The Camden Classics Cup, July 25-27, 2019 About 20 miles from our office sits the picturesque town of Camden, Maine. With the Camden Hills to the west and the Penobscot Bay to the east, Camden lives up to its reputation as the “Jewel of Maine.” It is an incredible place to sail and, with full cooperation from Mother Nature, it was the perfect location for the fourth annual Camden Classics Cup. This newer regatta on the classics circuit has the distinction of being the first classic regatta of the season. As a result, it is a reunion of sorts. […]
News
Living the Dream: The Superyacht Cup, Palma, 2019
We know you think that the life of a yacht designer is nothing but head-down, nose-to-the-grindstone, bound to the computer screen while we deal with prismatic coefficients and righting arms. All true—but every now and then we get an opportunity that we just can’t pass up. This spring a long-time client who commissioned one of our favorite boats said, “Bob, wouldn’t it be great to get the guys back together for a ten-year reunion of Bequia’s build? And why don’t we do it at the Superyacht Cup, in Palma?” Well, okay, twist my arm. To understand the excitement of participating […]
Millennials are Rocking the Boat
The Pew Research Center defines Millennials as the generation born between 1981-1996 (ages 38-23, respectively). As one-quarter of the American population, and with a buying power of $1.4 trillion by 2020, they are the primary influencers in society and commerce today. Just as this group has disrupted the housing market by delaying homeownership, they are the driving force of change in the travel industry. https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article105557.html From tricked-out Airstreams to glamping in yurts, Millennials place a high value on novel, immersive experiences with an adventure-like quality. Authenticity and exclusivity is their definition of luxury. The ultimate driver here is social media. […]
A Pocket Guide to Making a Spirit-of-Tradition Design.
Let’s keep it short and simple, shall we? Here’s a tangible, brief example of a qualified new client that made the trip to coastal Maine, climbed the two steep flights of stairs to our third floor office and spent several months exploring the modern-classic marine idiom with us. The fellow grew up sailing classic one-design boats, but cut his adult marine teeth on modern production boats. Early conversations were all about the basics of what he wanted: Which boats moved him; what applications did he see for his boat; and where would he like to travel. The first boat we […]
What a Spirit-of-Tradition Yacht ISN’T!
One of the things we’ve learned in three-plus decades of designing custom boats, is how unusual each project can become. Custom boats are as individual as the people who own them. Yet, the key to a successful custom boat is all about having the right match to the right design. Often, what makes the custom boat work is realizing not what it is, but what it isn’t. For example, take some of those Spirit-of-Tradition designs; the SoT is not a fit for everyone, nor for every set of dreams and desires. At the heart, an SoT yacht provides state-of-the-art construction, […]
Learning to Speak SoT: A Discussion of Marine Design Vernaculars.
We’ve been operating in this industry for 30-plus years, and of that time we’ve enjoyed some 20 years in creating Spirit-of-Tradition yachts. This SoT thing is now a thing. And we’re lucky to have been involved on the frontlines since its inception. But, let’s make something distinctly clear about all design: There’s real-world use of boats, like racing in regattas in the U.S., Caribbean, and Europe. And then there is the design of intent and the creation of ideas, brought together by client and architect. These two points headline two different worlds, and the two worlds won’t always communicate in […]
Breaking News: All-Maine “Anna” Wins Global Design Award.
4/2/2019 — LONDON, ENGLAND: Stephens Waring Yacht Design, the internationally recognized marine engineering and architecture firm, announced today that its recent 65-foot luxury yacht Anna won a Classic Boat Award 2019 in an exclusive ceremony here. The Classic Boat Awards celebrate excellence in custom-built and restored boats from around the world. The award is presented annually by the editors of Classic Boat Magazine, the yachting publication also based here, in London, England. “We’re delightfully honored to be recognized by Classic Boat with this award. We’re thrilled to be in such great company among our fellow nominees,” says Robert Stephens, principal […]
The SoT Regatta Issue: The 2019 Camden Classics Cup Handicapper’s Tip Sheet.
The 2019 Camden Classics Cup is almost making us wish there was legal sports betting in sailing! We got a chance last week to review the scratch sheet for this summer’s celebration of contemporary, classic and modern-classic yachting in the heart of lovely Penobscot Bay, Maine. And this still-growing fleet of 43 boats is chock full of competitive classes, great backstories and larger-than-life characters. The eye-popper class in this year’s Camden Classics is the 9-boat, Vintage Division 1. The entry here that you can’t help but gawk at is Spartan, the beautifully-restored Herreshoff NY50 that’s been burning up the race […]