86 CLASSIC BOAT APRIL 2016
B
oatyards usually fall into categories, like the
tumbledown shed up a creek where the old boy
in blue overalls supervises a few apprentices
and a team of local lads learning their trade, as
they keep a small fl eet of old wooden yachts going for
their owners; or the big, high-tech facilities like the
nearby Pendennis yard. Rustler doesn’t belong in either
category, which is fi tting because neither do its yachts.
Rustler is not desperately committed to a traditional
look, for instance, although by and large its boats fulfi l
the Spirit of Tradition criteria in terms of overall
appearance. The fi rm’s structure and MO are
refreshingly simple, too: two lifelong sailors and 40 or so
craftsmen with an unprepossessing metal building on the
outskirts of Falmouth, who share a commitment to
building attractive, rock-solid, well-fi nished and sweet
sailing British yachts by hand in GRP. It’s hardly a
ground breaking idea; the surprise is that co-owners
Nick Offord (we covered the story of his Holman yacht
Cerinthe last month) and Adrian Jones (“other people’s
boats, enviable whisky collection”) have made it work so
well that they sell about a dozen boats a year.
The boat that built the dynasty is the long-keeled,
Holman and Pye-designed GRP Rustler 36, still one of
the line-up. The R36 is one of the most attractive and
capable of the 1960s-style GRP long-keelers, and top
choice for the 2018 Golden Globe re-enactment race.
Designed for GRP in 1980 by Don Pye and David
Cooper (Holman and Pye), she was a development of theGRP Rustler 31 and exhibits the Holman traits: gentle
sheer, spoon bow, transom stern and masthead
bermudan sloop rig. Holman drew the 31 for Russell
Anstey in Poole, a young boatbuilder and surfer, and the
Rustler name was born. Ralph Hogg bought the 36
moulds at the start of the 1980s and took them to Devon
to set up as Orion Marine. “Cruising yachts hadn’t
changed that much since Holman’s day,” said Adrian, as
we sat in the Rustler offi ce with its big plate-glass
windows overlooking Carrick Roads. “It was still
relevant then.” Chris Owen took over from Ralph in the
1990s and added the 42 to the range, then sold to David
Offord in 1999. David’s son Nick is now the principal
co-owner. In total, 130 R36s have been built, but the
recent introduction of the R37, a foot (30cm) longer but
80 per cent more voluminous) has seen R36 orders slow
to a trickle. “We still like to build them – it’s our
history,” said Adrian, who bought into the fi rm with a
40 per cent stake in 2006. Since then he and Nick have
been expanding the range rapidly.
The ‘baby’ of the range – Rustler 24 – is the most
popular boat and goes to the boat shows as the brand
ambassador. It’s a traditional, long-keeled daysailer
based on the Piper OD hull. The 33 is a fast, light
‘weekend’ yacht with some fabulous original retro
styling (from Stephen Jones) and a modern underwater
profi le. The 37, 42 and 44 cruising yachts have a
traditional sheer, transom and bow and a conservative,
long-fi nned keel. The 44 has a modern cabin trunk.YARD VISIT
RUSTLER
YACHTS“Creating
the
fi nished
boat is
nearly all
done in
house”The venerable name of Rustler has
long been associated with timeless
bluewater cruising yachts. We visit
the Cornish yard where they are built
STORY STEFFAN MEYRIC HUGHES PHOTOS MERVYN MAGGSRELAX, IT’S
A RUSTLER