Classic glassfibre yachts

[V1701]

Oh come on, even by your criteria of having to be British to even be a contender, Fulmar (and I know you've got one) is stretching it, Centaur you're having a laugh...

 

[Gary Fox]

Centaur? Row away factor? I don't think so.

Use the outboard, so you are facing away from it. And don't come back until after dark!

 

[Gary Fox]

Anderson 22. To the mods: This thread can now be closed.

 

[Ink]

Moody 31.

Great sea boat if tiller replaced with wheel.

Not sure what the wheel does to the sea keeping characteristics of a Moody 31?

Ink

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Nic 43 is a beauty as is the IF

I consider both to be slightly prettier than my Twister. When I was buying I couldn't afford a Nic and my GF of the time insisted on standing headroom.

When it comes time to downsize (by 2ft) I will get an IF. If I win the lottery a Spirit.

 

[neil_s]

Elizabethan 23 - found one next to me in the boatyard - a very pretty boat.

 

[doris]

Very much agree with the Sigma 38 being a modern classic. One of David Thomas' finest.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Any long-keeled Nicholson. GRP boats built on classic lines.

Doubt if my newest boat, a Neptunian 33, makes the list though.

 

[Bajansailor]

Doubt if my newest boat, a Neptunian 33, makes the list though.

She is classic in your eyes - and that is all that matters really.

 

[Frogmogman]

Oh come on, even by your criteria of having to be British………

I just ignored that criterion. What’s the National origin of a boat got to do with it’s classic status ?

 

[fredrussell]

No offence to OP, but I’d agree that while truly excellent boats, Fulmars lack the ‘row away factor’ that Contessa 32 and Twisters have. The latter two boats are still no match for a She 36 though, which, for me, would top any classic uk grp boats list.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I’ll be predictable and include the Sadler 25.

 

[steveeasy]

This is my favourite, but what about one I dont see so much, Elizabethan 31. Low coachroof and pleasing to the eye.

Steveeasy

 

[Greemble]

If production numbers are taken into account, Centaur should be at the top of the list, one of the most popular boats ever built, around 2,500. Contessa would be second, followed by Fulmar then Twister.

If adding to the list, the Vega outsold the Centaurs.

British made and sold in large numbers?
Leisure 17 / 17SL
Over 3500 built & sold - possibly more. Rather small, admittedly (certainly too small for my liking) and looks are, of course, a matter of opinion.
However, a lot of owners seem very happy with them.

I did rather like the Leisure 23 I had.

 

[westhinder]

As far as I’m concerned, numbers built have nothing to do with classic status. Rather than that it is a matter of incorporating the best qualities of that era into a boat that is at the same time aesthetically pleasing and transcends the fashion of the day. Following these rough criteria a Centaur might well be typical of an era but by no means a classic.
If you must restrict the choice to British built boats (which is a pity but probably a sign of the times) I will suggest the Rival 34, the prettiest of the Rival range

 

[oldharry]

How about the Trident 24? A Classic Alan Hill design , and not only looks like a 'proper yacht' of her era, but sails remarkably well, too. No 1, built 1959 was raced on the Medway until a few years ago and won almost every race.

 

[dunedin]

Centaur? Row away factor? I don't think so.

Row away fast?

 

[ProDave]

British made and sold in large numbers?
Leisure 17 / 17SL
Over 3500 built & sold - possibly more. Rather small, admittedly (certainly too small for my liking) and looks are, of course, a matter of opinion.
However, a lot of owners seem very happy with them.

Yes small but perfectly formed and probably the best of the small cruisers of the era. Sails very well

Worth adding one crossed the Atlantic.

 

[dunedin]

No offence to OP, but I’d agree that while truly excellent boats, Fulmars lack the ‘row away factor’ that Contessa 32 and Twisters have. The latter two boats are still no match for a She 36 though, which, for me, would top any classic uk grp boats list.

This depends very much on what date and base point you anchored your own particular visual preferences and prejudices.

To be a classic a sailing boat should sail well, in all conditions - and the Fulmar is one of the outstanding sailing boats of its era, and has a lovely wooden interior. So very much a classic.
A lot of other old stuff is just that - old and often not that brilliant even when new. Only when looked at through rose tinted nostalgia.

 

[Maxim FR11]

Puzzled by this. Why British? Perhaps the heading should be Classic British GRP Yachts Built in High Numbers. Rank in number order. Just counting really. Not sure what it contributes to a debate about the subjective concept of 'classic'. But your rules.