Classic_Boat_2016-01

ARABESQUE

Design Ted Fontaine. Built Rockport Marine, 2015, LOD 50ft (15m)

Arabesque is instantly recognisable as the work of Ted Fontaine, with those

sloping cabin trunk sides straight out of his Friendship Yacht designs, but in

fact she’s a one-off. She’s a double-headsail sloop cold-moulded in wood,

and intended for cruising New England and daysailing in Long Island Sound.

FAIRLIE 53

Design and build, Fairlie Yachts 2015, LOD 53ft (16.2m)

This strip-planked bermudan cutter was bespoke-built for a

yachtsman who plans long, solo passages. Her modern but

moderate underwater profi le suits the role and is a departure

from the bulb-keeled Fairlie 55 ‘fl ying machine’. Note the

low-profi le cabin trunk and deckhouse: nicely judged.

NASHUA

Designed Bob Stephens. Built Rockport Marine 2015, 46ft 9in (14m)

Nashua is the fourth W46-Class yacht built by Rockport,

making the W46 a rare thing: a modern class of traditional,

racing cabin yachts. The cabin trunk might look like Herreshoff

with the rectangular portlights, and she might be wood

(cold-moulded), but this is a modern racing yacht.

SPIRIT OF TRADITION

OVER 40FT (12.2M)

NOMINATIONS

we fi rst saw it, so clean are the decks. She’s

a daysailer built in foam-core epoxy with a

T-shaped bulb keel and low wetted surface

area. According to our tester, she slices

through the water like a knife through silk,

powered by push-button winches. She’s

bermudan sloop-rigged, unsurprisingly.

SPIRIT 46

Design and build Spirit

Yachts, 2015, 46ft 3in

Very, very fast (18 knots is

not uncommon) and

very, very light in

cold-moulded wood: 4.5

tonnes. The Mk II S46

Classic is the fastest (for

length) and the most

popular Spirit yacht there

is. Below decks things are

smart yet seamanlike.

[]

This aluminium sloop is the largest of the Truly

Classic range so far and the biggest boat we’ve

ever shortlisted. We do so without hesitation, for

build quality, detailing, her outstanding fi t-out

below and sheer sailing ability.

AwardsIN ASSOCIATION WITH

VOTE

ONLINE

classicboat.co.uk/

awards2016

EMAIL

cb@

classicboat.

co.uk

WATERLINE MEDIA, C/O FAIRLIE

C/O LEONARDO YACHTS

C/O ROCKPORT MARINE

NICOLE JACQUES,C/O ROCKPORT MARINE ANTHONY MORRIS

RICK TOMLINSON/C/O CLAASEN