Innehållsförteckning för February 2026 från Classic Boat

For many, 8-Metres are the most beautiful classic racing yachts in existence. So, a gathering of 21 for their World Cup in Turku, Finland, was not to be missed. The week threw up mixed conditions that gave every yacht a chance to shine across eight exciting races and sub-divisions by age. The World Cup is for all measured 8s: the Sira Cup for yachts built before 1960 and allowed to use modern materials in rigs and deck hardware; and the Neptune Trophy for yachts built before 1960 but only allowed to use materials from that period. The modern, wing-keeled Yquem II won the World Cup overall, with the Sira-Class yachts Starling Burgess and Pandora taking second and third. Fourth place went to the Neptune Class Falcon, which outsailed 11 Sira…

Below the thin optimism of a bright sun, the puddles had iced over at the C&M Boatyard at Harleyford Marina on the upper Thames when we visited this November; and so had my feet. Editor Carl was here to learn more about the C&M boatyard (see last month) and I was here to see one they had done earlier: the Dunkirk little ship Quisisana, moored to a jetty just a few hundred feet from the boatyard. She caused a stir in Ramsgate in May 2025, freshly restored and part of the fleet gathered for the five-yearly crossing to Dunkirk. You really ought to go and have a look at Quisisana, they said. GOT THE TEE-SHIRT Owner Philip Christodolou talked me through the story in the cockpit of the boat, while…

The best varnish does not exist yet,” said Italian Enrico Zaccagni, project manager of many classic boat restorations. “It is always a compromise and a personal choice.” That personal choice comes down to a number of factors: the application, the prevailing climatic conditions, the time available, the number of people involved, the timber species, and the area of the vessel being coated (exterior brightwork, spars, interior); and then, once the work is done, the environment in which the boat will spend its time, whether it will be practical to keep the varnished areas covered to protect them from the elements, and how long it will be before the owner wants to, or is able to, recoat it. “And very often it is a question of finding a product you like…

GWEEK QUAY, CORNWALL Building a schooner for the Fastnet As new-build projects go, this is one of the biggest we’ve heard of in some years, and with a fascinating living history aspect. It’s no exaggeration to say that everyone who remotely follows the classic boat world will have heard of Leo Goolden’s restoration of the 50ft (15.1m) Albert Strange yacht Tally Ho, winner of the heavy-weather 1927 Fastnet. Perhaps you didn’t know that of the fleet of 15 that year, only two made it back. The other boat was a John Alden-designed schooner named La Goleta. Ben Harris has now embarked on a replica build of that vessel, a Malabar IV design, to take on Leo and Tally Ho a century later, at the 1927 Fastnet. Back in 1927, Tally…

Rapier planes As with wooden boats, so also with the tools that build them, it’s good to know their origins. But although many hand tools have barely changed in generations, their origins have changed enormously with the global economy. The meaning of "made in (wherever)" is hard to fathom. Fully manufactured? Rarely. Assembled? More likely. Merely boxed and labelled? Hopefully not. The origin of this smoother, jack and spokeshave with adjustable iron, reckoned essential tools by John Leather in his benchmark practical guide Clinker Boatbuilding (Adlard Coles Nautical, 1990) is cast in steel: Gateshead, England, formerly home to The Anglo Scottish Tool Company. For the amateur builder setting out with drawings and textbook to hand, perhaps interpreting the adage ‘buy the best tools’ as ‘buy the most expensive', such time-tested…

The term ‘canoe’ has always caused confusion, at least in Britain. The best definition, and one that will serve most purposes, is that of a craft propelled by one paddler or more in a kneeling position, using a single-bladed paddle. A kayak is a craft propelled by one or more paddlers in a seated position using a two-bladed paddle, a differentiation that has given rise to the canoeist’s favourite expression: “half the paddle, twice the man.” Kayakers know this to be untrue but have yet to find a witty enough reply, as kayakers are not nearly as clever as sailors; or even, probably, canoeists. I spent my childhood spent kayaking, first on the Thames, then graduating to whitewater at Thames weirs (the freezing winter slalom scene, in 3mm wetsuits and…

For about 30 years around the turn of the 20th century, brothers HJ & NR (Norford Reeve) Suffling, timber merchants based in Great Yarmouth, owned a number of sailing boats. The design of at least four of these was attributed to one or both of the brothers, so it can be no surprise that they also had some input into the conception of Venture, a new boat they commissioned towards the end of the First World War. They were on friendly terms with Albert Strange and Harrison Butler, and it is thought that after they had sketched out some ideas for their new boat, Butler suggested to them that they ask Strange to develop the design. The Sufflings were firmly of the belief that a yawl rig was best suited…

Maldon Town Regatta 2025 We wanted to ensure this great local event received its moment in the magazine, with the mixed fleet of traditional smacks and classic and modern yachts congregating in Mersea Quarters for the annual Maldon Town Regatta. The first race was a fine sight, as gaffers and classic boats powered over the line – though for some in the smack class, it was a few seconds too early! A shortened course set the boats tacking across the River Blackwater with a final broad reach leg up to the finish line off Osea Island Pier. The second race followed, the traditional parade of sail leading up to Maldon Quay on the spring tide. Joining this race were several East Coast One Designs (ECOD) that sail out of Maylandsea,…

Have you noticed that your boat seems to be getting younger, just as we seem to be getting older? Sally was in her 50s when I first set eyes on her in the mid 1990s, and now, as she nears her 90th year – she was launched in 1937 – I am aware that, with good care, she will outlast me. As bits of me begin to fail, she can sail on in the sure knowledge that every bit of her can be replaced, if need be. I, on the other hand, might hope for a new hip, knee, even heart, but replacing my skeletal structure is rather harder than sistering a rib or two, or refastening her garboards. I can be patched up, until there’s no more that medical…

Back when I believed winter sailing was worth keeping my old gaffer in commission for, I once spent a spooky night in the most haunted anchorage in the country. I was one of those who would say, “You can get some beautiful sunny days in December…”. On not very careful reflection, the reality is that when darkness falls at teatime the choice is either too long in the pub or squinting at a book beneath a flickering oil lamp. Anyway, these were earlier days and I was alone in my 1936 Maurice Griffiths-designed 26ft (8m) gaff cutter Wendy May, built in Conwy, North Wales. A severe gale from the southwest was forecast as I was cruising around the River Medway in Kent and decided to overnight in Stangate Creek, a…

Once upon a time, my wife Roz and I were anchored in the huge harbour of Rio de Janeiro. A couple of other yachts joined Saari, my 13-ton, 1903 Colin Archer gaff cutter, in a tidy little bay on the west-facing side generally known as Niteroi. The most notable was a classic 45ft (13.7m) wooden yawl from South Africa, well found and run by her owner, a big man in every respect and a thoroughgoing seaman. The other was a fibreglass production outfit produced locally. The hull looked more like a soap dish than a worthwhile boat and the rig wasn’t up to much either. Her crew were a bunch of fully paid-up funsters out for a good time. As it happened, the pleasure-seekers were in luck. In those days…

A lan Staley’s yard on the edge of north Kent’s Faversham, better known for the Shepherd Neame brewery, sits quietly, its back to Faversham creek, overlooking salt marshes and electric pylons. At the front there is a large female black poplar, one of only a handful left in the country, but the only big change here is that it has to come down: it drops a carpet of fluffy seeds that, if ignited as it was last year, spreads as a carpet of flame burning forward at about 4ft per second. It’s a mesmerising sight, but better viewed on YouTube than seen working its way rapidly towards a shed full of wooden boats. Inside the shed, there are two big projects on the go, as well as various other work.…

A living archive of classic yachting gathered on the stunning Côte D’Azur for the annual Voiles de Saint-Tropez regatta. Hosted by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, this crescendo to the Mediterranean circuit lured thousands of spectators to witness the start-line action. The traditional fleet saw more than 80 yachts spread across nine classes. Joining the schooners in the Big Boat fleet this year was the 180ft (56m) schooner Atlantic, a replica of the vessel that set the 1905 transatlantic record skippered by Charlie Barr. Under new ownership, Atlantic entered the racing for the first time competing for the Rolex Trophy. The 300 tonnes of boat powered by 1,750 m2 of sail area across 10 sails was a breathtaking sight as the three-masted schooner sized up against Elena of London, Belle…

At the 1936 Olympic Games, the Norwegian boat Silja won the silver medal in the 8-Metre class in an extremely tight series with just four points separating the first four boats. One of Silja’s crew was Bergen shipowner Nordahl Wallem, who then decided that he would commission his own 8-M for the 1940 Olympics, which were initially due to be hosted by Tokyo before being reallocated to Helsinki following the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Silja had been designed and built by Johan Anker but for his new boat, Nordahl decided to go to Bjarne Aas. Anne Sophie was then built at Aas’s Fredrikstad Yard of Norwegian pine on steel frames with intermediate timbers, and completed in 1938. For the right to represent Norway in the 1940 Olympics, Nordahl…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH The annual Classic Boat Awards, in association with Classic Marine, celebrates the best in the sometimes unsung world of classic and traditional boatbuilding and restoration, more so this year with two new awards dedicated to the incredible work being done in yards and harbours across the world. The awards cover everything from antique restored sailing yachts of all sizes to new, cutting-edge, spirit-of-tradition yachts and motorboats. Reflecting on the year, sailing yacht restorations around the world still drive the market. More locally, the passion and investment poured into Dunkirk little ships in Britain shows no sign of slowing, astonishing and impressing in equal measure. Now in its 19th year, the awards have had the pleasure to showcase and celebrate so many wonderful yachts and the craft, skill…

BANFIELD EB34 – JUST ADD FAIREY DUST Hot on the heels of our December story on Double Century, comes this new design from Elephant Boatyard in Hampshire. If you’ve detected a whiff of the Fairey magic, you’re not wrong. The Banfield EB34 is an actual Alan Burnard hull, from the moulds of the 2004 Solent Spear. Elephant Boatyard has owned the moulds for that boat for some time, but weren’t quite happy with the stern. Enter designer Patrick Banfield, who has reverted to the earlier look of a plumb (rather than raked) transom, making the new boat resemble a slightly larger Spearfish, a 1969 design, and the fist of Burnard’s for construction in GRP. This new boat, too, is to be built in GRP (to be clear; it’s currently only…

It’s hammer time The proverbial tool kit of ‘a hammer and a bigger one’ answers many needs but some finer points of hammering are best tackled with more precision. An eight-ounce Warrington hammer generally serves as the toolbox factotum, but a four-ounce pin hammer with slender head delivering its weight with more focus is better for small nails (2). Its wedge-shaped peen, used for starting tacks, evolved from that of the Exeter hammer (3). The hemispherical rear end of the ball-peen hammer is for riveting, spreading the soft copper of the boat nail over its underlying rove (4). The forked peen of the upholsterer’s hammer, meanwhile, is magnetised for holding steel tacks (5). In one fluid movement the ‘ragtacker’ picks the tack from the bench, starts the tack in the…

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Warm up with this Pacific adventure, a sometimes wild shakedown cruise, with issues and challenges aplenty, but memories to last a lifetime. CATBOAT QUEST A family photo and a lucky find led to the most beautiful outcome COCKWELLS’ NIMBLE 25 The Duchy was designed to be the trailable classic you can use everyday. We speak to its creator and take her for a spin. MARCH 2026 ISSUE ON SALE 13 February 2026 Or why not subscribe? SAILING TODAY WITH YACHTS & YACHTING IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE • Boat test: Linjett 36 • Get Planning: Passage-making masterclass • Sail GP finals – who took the glory? • Tender choices – which dinghy is right for you? • Bluewater Beast: the Balance 580 on test Available online or order now…