But it’s the last division that we’d like to tell you about today, one that can offer exciting racing, respect for retro style, higher performance than a full-keel classic, and –perhaps most exciting– an accessible way to sail in a fleet that includes Herreshoffs, Fifes, and hundred-year-old icons of yachting history. All without committing to the stewardship of an heirloom or the yard bill that comes with it.

“…above all, keep simplicity in mind when looking over a boat. The push-button temptations of our age are fine, but strength and craftsmanship are a far better investment for most sailors…”
— Rod Stephens

Here are four brand new wooden boat designs that will be entering the new yacht market in 2025

This is the first new boat of this design to be built and launched in Australia for about 50 years. One sprightly eighty year old, Doug Jack, set himself the task in 2020 of building a cold moulded version in his basement.

This approach of building brand new boats to old designs can, I feel, sometimes fall between two stools, ending up with a boat without the functionality, systems, volume and performance of a modern yacht and yet lacking the “soul” of a yacht that has undergone a sensitive restoration.