“The Ultra 30s were the coolest boats, were way ahead of their time,” says Eddie Warden Owen, who skippered an Ultra 30 and also ran the circuit for several years.…
World’s coolest yachts
World’s coolest yachts: Mariquita
“Built in 1911 as a 19 Metre, Mariquita is one of the most beautiful yachts afloat, and I’ve had the privilege to be race navigator on board for most of…
World’s coolest yachts: Lady Belle
“It’s 50 years since my wife and I were beating down the West Solent in our first tiny yacht and saw a cloud of sail running in from seaward,” say…
World’s coolest yachts: Duen
“I cannot think of a better example of a happy cruising family than that of the crew of Duen,” So says cruising legend, Jimmy Cornell. “Among the many cruising people…
World’s coolest yachts: The Mayflower
The Mayflower is certainly the most unusual nomination to date for a world’s coolest yacht! It came to Yachting World from Pete Goss, on the 400th anniversary of the famous…
World’s coolest yachts: Finot-Conq design Nica
Hawaii-based photographer Tor Johnson, who has written for Yachting World on the challenges of cruising in British Columbia, has shot many different yachts, but he has a soft spot for…
World’s coolest yachts: The Beneteau First 25.7
Although he is something of an expert on ocean cruising subjects, ARC organiser Jeremy Wyatt says his ideal is smaller, and more local, a Beneteau First 25.7. “A boat I…
World’s coolest yachts: Charal IMOCA 60
“When you look at what the designers and engineers have put in place to get round quite restrictive IMOCA rules and balance on a single foil, I think that is…
World’s coolest yachts: Swan 65
Tracy Edwards says her heart will always belong to Maiden, the 58ft Bruce Farr-designed maxi she raced round the world in the 1989/90 Whitbread Race, now restored and being sailed…
World’s coolest yachts: S&S 34
The most innovative all-time classic is the S&S 34. As a class they appeared in 1967, a year before the first Golden Globe Race, and Ted Heath [then leader of…
World’s coolest yachts: Volvo 70 Ericsson 4
“Ericsson 4 holds a special place in my history of boats sailed. I was fortunate to be part of a very talented team that resulted in the fastest Volvo 70…
World’s coolest yachts: Mumm 30
“I picked the Mumm 30 partly out of respect for Bruce Farr,” says designer Mark Mills. “[Farr] was so competitive in IOR in my teens, then equally strong in IMS…
World’s coolest yachts: F50
“Without question the SailGP F50 is the best boat that I have ever sailed. The headline top speeds of over 50 knots are impressive, but there is so much more…
World’s coolest yachts: USA 17
“I’d have loved to sail on the America’s Cup AC72 cats in San Francisco in 2013, they were so invigorating. Those boats were when Larry Ellison just let free in…
World’s coolest yachts: Wally 143
“[The Wally 143 is] the most incredible yacht I have had the privilege to shoot and to witness… the length, the design, the power, the elegance. “Maybe meeting this beautiful…
World’s coolest yachts: Tornado catamaran
“The Tornado catamaran is a really cool boat. It was my introduction to high performance sailing and it had a big influence on me in many ways. “Once you get…