Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Classic Boat

The Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) assembled another superb hand-picked fleet consisting of 40 classic sailing yachts, 82 motor boats and 26 International 12 dinghies for the 17th biennial Monaco Classic Week. In contrast to recent events, this year’s Classic Week opened with an informal race for the entire fleet of classic yachts, effectively an opportunity for the competitors to familiarise themselves with Monegasque waters. Remarkably, half of the fleet were over a century old including Partridge, which is celebrating the 140th anniversary of her launch this year. Mariska kept the flag flying for the 15-M class in the absence of YCM’s much loved flagship Tuiga after her recent dismasting (see CB November) and the 131ft (40m). Instead, YCM members sailed the gaff-rigged schooner Black Swan built by Camper &…

The 1926 ketch Swallow made an impressive sight charging around off the Cornish coast during the Sea Salts and Sail festival in Mousehole in 2024. At 55 tonnes, the boat needed a crew of 10 to hoist her sails and handle them once under way. Each tack, there was a call of paré à virer (ready about), as the bow of the boat swung through the eye of the wind, then an oh-hisse! (heave-ho!) as the crew heaved the jib and staysail sheets in with a block and tackle. Each new tack, the boat paused slightly, then heeled gently and gathered momentum, before settling down to a steady seven or eight knots. Not for nothing was this type of boat known as hajkutter (shark cutter) in its native Denmark –…

Double Century not only represents the halcyon days of British powerboat design but also a period when wonderfully adventurous things still regularly happened through little more than collective will, as opposed TV rights or sovereign wealth funds. Peter Twiss was the epitome of these times, a person who held the world air speed record in a Fairey Delta, sold and raced its boats and would probably help you with your fuel filters. It was fun, it was messy, and it was very real. So it was that this period saw the idea of a 14-day, 2,700-mile race from London to Monte Carlo take shape. It probably could only have happened then. A good 1,000 miles further than the Round Britain Powerboat Race, nothing of the like had been tried before…

The open hearth of a sailing barge’s stateroom is as good a place as any to put cheer into skipper and crew on Christmas Day, unless, that is, you are driving through an English Channel blizzard, as Lady Daphne. On passage, light, from Weymouth in Dorset to Fowey in Cornwall, that Christmas night, she was caught out in a north-easterly gale. Lady Daphne was about to join an unfortunate roll-call of vessels in trouble over the festive period, as The Daily Telegraph reported in their 27 December, 1927 edition, with headlines that need little explanation: Country Swept by Arctic Blizzard, A Wild Christmas GALE, FLOOD, FOG AND HEAVY SNOW The news story included details of many near and actual disasters. A steamer had collided with Haisboro’ Lightship off Norfolk; the…

The 39ft 9in (12.1m) Dunkirk little ship Jeff was built for Thames pleasure trips in 1923, by J Mears of Richmond, along with her sister ship Mutt. She was, until recently, one of the most original of the fleet of Dunkirk little ships, kept alive on a diet of small repairs and renewal over the years. She’s now at the VMG yard for restoration. As one spokesman explained: “Each generation did what was needed with the materials and knowledge of the time. That patchwork of care kept her going through the decades, through wartime, and even through her role in Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. But time leaves its mark. When Jeff arrived at our yard, it was clear that the years had caught up with her.…

A creek, somewhere on the east coast, Walton Backwaters possibly? Wooden, gaff-rigged, with a baby Christmas tree hoisted to the truck. Canvas awning over the cockpit. The sound of gentle lapping on clinker as the water returns to the sea. Plaintive cry of a seabird. Wisp of smoke from the chimney. A glimmer of light through the porthole. You can almost smell the Irish stew in the pressure cooker, simmering on the Taylor’s paraffin stove, hissing in the galley, while her owner refills his pipe, sucks deeply, and the aroma of St Bruno drifts down on the air to mingle with the essence of Essex mud as the flats emerge. That is the image of Christmas aboard, as illustrated by the likes of Fid Harnack, late of Yachting Monthly and…

In the late 1930s, John Nicholson set out to try to persuade his father – the legendary designer Charles E Nicholson – that the family firm of Camper & Nicholsons should build a small batch of modestly sized keelboats ‘on spec.’ The idea may well have been prompted by the production of 14 of the new Bembridge Redwings in 1938 – when “the firm developed certain methods that saved considerable time and, incidentally, expense,” according to Yachting World – but it was a departure from the company’s core business of building one-off boats, many of them significantly larger. John later wrote that he had gone “on bended knees” to his father who was “fearful that we might endanger our name, but my persuasive powers won!” “John was a charming fellow,…

After 34 years in Hellevoetsluis, Dutch Classic Yacht Week moved to a new location and set up. The result was a great success. The move came after a turbulent period for the regatta, when an ill-fated expansion of yacht types saw numbers skyrocket then plummet. Marcel van Loosbroek, association chairman, had the nerve to make hard decisions, moving to Ijsselmeer and changing the format from open entry to invitational, to stage a smaller event with only true classic yachts. From 23-27 July, 48 beautiful classics came together in the inner harbour of Enkhuizen’s old town. The backdrop of the beautiful historic houses and fortifications of this ancient town was perfect for an event celebrating history and style. The main groups were Classic A and B and Spirit of Tradition, with…

MECUM, USA Hacker’s high point Detroit naval architect John Ludwig Hacker (1877-1961) pushed the limits of speed and style on water with pioneering v-hull planing racers that evolved into the glamourous high-speed runabouts that were a defining statement of the roaring twenties and beyond. In 1937 Hacker scaled new heights with the 54ft (16.5m) commuter express Wee Joe II, built for cinema magnate Joe Cooper at a cost of $75,000. With double-planked Honduran mahogany on steamed white-oak frames, the twin aero-engined flyer scythed across the lakes at up to 50 knots, and in turn inspired Hacker’s most extravagant creation, Thunderbird, commissioned in 1940 by millionaire bon-vivant George Whittell to keep at his Lake Tahoe lodge. Thunderbird also survives to this day. Wee Joe II, now powered by twin Crusader big-block…

Fairey’s Anglo-American routes stem from a long relationship with Ray Hunt that predates its early powerboats. Hunt’s sailing boat designs were proven winners. His approach to motorboats was groundbreaking: a deep-vee hull that kept its deadrise all the way to the transom. It required more horsepower but revolutionised fast powerboat design in the 50s and beyond. Hunt’s work was beautifully realised and used by Alan Burnard for Fairey, starting with the 23ft (7m) Huntress. The 31 was a development of the Huntsman 28, enjoying an extra 10in (25cm) in the beam with a new, beautifully flared bow that would continue on all later models. The whole package created a faster, drier boat that also delivered decent accommodation for the times, with most of the 31s built with an aft cabin.…

Of all the allegations levelled at this magazine, the most frequent is that of incitement. We lost count decades ago of comments like “it all started with an ad in CB.” So it comes as no surprise at all that Simon Palmer, who has owned the Dunkirk little ship Hilfranor for 23 years, first spotted her in a 2002 issue of the magazine. “It’s your fault!” he says, as we sit with his two excitable jack russels in Hilfranor’s saloon at her beautiful mooring in Temple Marina near Hurley on the upper Thames. Our first meeting was on the 2005 Dunkirk Return, when Simon hailed me out of the blue from his wheelhouse and invited me on board for a glass of wine, correctly describing it as “better than the…

Show a landlubber a yacht and he’ll only want to know two things: what it costs, and how many ‘beds’ it has. Perhaps because of this, many of those in the know avoid talking about the interior, preferring instead to focus on hull form and rig, or engines. This affectation has sometimes reached comical heights: one boatbuilder told me a few years ago that they “only do interiors so the wives buy in on the sale”, as though a cruising yachtsman, left to his own devices, would live off cold food with just a bucket for amenities and a sleeping bag for warmth. Yet, who wasn’t, as a child perhaps, captivated by the moment the Walker kids discover the cabin of the 8-Ton Hillyard Goblin in We Didn’t Mean to…

Boatbuilder Abbey Molyneux, featured not so long ago on these pages for staging a symposium of boatbuilders at her yard, has been busy creating a fascinating microcosm of vintage hydroplane racing, alongside her other work restoring heavier wooden motor cruisers. It all started with the chance discovery of Miss Norwich, a 1920s, CT Lewis-built, stepped hydroplane that raced in 1928 and 1929 and was laid to rest in a barn in the 1930s, where she rested in silence for nearly a century. At the 2023 Henley Trad, Abbey found an owner to fund the rebuild, and they promptly had two more restored for racing. “I suppose we’ve created a racing scene that didn’t exist!” says Abbey, referring to the fact that Abbey and friends, as well as the owners, have…

It’s around 80 years since the first glass-reinforced plastic boat launched in the USA sent traditional wooden boatbuilding in the UK down a slipway to its present-day endangered status on Heritage Craft’s Red List; fewer than 150 keep the trade alive. Wood as a tool-making material has been losing its grip on the tools of the boatbuilder’s trade for a little longer. It began with the big manufacturers' claims for their moulded plastic handles being tougher and more durable than established tool-making timbers like beech, ash, and boxwood, but lower production costs also figured significantly. These gaily-coloured plastic handles caught the eye of every forward-looking entrant to the trade, and those old hands not wishing to be thought out of touch. But down the years, plastic’s image has often been…

12-Metre North American Championship Multi-generational crews, timeless yacht design, and modern competition took centre stage in Newport, Rhode Island for the 2025 12-Metre North American Championship. A small yet iconic fleet of four boats saw some fierce competition and late-season conditions that shifted from light winds to stronger breezes, testing both the precision and physicality of crews. Columbia (1958), skippered by Hegarty, captured top honours in both the Traditional Division and the Open Division, with Weatherly (1958), helmed by Steven Eddleston, securing second in both classes. American Eagle US21 (1964) and Courageous US26 (1974) rounded off the places. Special mention goes to Courageous’s crew, bolstered by youth sailors from Oakcliff Sailing — part of the class’s commitment to engaging the next generation. Naval architect TJ Perrotti, who has previously competed…

Celebrating British coastal waters and culture, the Royal Society of Marine Artist exhibition included 400 paintings and sculptures, from details of waves, to studies of boatyards, yachts and traditional work boats, and harbour views. It’s an impressive exhibition demonstrating the skills gathered from the best of British marine artists. This year’s winner of the Classic Boat award was James Brereton for his oil painting ‘Clear Seas, the Alpha’. Born 1954 in Derby and having studied at the Joseph Wright Art School, it was while living in Charminster near Bournemouth, Devon, that James developed a keen interest in marine painting much influenced by the established artists Montague Dawson and Thomas Somerscales. Now his favourite subjects are deep-water sailing ships of the 19th century. Highly Commended was Greg Ramsden ARSMA for his…

Being guided into a remote island anchorage in half a gale on the west coast of Ireland by a lone man in a canvas-skinned curragh is a rare experience - especially when the haven appears to promise little in the way of shelter, yet serves up the sort of tranquillity normally only found behind a secure harbour wall. It was the mid 1990s and I was researching my books on pilotage in the days of sail and oar. On the hunt for suitable history while always looking out for adventure, my crew and I cruised up towards Fenit in Westernman, our 40ft (12.2m) gaff cutter. I’d been corresponding with a local pilot, Bob Goodwin, who had invited us to his old family home on the off-lying Magharee islands from where…

Volonté a 37 ft Sparkman & Stephens classic racer, designed for RORC’s One Ton rule, is currently in Lallows boatyard in Cowes where she has spent the last three winters. She was built in 1968 by Felix Silvestro in Nice, France (S&S design No 1922) to the same shape and hull design as the famous Clarionet (S&S design No 1856), which was traditionally built at Clare Lallow boatyard of mahogany planking over larch frames. Lallows also built Roundabout (No 1857) for Sir Max Aitken which won the Round the Island Race in 1966 and 1967. All three yachts pioneered something new – fin keels, skeg rudders and counter sterns with small reverse transoms. So it is very appropriate that Volonté, although built in France, is now in Cowes. Volonté was…

CHARMING & STRANGE Albert Strange yachts are among English yachting’s rarest and most beautiful fruits and the 1922-built Charm, recently restored, is no exception to that rule. HAMBLE CLASSICS Some fantastic photos help tell the tale of a great weekend of racing LOCH LOMOND A “sailor’s motor yacht”… it’s what they would all like to be. Loch Lomond defines that concept. JANUARY 2026 ISSUE ON SALE 06 December, 2025 Or why not subscribe? SAILING TODAY WITH YACHTS & YACHTING IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE • Surfing safari: Beneteau’s First 36E on test • Essential tips for planning an offshore trip • Seawind’s 1170 cruising cat on test • The Cote d’Azur: cruising Billionaires’ Alley on a shoestring • Brittany or bust: when it all goes wrong • New synthetic clothing Available…