Classic glassfibre yachts

Kukri

Well-known member
Joined
23 Jul 2008
Messages
15,568
Location
East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
Visit site
Wot no Olin Stephens ? No Kim Holman ?

Oh, all right, one or two by Olin Stephens! Provided we can have Albert Strange.

But if we let Kim Holman in, the flood gates are opened, and we will have to let in Robert Clark, and if we let him in someone will say “What about Fred Parker?”, and a Scotsman will want James McGruer, David Boyd and Arthur Robb, and the Kiwis will also want Robb, and if Albert Strange then why not Harrison Butler, and then someone will start wanting Laurent Giles, and most of his boats are “ugly but distinctive”, and then where are we????

Maybe just Fife. There are no ugly Fifes, but some Herreshoffs are weird.
 

Buck Turgidson

Well-known member
Joined
10 Apr 2012
Messages
3,131
Location
Zürich
Visit site
Oh, all right, one or two by Olin Stephens! Provided we can have Albert Strange.

But if we let Kim Holman in, the flood gates are opened, and we will have to let in Robert Clark, and if we let him in someone will say “What about Fred Parker?”, and a Scotsman will want James McGruer, David Boyd and Arthur Robb, and the Kiwis will also want Robb, and if Albert Strange then why not Harrison Butler, and then someone will start wanting Laurent Giles, and most of his boats are “ugly but distinctive”, and then where are we????

Maybe just Fife. There are no ugly Fifes, but some Herreshoffs are weird.

Laurent Giles, and most of his boats are “ugly but distinctive”,

Oh boy! You've done it now..........

 

Ink

Active member
Joined
28 Nov 2020
Messages
303
Visit site
I have long admired Starlights but to be honest I haven’t quite got used to the oval cut-outs at the stern. My comment about designing sterns was of course something of a misquote since the original was referring to performance issues rather than looks.

I've sailed some miles on a Starlight 39 with the wing keel in all conditions. I'm not sure I like the motion. A classic? Possibly not.

Ink
 

westhinder

Well-known member
Joined
15 Feb 2003
Messages
2,471
Location
Belgium
Visit site
I've sailed some miles on a Starlight 39 with the wing keel in all conditions. I'm not sure I like the motion. A classic? Possibly not.

Ink
I haven’t sailed a wing keeled one, but I can vouch for the behaviour of the deep keeled 39 in all conditions. Though I am obviously biased, she is without any doubt a splendid design, I would agree it may be too early to call her a classic. I am with Kukri there, the term should be used sparingly. But give it a couple of decades…
 

Bajansailor

Well-known member
Joined
27 Dec 2004
Messages
6,447
Location
Marine Surveyor in Barbados
Visit site
Re a definition of a 'classic', the folk who run the wonderful Antigua Classics Regatta have summed it up quite well I think.
Home - Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta

Here they say :
"To be eligible for the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, entries are to have a full keel, be of moderate to heavy displacement, built of wood or steel, and be of traditional rig and appearance. Old craft restored using modern materials such as epoxy or glass sheathing, or new craft built along the lines of an old design, are acceptable. Vessels built of ferrocement may be accepted if they have a gaff or traditional schooner rig. Fibreglass yachts must have a long keel with a keel-hung rudder and be a descendent of a wooden hull design."

"Yachts not fitting into the above categories may nevertheless apply, providing documents, photographs or drawings to support their request for entry in the Spirit of Tradition or Historic Classes. Historic Class is new – pre-1976 designs and any keel configuration – will be limited number accepted. All entries unknown to the Regatta committee must be accompanied by underwater and rig photographs or drawings, and are subject to approval by the Committee, whose decision is final."
 

doris

Well-known member
Joined
19 Jun 2001
Messages
2,077
Location
London
Visit site
No more than 911's killing a high percentage of their owners due to poor handling!
911s only killed idiot drivers. If you knew how to drive them properly they were brilliant. A Darwinesque way of getting rid of overpaid yuppies.
 

lustyd

Well-known member
Joined
27 Jul 2010
Messages
11,063
Location
.
Visit site
Re a definition of a 'classic', the folk who run the wonderful Antigua Classics Regatta have summed it up quite well I think.
I completely disagree, they've set up a definition to support their own clearly biased world view. It's akin to suggesting that classic cars must not have alloy wheels or disc brakes.
 

westhinder

Well-known member
Joined
15 Feb 2003
Messages
2,471
Location
Belgium
Visit site
I completely disagree, they've set up a definition to support their own clearly biased world view. It's akin to suggesting that classic cars must not have alloy wheels or disc brakes.
I’m with you there. Quite a number of boats that we call classics incorporated technical innovations that may well have been frowned upon at the start but proved successful and were followed. The definition that is used by the Antigua Classic Regatta is very restrictive and really means ‘boats of one type and one era and their imitations’
 

Bajansailor

Well-known member
Joined
27 Dec 2004
Messages
6,447
Location
Marine Surveyor in Barbados
Visit site
The definition as to what a 'classic' is seems to be as emotionally turbocharged as a 'Which anchor is best' thread.
But I have attended Antigua Classics occasionally in the past, and they have invariably had a good turnout of a wide variety of vessels, so it seems to work for them.
 

Kukri

Well-known member
Joined
23 Jul 2008
Messages
15,568
Location
East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
Visit site
There is an odd argument to be made that a classic GRP yacht is in production today.

Although Rustler Yachts keep quiet about it, their Rustler 24 uses the hull of the Piper one design, but with a higher aspect ratio rig.

Now, the Piper was designed by David Boyd - in fact I think it’s his only GRP design - and David Boyd worked under and was trained by … William Fife III.

Rustler 24 - A beautiful classic, long-keel trailerable dayboat
 

Other threads that may be of interest

Top