PHOTO OF THE YEAR About our Favorite Photos 2022 was an amazing year of racing for SWD designed boats. 90-foot BEQUIA took the class B title at the Safe Harbor Race Weekend in Newport, NH and won three 1st-place finishes out of three races at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in the Spirit of Tradition division. Refit 76-foot ZEMPHIRA (previously Goshawk) also had an impressive year sweeping Class A with three wins at the Safe Harbor Race Weekend in Newport, NH. Below are a few our our other favorite photos from this amazing 2022 race season. Click photos for […]
More Silver for SWD Sailing Superyachts
We’re getting accustomed to reporting great results from the Superyacht circuit, thanks to the stellar performance of our 91-foot Bequia and her talented crew. This weekend upped the ante—our designs came out on top in BOTH classes of the Superyacht division at the Safe Harbor Race Weekend in Newport, RI: Bequia convincingly took class B with two bullets and a second, while our newly refit Zemphira (previously Goshawk) swept Class A with three wins. This 76-foot sloop benefited from an updated design for her keel and rudder over the previous two winters, as well as significant deck hardware upgrades and […]
Pushing the Edge of Accommodations Design
Two years ago, renowned climber and adventure guide company owner, Harry Kent, reached out from his Via Ferrata Works office in Estes Park, Colorado with an interesting request. Could the Stephens Waring studio help his company reimagine the experience of sleeping on a rock climber’s portaledge by designing a structure that was accessible and comfortable for ordinary people to spend the night (or a weekend) hundreds of feet in the air? He wanted a design solution that would build upon the heritage of rock climbing while also integrating the latest in sustainable technologies, green materials, and geotechnical engineering that would […]
Catamarans vs. Monohulls: Which are Really Faster?
The great debate between catamaran or monohull owners has been the source of many spilled beers over the years. And when it comes to which is faster, the conjecture grows stronger. Design principle Paul Waring weighs-in from a boat designers perspective on the two forms and which type is really the quickest on water. Further reading: 60 ft. Catamaran Gemini A Second Life for a 25M Catamaran 5 Trends in Yacht Design: 2022
5 Innovations that Transformed Long-distance, Bluewater Sailing
As Spirit of Yacht Tradition yacht designers we draw a lot of influence from the past. However, it’s easy to take for granted how far technology and engineering innovations have come. Like the iPhones attached to our hips, our daily lives have become completely integrated and intertwined with these technological marvels. These tools are now so prevalent, and us, so reliant on them, that it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come, and how quickly. This is very true in the world of sailing and yachting as well. In particular, technology and engineering advancements have ushered in a new era […]
Multiple Stephens Waring Designed Boats to Compete in Camden Classics Cup
Stephens Waring is thrilled to again sponsor this year’s Camden Classics Cup. With the regatta just around the corner (July 28-30), we’re highlighting a few boats we’ve had a hand in designing that are participating this year. Zemphira Designed in 2004 as Goshawk, during our tenure at Brooklin Boat Yard as in-house design team. The 76-foot hull was built by Rockport Marine, then launched and towed to Brooklin where she was hauled out and completed. She features a wood-composite hull and deck construction—laminated wood with foam core and limited carbon reinforcement. In 2020 she began a refit under our direction […]
BEHIND THE BOAT – BLUEWATER 56
Stephens Waring is thrilled to share a new series called, Behind the Boat, which takes you behind the scenes and sheds light on the design magic for some of our most innovative concepts. In this episode, design principle, Paul Waring, explores what it takes to design a true ocean-crossing-capable, Bluewater sailing yacht: The BLUEWATER 56. Further Reading: Learn more about Bluewater 56 Story: 5 Innovations That Transformed Long-distance, Bluewater Yachting
A Second Life for a 25 Catamaran
It’s not every day you get to put your full imagination, creativity, and problem solving skills into a single project. The renovation of 25M the Powercat BONEFISH requires all three in spades. HISTORY OF THE YACHT The yacht was originally designed by notable New Zealand designer named Derek Kelsall who made a name for himself with multihull designs in the 90’s The original design called for an around the world, blue-water sailing catamaran, sloop-style rig. The drawings show a design for a sailing cat with the mast stepped forward of a superstructure and the headstay was made to […]