Thirty-foot keelboats come and go all the time. Most arrive with a short-lived fanfare, only to fade gradually out of sight and memory. Not so the Cape 31, which looks…
Extraordinary boats
Recluta – Germán Frers’ new, old yacht
The Frers dynasty is responsible for more than 1,300 yacht designs. Germán Frers, having last year celebrated his 80th birthday, remains one of the most prolific and sought after designers…
Sailing the new foiling Birdyfish dinghy
Based on an engineering school graduation project, three young Frenchmen have created the BirdyFish, a dinghy that aims to make foiling accessible to everyone. BirdyFish is the story of a…
Clarionet: famous yacht meticulously restored
At just 36ft 9in, the Sparkman & Stephens sloop Clarionet is an unassuming yacht, often dwarfed by larger competitors on the UK classic racing circuit. Yet Clarionet helped change the…
Extraordinary Boats: the new 11th Hour Racing IMOCA 60
For decades the whole point of designing an IMOCA 60 has been to win the Vendée Globe solo round the world race. However, the adoption of the class by The…
How this once famous yacht was brought back to life
An extensive restoration of a yacht not far short of 100 years old and 100ft long would provide a mighty challenge for any established boatyard, no matter how skilled and…
Extraordinary boats: Bluebottle – late Duke of Edinburgh’s boat
After an 18-month restoration to an impressively high standard, Bluebottle, the Duke of Edinburgh’s boat, is racing again for the first time in 60 years. Even better, the boat won…
Extraordinary boats: Pen Duick VI
Few yachts are more iconic, or have done more to inspire others, than the late Eric Tabarly’s Pen Duick series. Pen Duick VI, a 73-footer built for the 1973/4 Whitbread…
Is this the boat Batman would sail?
Imagine a boat that combines the aggressive loom of a Lamborghini with the controls of a fighter jet. Pop a rig on top, open the transom like the cargo door…
Extraordinary boats: TF35 semi-automated foiler
In recent America’s Cups we have seen a small army of grinders pumping away to bring pressure to their flying yacht’s hydraulic lifeblood, while flight controllers attempt to keep up…
Energy Observer: From ocean racer to tech wonder
Few boats have had such a rich and varied history over the past 40 years as this one, now known as Energy Observer. Would Nigel Irens and Mike Birch, the…
Extraordinary boats: Andrillot, the original ‘Vertue’ design
German boatbuilder Uli Killer was looking for a boat to sail while he was working on a big restoration project when he spotted Andrillot, a 25ft wooden cutter for sale…
Jzerro: The oceangoing Pacific proa
The great Californian Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s saw over a quarter of a million people follow the sun to the west of the United States, each dreaming…
Karma: The Maxi Dolphin 75 cruiser with Mini-Maxi looks
Translated literally, karma does not mean fate, as it is commonly misused, but action. It’s the actions you have taken in the past, take now, and will take in the…
Blitzen – the 1938 Olin Stephens design that was the grand prix boat of the day
Olin Stephens was just 30 years old when Blitzen was launched in 1938, following in the wake of the prodigiously talented designer’s yachts such as Dorade (1929) and Stormy Weather…
Waszp – the new one-design foiling Moth that could make learning to fly a little less painful
If there is one class of boat that has turned more heads around the world in the last decade than any other, it must surely be the foiling Moth. Having…
Revival of the Q Class – a mini J Class without all the costs and crew hassles
Imagine owning a yacht with all the class, style and history of a J Class, but without the monumental costs and logistical challenges. This dream is well on the way…
Extraordinary boats: a new take on a Dutch Lemsteraak
Name any traditional racing class and there will always be one owner who tries to move the game on. In the world of Lemsteraak racing on the Netherlands’ inland waterways…
A skiff with stabilisers? Meet ep0h, a skiff that anyone can sail
This is a skiff with big ambition: ep0h stands for ‘exponential pleasure, zero hassle’. The goal was to create a skiff that anyone can sail even if they are not…
Extraordinary boats: Rambler 88 has won races all over the world. What’s her secret?
“Will I bring Rambler 88 back next year? It’s too soon to be sure, but it’s certainly a possibilty.” The words of owner George David moments after crossing the finish…