sterling-design, Rhumba with a Vertue Mea in close proximity. They…

THE NATIONAL HISTORIC SHIPS UK OVERALL WINNER 2022…

MASSACHUSETTS Arey’s Pond Boat Yard Arey’s Pond Boat Yard is best known for designing, building, restoring, and maintaining classic catboats. The yard, in Orleans on Cape Cod, offers a wide range of custom-built catboats in glassfibre and wood. The most popular designs include the quick and light 14ft Racing Catboat and the 16ft Open Cockpit Lynx Catboat with seating for between six and eight people. In 2020, the Arey’s 24ft Custom Catboat Libellule won our Classic Boat Award in the Spirit of Tradition Under 40ft category. The yard also was Highly Commended in this year’s Classic Boat awards, for its extreme racing catboard. As well as designing and building award-winning catboats, Arey’s Pond is a full-service boatyard with boatbuilding and restoration, marine finish, canvas fabrication, and rigging capabilities. Their waterfront…

Broghan Robertson (17) was one of 40 young people from the north west who competed in a TSYT Challenger yacht race as part of the Chief Constables’ Challenge last October. The police forces of Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and Greater Manchester led the challenge from Portsmouth to Merseyside in partnership with local schools. Broghan, who was nominated by The Heath School in Cheshire, says: “I was nominated along with other children at my school who had been through a difficult childhood and yet still excelled in their learning. “I’d never been abroad or on the water, and never thought I’d have the opportunity. I had a difficult home environment and we needed extra financial help. “I thought I wouldn’t like being stuck on a boat living in close quarters with…

The news that the Commité International de la Méditerranée (known by tout le monde as CIM of course), is softening towards glassfibre-hulled boats seemed serendipitous, coming as it did just a few weeks after an editorial meeting at Classic Boat, where we agreed, with some enthusiasm, that a glass boat could feature on the cover – and since has done. Before purist alarm bells ring, don’t worry: nothing will ever replace the magic of a wooden boat, and this will remain the principal focus of this magazine and Classic Boat. But some of those old glassfibre yachts are really attractive and their heritage appeal is clearly on the rise. A decade ago, serious restorations of glass yachts from the 60s and 70s were rare. These days, I can think of…

DUTCH WARSHIP OF 1656 DISCOVERED A wreck discovered off the coast of Sussex, England, under 104ft (32m) of water, was identified as the Dutch warship Klein Hollandia, built in 1656, writes John Greaves. The wreck’s identity was a mystery since its discovery by dive operator David Ronnan in 2019. He reported it to Historic England, which afforded it the highest level of protection under the Protection of Wrecks Act. In late 2022 a UK-Dutch team of maritime archaeologists used dive evidence, archival research and dendrochronological (tree ring) analysis of the wood samples to narrow down its identity. The ship was owned by the Admiralty of Rotterdam and was involved in all the major battles in the second Anglo-Dutch war (1665-1667). Mark Beattie Edwards, CEO of the Nautical Archaeology Society, said:…

Many readers of this magazine will be familiar with the 1974-built 72ft (22m) aluminium maxi Mistress Quickly, designed by Bob Miller, built in Sydney and originally named Ballyhoo. But this is the story of a previous Mistress Quickly – now called Nerissa. She was designed as a yawl by Arthur Robb and built at Vincenzo Beltrami’s yard near Genoa in 1965 for William Whitehouse-Vaux, a shipping lawyer whose work took him all over the world. It is said that Robb designed her to comply with, and be competitive under, three different rating rules: the RORC and CCA rules, which were in force at the time, and the International CR Rule (and as such she rated as a 10.5 Metre cruiser/racer). “Arthur Robb claims that nothing has been conceded to any…

From time to time on British roads – more so in summer – you see a recent classic, like an Austin Allegro or Ford Cortina doing precisely 70mph in the middle lane. Piloting it will usually be a youngish man for whom the car is a modest entry to the world of classics, but just occasionally, the driver will be older and you know without having to ask that he bought the car new in the 1970s or 1980s and owns every receipt ever spent on it. Even in the automotive world it’s rare. In the world of sailing yachts, it’s unheard of. In 2022 Classic Boat, our sister title ran the story of the 47ft (14.3m) ketch Rinamara, the last yacht designed by James McGruer of the prolific Scottish…

Based at Shepards Marina, Cowes Spring Classics took place over the weekend of 12 – 14 May, 2023, and the regatta kicked off on a blustery Friday evening with the Mermaid Gin welcome drinks and Moroccan crew party. The weather improved significantly by the weekend although the forecast for Sunday was very light winds, so Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club race team made a great decision to run three races on Saturday and one race on Sunday, which started after lunch, giving crews a lie-in on Sunday and time for brunch in town or some relaxation before the wind arrived early in the afternoon. The overall winner of the regatta, with four wins in the gaff class against strong competition, was Wave, a recently restored 29-footer from Guernsey. Her young owner…

On the first weekend in February 2023, the historical Sydney Harbour 18-Footers held the third and final race of its Australian Championships. While there are no original boats still in commission, 11 replicas of boats built between 1906 and 1950 were produced between 1993 and 2013, and these are based at the Sydney Flying Squadron in Kirribilli on the north side of Sydney Harbour. Going into the last race, three boats were within two points of each other: Yendys having had a second and a first, The Mistake a first and third, and Alruth a third and second. With a forecast of “a horrible westerly 10 to 15kts, meaning 0 to 20 with big shifts”, according to Ian Smith – Britannia’s builder, owner and skipper – most boats opted for…

Classic Boat prize winner Srirangam Mohankumar has worked for a number of years as an orthopaedic surgeon within the UK’s National Health Service. From a young age he was interested in sketching and painting, particularly in watercolour and preferably outdoors. His sketches are often developed into the final piece in his home studio. Sriringam regularly travels the British Isles to find inspiration, and of course to paint on location. “The subjects I paint are varied,” says Sriringam. “These include landscapes, rustic buildings, rolling skies, waterways, street scenes, boats and harbours. “Painting and drawing are part of being human for me. The great living artist Ken Howard, whom I admire very much, once said ‘painting is about revelation, communication and celebration. It is also about interaction between artist and audience.’” Sriringam…

It may seem odd to call a yacht built in 1938 a newcomer but that is exactly what Northern Light is in the Baltic 12-Metre class. She was bought by a group of Swedish sailors who wanted to challenge the hegemony of the Danish owned Vim, the Danish/Finnish consortium owning Wings, and the other predominantly German-owned top 12-Metres racing at various events in the Baltic such as Flica II, Trivia, Sphinx and Jenetta. After her first full season racing in 2022, she has done more than just challenge the old guard but has thoroughly turned the accepted order upset down with deciding wins at Dyvig Week in Denmark and the Robbe & Berking Sterling Cup in Flensburg, Germany. Where did this race horse come from? By 1938, although only 30…