Since we took ownership of our sweet little Spirit of Tradition yacht, Zingara has brought much joy to us on the water – the boat is great fit to our seasonal agenda. Hosting clients aboard is a great way to build relations and Zingara is a solid and beautiful platform. We enjoy a few regatta events each year and this gives the SWD design team something to chew on; the company team-building is good fun and something to look forward to. And, owning a boat as business partners is a helpful way to manage time aboard during busy seasonal schedules, […]
A Deep Dive into the Super Daysailer
Super Daysailer combines gracious comfort, style, and utility to day sailing adventures. The sleek design is host to a spacious protected cockpit and comfortable overnighting make it an ideal choice for anyone looking to venture further than most daysailers. This beautiful vessel is a light displacement hull built upon substantial waterline and beam, making a beautifully stylish hull that promises great performance. The centerpiece of this design is the partially enclosed cockpit created by a hard-top dodger with all-glass surround– the space is flexible, further blending outdoors with a hassle-free creature-comfort experience on the water. Below deck, a simple day-sailing […]
BEQUIA Wins Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
We’re thrilled to share that BEQUIA has added to her list of regatta victories with three 1st-place finishes out of three races at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in the Spirit of Tradition division. Conditions were windy and bumpy, with what looks like 6-8-foot seas in the photos. This favored larger boats and BEQUIA was the largest in the division. Nonetheless, a win is a win. “Many people came up to us and commented on how fast BEQUIA was sailing,” said the yachts owners. “Design was a lot of it.” “BEQUIA set sail with the latest technology in sails, running […]
Light at the End of the Tunnel For Zemphira
We’re thrilled to share an update on the progress of Zemphira as work continues at full tilt for her to hit the water again this spring. Here’s the latest on her work at the Lyman Morse Boatyard. The Latest: The internal carbon reinforcement frame has been installed around the new molded bottom replacement and keel socket, taped in place, and smoothed and painted. The systems are starting to go in: lithium-ion batteries nested into bays in the carbon grid, each side of and aft of the socket, and collapsible fuel-cell-style diesel tanks in specially-designed compartments within the structure. The new […]
Zemphira returns to the shed
We are always excited to tell you about our designs: whether in-build, getting refit, or living the life they were designed for. And so it was this spring we started telling you all about the thorough refit one of our favorite boats enjoyed last winter, in which we were deeply involved (Zemphira-(re)fit for a King). But as they do, stranger things happened which changed that story dramatically by creating another project and a new chapter in the life of Zemphira. Mere hours after leaving the dock in Camden, Maine, on her maiden delivery voyage after the work was done, the […]
The Complicated Life of the Modern Transom
Given the variety in styling, operational performance, and construction made possible by current design aesthetics and materials, the modern transom is often one of the more detailed elements of a yacht’s design. On Cirrus, the 68-foot, Spirit of Tradition sailing sloop in-build at James Betts Enterprises (click here for build photos) in Anacortes, Washington, we went for a fairly traditional looking transom to match her sweetly shaped haunches. In Cirrus’s case, however, looks most certainly are deceiving. With the push of a button, or operations made manually, convertible transom designs are found on all manner of yachts. A transom with […]
Maine racing provides a fantastic test bed for varied hull shapes
Racing in Maine’s varied mid-summer weather and tides rewards a variety of boat types and hull shapes. Why do certain designs work better than others in specific conditions? Read on. The classic racing season in Maine is short and sweet. Until a few years ago, classic and Spirit of Tradition boats had to pack it all into three days, Thursday through Saturday of the first weekend in August—the Castine Classic, a race from Castine to Camden, the Camden-Brooklin “feeder” race, and the venerable Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. A few years ago, the Camden Classics Cup joined the party with two more […]
Pressure Testing Zingara on the Race Course?
What the Maine sailing season lacks in length it makes up for in fantastic experiences. Whether cruising or racing, the icy waters, semi-reliable sea breezes, exotic thunderstorms, and sure, even the fog, create an otherworldly environment for those lucky enough to spend time amid the unlimited islands, rivers, and thoroughfares stretching along the Maine coast. Arguably the best time for sailing in Maine is the end of July through mid-September and if you’re up for a bit of sport, two key events are the Camden Classics Cup (July 29-31, www.camdenclassicscup.com) and the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta (Aug. 7, www.erregatta.com). There […]