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Are these the 8 most beautiful classic sailing yachts of all time?

Moonbeam of fife iii, 1903.

The 30 metre, gaff cutter Moonbeam of Fife III epitomises beautiful classic yachts at their finest. Launched in 1903, Moonbeam of Fife is still going strong on the classic yacht regatta circuit despite being more than a hundred years old. The William Fife-designed yacht is constructed in wood with an oak hull and superstructure, while her interior joinery is well-kept mahogany. The historical yacht Moonbeam of Fife III is currently for sale .

Tuiga, 1909

Built by the renowned William Fife shipyard in Fairlie on the Clyde estuary in Scotland, Tuiga was commissioned by the Duke of Medinaceli, a close friend of the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII, and has had 10 owners in 106 years. HSH Prince Albert II decided to buy her in 1995.  Tuiga  has been participating in classic yacht regattas ever since and is now the flagship of the Yacht Club de Monaco, crewed by YCM members.

Mariette, 1915

The classic 42 metre twin-masted schooner _ Mariette of 1915  _was built by Herreshoff in the United States 100 years ago. Age has not withered her, but  Mariette of 1915  has undergone a few refits in the Pendennis yard at Falmouth in recent years: in 2010 and again in 2012 in preparation for the Pendennis Cup, in which she took first prize in the St Petroc Traditional Class as well as being crowned overall winner. In 2014 she returned to Falmouth once more for minor works.

Creole, 1927

Now owned by the Gucci family, this beautiful wooden schooner has had a colourful history. Commissioned by wealthy American Alan Cochran and launched in 1927,  Creole  has had a number of different owners and also been called Vira. When she was known as  Magic Circle , she was transformed into a minesweeper during the Second World War, having previously competed in a number of regattas and attended previous America’s Cup events. In the 1970s she was used by the Danish government for sailing training in the rehabilitation of drug addicts before being bought by the Gucci family in 1983.

Endeavour, 1934

Arguably the world’s most famous J Class,  Endeavour  was the British challenger in the 1934 America’s Cup , but was beaten by the Harold Vanderbilt-owned Rainbow . Endeavour was commissioned by Sir T.O.M. Sopwith, who was keen to ensure that this yacht was the most advanced design possible. With his experience designing aircraft, Sopwith applied aviation technology to Endeavour ’s rig and winches and spared nothing to make her the finest vessel of her day.

She swept through the British racing fleet and into the hearts of yachtsmen around the world, winning many races in her first season. Though she did not win the America's Cup she came closer to doing so than any other challenger.

Since 1934, she has often led a perilous existence, even being sold to a scrap merchant in 1947 only to be saved by another buyer hours before her demolition was due to begin. In 1984, American yachtswoman Elizabeth Meyer bought Endeavour and she was transformed and rebuilt by Royal Huisman. Endeavour sailed again on June 22, 1989, for the first time in 52 years. J Class yacht  Endeavour  is now for sale .

Elena, 1910

In 1910, Morton Plant commissioned 55 metre  Elena to be designed by American naval architect Nathanael Herreshoff, the so-called “Wizard of Bristol”, who made his name designing sailing yachts for America’s elite. Plant's brief was to the point: he wanted a schooner “that can win”.

Herreshoff gave Elena a slightly deeper keel than preceding designs of that time, lowering her centre of ballast, which improved her windward ability. Elena won most of her early races against the cream of the American schooner fleet and in 1928 came her crowning glory, victory in the Transatlantic Race. In 2009, she was rebuilt using the original plans for the first Elena.

Black Swan, 1899

Originally designed by Charles Nicholson and built in 1899 at Camper and Nicholson in Gosport, England, Black Swan started life as Brynhild with a yawl rig. She won a number of races at the beginning of the 20th century, including the King’s Cup. Over the years, she has undergone several changes and different rig configurations, and at one stage she was renamed Changrilla . She was rechristened Black Swan in the 1960s and, today, after an extensive restoration project at the Beconcini yard in La Spezia, Italy, she is now carrying a gaff-rig, designed by the Faggioni Yacht Design Studio and built by Harry Spencer.

Mariquita, 1911

Another beautiful classic yacht from Fife, Mariquita was launched in 1911. The 38.16 metre sailing yacht was designed and built for the industrialist Arthur Stothert. As part of the 19 metre Big Class racing that re-emerged in 1911, this gaff-rigged cutter is said to have inspired the J Class yachts that came after her.

She raced competitively against her brethren from 1911-1913, but by the 1950s, Mariquita was the last in the 19 metre class remaining. She was restored in 1991 and received a further refit in 2004. A star on the classic yacht racing scene, Mariquita is now for sale .

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ClassicSailboats.Org

ClassicSailboats.Org (CSO) is a not-for-profit maritime publication and the world’s largest alliance of guardians, and preservationist. We are dedicated to preserving the spirit and historical record of vintage & classic sailing vessels. While remaining committed to protecting historical maritime properties, our precious oceans, waterways & wildlife.

As educators it is important to extend our reach to the communities, organizations and schools that would otherwise be unable to access our message because of geographical, and sociological limitations. The application of STEM through our initiatives 10 Class, Bluestar, Greenstar, and Sailing for Water is our educational mission. Whether following the progress of expeditions to the Pacific to study plastic pollution, or to the Arctic to study the effects of the loss of salinity from our oceans. It is our pledge “To empower people of all ages to make smart decisions today that will affect the quality of life for future generations to come.”

As preservationist and historians each classic vessel has a unique story to tell. The Classic Yacht Register of Heritage, on the CSO website, has become a go-to reference for historians, former guardians, their families, and the general public. An important part of CSO’s mission is to promote the rich history and intriguing human interest stories associated with these classics, preserving and adding to their cultural significance for future generations to come.

The topics and stories that are focused on our publication are made possible through the hard work and achievements of our alliance, and through the associated supporting cast of the collective initiatives. We look forward to expanding the reach of our cultures and remain dedicated to our collective efforts. The stories, and racing histories of these magnificent craft are important to the overall valuation of each yachts role in history. We encourage our readers to contribute with historical contributions (comments) when possible.

Team Ten Class – Our collective mission is to bring awareness to the overuse of plastics that are effecting the overall health of our oceans, the blue heart of our planet. To bring a call to action to the communities we serve, through Science, Technology, Education and Math; to create a venue for recognizing the efforts in “Keeping the Legends Alive,” through periodical “Lifetime Achievement Awards.” Our race team is historical in design, spartan in concept, and void of modern day conveniences…pure vintage racing machines.

Advisory Board – The purpose of our Advisory Board is to gain outside expert and independent advise on the role and message that ClassicSailboats.Org will pursue for the communities we serve, and for stewardship for the environmental and philanthropic causes that are collectively important to us.

Sustainability and the Capacity to Endure – To continue to exist in the same state or condition has been a real challenge for all custodians and stewards of Vintage, Classic and Spirit of Tradition yachts and that of our Team boats. Preserving the ecosystems and environments that we sail in are equally as important, in our quest for sustainability. In our organizational capacity we will provide a means in achieving low environmental impact by exemplifying the importance of using renewable and biodegradable resources when possible.

Privacy Policy and Compliance – Classic Sailboats is committed to protecting your personal information. Classic Sailboats will gather and use information through Classic Sailboats Web site only in the ways disclosed in the following statement.

Classic Sailboats will be periodically updating it’s Privacy Policy to ensure you enjoy continued high standards of data protection and management. This is a part of Classic Sailboats compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force on 25th May, 2018… read more

Hello, My father, Graham Newland was involved in the building of many classic yachts in Sydney, Australia. I have just published his memoirs. Is this something you can promote on your website? I can send you a precis if you wish. kind regards, Jan

I would love to know more about the P class I think a number of them have been rebuilt. Are they being found in the US or Europe?

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Top 25 classic boat types

What is a classic boat? The answer becomes ever harder to pin down, as more yachts are seen as ‘classic’ and as wooden boats themselves evolve.

Today the ‘classic’ fleet encompasses a vast range of floating marvels, from rugged Victorian work boats, to huge schooners raced by royalty 100 years ago, to the ‘everyman’ yachts of the 1950s, to pin-sharp Metre boats built for the America’s Cup.

This vintage fleet is now bolstered by a growing ‘Spirit of Tradition’ class of wooden yachts that have the look of yesteryear, but the fittings and performance of a modern boat.

If the answer to the question is that ‘you know one when you see one’, then a quick guide to some broad classic boat types surely wouldn’t go amiss. The following, of course, is a fraction of all the different types of traditional vessels out there. So, in no particular order…

Great yacht designs: the Nordic Folkboat

Great yacht designs: Jolie Brise

Affordable Classics: the Stella

Stormvogel: the first of the Maxis

The 100 club: the glory of centenarian yachts

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Classic Boat is the magazine for the world’s most beautiful boats. Packed with stunning images, we have the inside stories of the great classic yachts and motorboats afloat today, as well as fascinating tales from yesteryear and the latest from the wooden boat building scene around the world.

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The Top 10 Famous Classic Ships in History

20th may 2024 by samantha wilson.

“You must have plenty of sea-room to tell the truth in.” Herman Melville

Every ship that sails carries the precious and weightless cargo of its origins. More the people aboard, more are the stories and many more are the lessons we learn from their experiences. Because that’s what history does: It informs us about all the victories and failures of the past, so that we live a wiser life, whether on land or at sea.

 Most of the beautiful craft built throughout the ages are historic for their roles in war, commerce, and passenger travel. Their stories allow us to enjoy, investigate and study their brilliant past. Each failure was a stepping stone to success for the next craft and each one is a classic in its own way. Taking in the sight and story of a classic vessel entails an adventure all its own, one that transcends basic description and narration and which puts an indelible image into the minds and imagination of the onlooker.

Timeless vessels are attractive, beautiful and in a few cases still functional; they hold untold mysteries and are an amalgam of maritime secrets and old-world workmanship.  

Here are the most famous ships of all time. There are many more, but these stand out for their unique and enduring place in history. 

Santa Maria

Hms victory, uss constitution, flying cloud, rms lusitania, rms titanic, uss arizona, battleship bismarck.

Launch year: 1460

Builder: Juan de la Cosa

Length: 62 ft (24 m)

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore,” said the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, who sailed in the carvel planked, slow paced ocean trader built in Spain on the voyage to the “New World” in 1492. That year, the merchant vessel earned a permanent place in history and ran aground on Christmas Day. But not all was lost; Columbus ordered the fort La Navidad built with wood salvaged from Santa María .

Encyclopedia Britanica photo

Launch year: 1607

Builder: Christopher Jones  

Length: 90 ft (33 m)

The ones who trust the magic of beginnings are the ones who have the courage to put a full stop to their suffering. And that was how 120 Pilgrims set out to start afresh in the New World in 1620, wishing for a better life. A cultural icon in the history of the United States, the Mayflower carried the English Separatists from Plymouth, a port on the southern coast of England, to the other side of the Atlantic, to  Massachusetts, their “New World.” The Mayflower crew of 30 spent the winter with the 102 passengers, living aboard, then sailed back to England on April 5, 1621, making landfall on May 6, 1621.

Launch year: 1765

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Length: 227.5 ft (57 m)

The HMS Victory is regarded as one of the greatest wooden warships ever built, serving the Royal Navy against  both French and Spanish fleets in the last decades of the eighteenth century. It remains commissioned  by the Royal Navy today. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, where her flags gave his famous signal, “England expects that every man will do his duty.” The ship was extensively restored by the British government in 1922 and serves as a museum at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth, England.

Launch year: 1797

Builder: Edmund Hartt’s shipyard, Boston

Length: 304 ft (93 m)

“Old Ironsides,” a three-masted wooden frigate, is the longest serving battleship in the U.S. Navy and the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel. Her name was submitted to President George Washington in honor of the United States Constitution. The main duties of the USS Constitution were to protect American merchant ships against French fleets and to fight Barbary pirates.

Her major claim to fame is her role during the War of 1812, when she managed to capture several merchant ships and defeated five British warships. The fame and nickname earned after defeating HMS Guerriere — Old Ironsides — helped save her from the scrap heap. Today, Old Ironsides serves as a museum ship in Boston, Massachusetts.   

Restoration Services photo.

Launch year: 1820

Builder: H.M. Dockyard

Length: 90.3 ft (28 m)

According to Charles Darwin, “It’s not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one that is most responsive to change.” He set out on a voyage aboard the HMS Beagle , the British naval brig-sloop, to South America and around the world (1831–36), which resulted in his groundbreaking scientific theories on evolution and natural selection published in the diary and journal The Voyage of the Beagle.

No Frills Sailing photo.

Launch year: 1851

Builder: Donald McKay, East Boston, Massachusetts

Length: 225 ft (69 m)

Never wait for a perfect moment; take the moment and make it perfect. That’s what Eleanor Creesy, wife of Capt. Josiah Perkins Creesy, did aboard Flying Cloud , the clipper ship that set the world sailing record for the fastest passage between New York and San Francisco in 89 days and 8 hours. Eleanor was the ship's navigator, a position never heard of for a woman in the mid-19th century. The ship held this record for over 100 years, from 1854 to 1989.

Pinterest photo.

Launch year: 1906

Builder: John Brown & Co‎, ‎Clydebank‎, Scotland

Length: 787 ft (240 m)

The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by the torpedo of a German U boat in 1915 was one of the deadliest maritime disasters in history, killing more than half the passengers and crew. Ultimately it led to the American entry into World War I. Commissioned by the Cunard Line, the ship had been built to compete for the highly lucrative transatlantic passenger trade. Although luxurious, the Lusitania was noted more for its speed. In 1908, it won the Blue Riband designation for the fastest Atlantic crossing, averaging nearly 24 knots.

Launch year: 1911

Builder: Harland and Wolff shipyard for the British Shipping Company White Star Line

Length: 883 ft (269 m)

The unsinkable that became unforgettable: The RMS Titanic was the product of powerful strife among competitors in the first half of the 20th century. It sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912, off the coast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic after sideswiping an iceberg during its maiden voyage. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew on board, more than 1,500 lost their lives. Designed to be the epitome of style, comfort, and luxury, it ranked among the most sophisticated ships of that time, only to become one of the most devastating maritime disasters in history.

The passengers aboard Titanic were some of the wealthiest people in the world. Also aboard were over a thousand emigrants from Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia, seeking a new life in North America. In 1985, the wreckage was located on the floor of the North Atlantic. After this tragic accident, internationally adopted safety-improvement measures were established, including making the number of lifeboats on board correspond with the entire number of passengers.

Wikipedia photo.

Launch year: 1915

Builder: Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York

Length: 608 ft (185 m)

“A date which will live in infamy” is how President Franklin D. Roosevelt described the Arizona attack, before he asked the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war with Japan.

The USS Arizona battleship was one of the U.S. Navy’s most heavily armed vessels and the largest ship in its fleet. Arizona, a member of the U.S. Pacific fleet, was berthed at Pearl Harbor December 6, 1941. The next morning, approximately at 7:55 am, Japan launched a surprise attack. For nearly two hours, more than 350 Japanese aircraft dropped bombs on U.S. vessels. Around 8:10 am, Arizona was struck by a 1,760-pound projectile, which reportedly lifted the battleship out of the water. Even while sinking, the ship was struck by more bombs.

While approximately 334 crew members survived, the death toll was 1,177. Arizona was among four battleships that sank during the attack, which unified the American public, and on December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan and effectively entered World War II. The ship couldn’t be salvaged, but remains as a significant war memorial in Pearl Harbor run by the U.S. National Park Service, and visited by millions of people. The battleship’s sunken remains are also designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark.  

Launch year: 1939

Builder: Blohm & Voss shipyard, Hamburg

Length: 823.5 ft (251 m)

Bismarck , named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, was the first of two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. It is considered one of the largest battleships ever built, with its design finalized by Hitler’s Navy after it rose from the ruins of the World War I. It was almost the length of three football fields, with seven decks above the waterline and seven below it.

Its biggest and only fight was during World War II, along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen , to raid Allied shipping from North America to Great Britain. Over eight tense days in 1941, after many attacks, Bismarck suffered enough damage from three hits sufficient to force an end to the mission. The dramatic battle left it crippled and it was scuttled to prevent the British from gaining control of it. In 1989, American oceanographer Robert Ballard of Titanic recovery repute located the wreck of the Bismarck perched on an extinct volcano 15,000 feet underwater some 400 miles west of Brest, France.

Rightboat.com has hundreds of beautiful classic boats and yachts listed for sale. Explore a rich and diverse array of some of the most beautiful craft built, each to a time-honored standard of craftsmanship. 

This article was published in May 2023 and updated in May 2024 by Elaine Lembo .

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: Samantha Wilson

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Vintage Sailboats For Sale

If you ever had a dream of a real sail ship that looked like it came off the pages of the ancient books about pirates and explorers, it is time you looked into the vintage yacht class!

Vintage (old fashioned) yachts are still available to the regular buyers. There are not many of them remaining in the world yacht market, but enough for you to choose from. You can try for yourself one of the first catamarans or a trimaran, a schooner or a brigantine, cruising or racing sailboat built in the dawn of the twentieth century.

‘Vintage’ may be called the brand new boats, made “in the image and likeness” of old ships, as well as the real restored and refurbished yacht that had been used decades or even hundreds of years ago. Don’t be quick to say no to the modern made imitations: they look just like the ancient sail ships, but are much sturdier and more comfortable than their ancestors.

There is no need to name the advantages of this type of yachts: the connoisseurs of old time yachts wouldn’t think twice before buying one of them. Yachts built dozens or hundreds of years ago are very rarely put up for sale and if you’re lucky enough to find one of them, consider yourself a winner.

Vintage yachts, as well as the other yachts of your choice, can be purchased through the yacht broker. He will take care of all the necessary paperwork for the deal.

Vintage sailboats are reminiscent of the sailboats you see in old war or biblical movie scenes. The meaning of the term “vintage” is not necessarily set in stone as many people have different accepted meanings. Some accept the term “vintage” to refer to an item over 50 years old, but less than 100. In its original use, “vintage” was derived from the dating of a bottle of wine.

At Atlantic Ship and Yacht, Inc., we currently have two vintage sailboats for sale in our collection, a 91’ 11” (28.00 m) 2005, Custom, and a 75’ 7” (23.03 m) 1959, Sangermani. Because we have strong partnerships with large-scale yacht and sailboat manufacturers around the world, and we have been yacht brokers for over 50 years, we are the first to hear about and have access to owners wishing to put their vintage sailboats up for sale.

There are many advantages to coming to Shestakov Yacht Sales, Inc., to purchase your next vintage sailboat. In addition to our expertise in the yacht field and many years of experience, we offer additional services to our clients including assistance with the negotiating and closing of vessel purchase and sales transactions, providing legal support as well as financing and insurance, and even assistance with the hiring of crew-members, technical repairs, and spare parts delivery.

Whether you are looking to purchase or sell your vintage sailboat, we have the experience and knowledge to get the best deal and make your experience all the more enjoyable

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intheboatshed.net

Gavin Atkin's weblog for the sort of people who like looking inside boat sheds. It's about old boats, traditional boats, boat building, restoration, the sea and the North Kent Coast

Old fashioned and classic sailing boats of the Norfolk Broads, autumn 2010

[ad name=”intheboatshed-post”]

Photos of traditional sailing craft of the Norfolk Broads, including everyone’s favourite, the 19th century Broads sailing cruiser Zoe, a Royal Navy Sailing Association dinghy, the Norfolk wherry Albion, and a charmingly dilapidated boat shed. Click on the images for a much larger photo

We’re just back from a short trip to the Norfolk Broads in the Broads sailing  cruiser Camellia , hired from the helpful folks at the Broads Yachting Company , of Horning – and these are some of our snaps. If only we could have stayed longer!

We recently rather enjoyed the book The Norfolk Broads: The Golden Years , which we bought in Norfolk earlier this year. It’s a compendium of photos and descriptions by the charming Broads writer and keen sailor Philippa Miller , and include many shots of familiar scenes from the area going back to early in the 20th century. It’s difficult to get now, but I notice Amazon sellers have a few copies.

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Three Men in a Boat: Wistful, evocative, and packed with eccentric English humour

A trip to the Mill at Sonning – the picturesque Thameside theatre in rural Berkshire, where dinner is included as part of the theatre ticket – is always something of an escape. So it feels appropriate to launch the summer season with a charming new production of Jerome K. Jerome’s escapist comic classic. There is something rather exciting, too, in the fact that the very river along which the three men travel actually flows beneath the converted watermill theatre, and Sonning itself appears in the novel, described as “the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river”. 

This is a story that lulls along, with no force pushing the plot onwards except the gentle rowing of the boat. Beyond some gentle mocking of French and German food, and a comic set piece involving the boat cover that just about hints at innuendo, there is nothing here that could be considered risqué. There is a risk that adapting such an emphatically sun-kissed vision of pre-war England could descend into stuffiness. But the jokes in Clive Francis’s adaptation have just enough of a pull to the absurd for there to be a lively sense of the unexpected, while superb comic acting from the three leads keeps the story exceptionally sparky. 

Each actor embodies a slightly camp gentleman archetype, who collectively capture something of the essence of idle upper classes. George Watkins makes a wonderfully fruity Jerome, with a twinkly smile fixed to his face, and a touch of Kenneth Williams about him. James Bradshaw, meanwhile, presents a gentler and slightly nasal figure in George, while Sean Rigby has something of Brian Blessed about him in his portrayal of Harris: a large, jocular figure with ruddy features, and a love of singing music hall classics (which older members of the audience will likely sing along to). 

The problem of how to represent the fourth traveller, fox terrier Montmorency, is solved by simply having the three actors mime his presence. It has the happy effect of adding a new comic dimension to the canine companion, as opposed to distracting us with a puppet. 

Pains are taken to capture the multi-faceted spirit of the novel, with narrative modes from sentimental travelogue to slapstick farce all featured. It is, though, the comic passages of the novel that have ensured its continued celebration, as the regular peels of laughter rippling across the auditorium will testify. Some of them, such as the famous anecdote of the stuffed trout, lose some of their impact when translated to the stage, but others, such as George’s tale of bringing two particularly smelly cheeses back from Liverpool, remain genuinely hilarious. 

Sean Cavanagh’s set transforms from an elegant if cluttered London apartment to a picturesque riverside scene, complete with a sweet wooden rowing boat for the three leads to hop in. Natalie Tichener’s costumes include old-fashioned straw hats, and three wonderfully garish striped jackets that help capture a sense of the pre-World War One bliss. 

While fun and colourful, these sentimental designs also remind us that this is a world that no longer exists. And while ugliness and discomfort are feelings totally avoided in this production, there is also subtle sadness that builds in the background: that this might be a story of total familiarity, but it is taking place in a country that has been completely lost to time. A snapshot of the warmest of friendships, just ahead of the modern era dawning. 

At the Mill at Sonning until 13 July; 0118 969 8000; millatsonning.savoysystems.co.uk

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• Charles Finch, James Barshall Take to the High Seas with a Shoe Meant for Serious Sailors 

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Charles Finch and James Barshall, two serial entrepreneurs with a passion for the open sea, fly-fishing, and fashion, are launching a new, performance footwear brand aimed at serious sailors.

The brand, Équipement De Vie, or EDV, currently offers a single lace-up style in variety of colors and textures. It also has various patent-pending features, high-grip, anti-slip soles, and a drainage hole system for when waves start to crash onto the deck.

The plan is to launch a slip-on style later this summer, and there is a “tremendous pipeline” of product ready to be rolled out in the coming years, said Barshall in a joint telephone interview with Finch.

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The two were speaking from Italy, where they are soft-launching the brand as sponsors and participants in the Argentario Classic Regatta, part of Argentario Sailing Week in Porto Santo Stefano on the Tuscan coast.

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They’re racing two boats: Finch’s classic yacht “Gael,” and “Java,” which belongs to Finch’s captain Nat Lemieux, the inspiration behind the brand.

“We want to be a specialist, and we’ve been laser-focused on making the best possible sailing shoe,” said Barshall, a distribution veteran who brought Vans to the U.K. and Europe in the early ‘90s. He’s also the former owner of the American outerwear company Penfield, and founder of its sister brand, Cape Heights.

The shoes’ design and materials, Barshall added, “came from understanding the real needs of sailors. There is a very high level of technical ability built into them, but we’ve also tried to make these shoes elegant, and wearable.”

Barshall and Finch started working on the brand two years ago after Lemieux, an accomplished American racer, bemoaned the lack of sailing shoes with the grip and durability to withstand the toughest conditions.

The result was the Lemieux Elite style for men and women, which has features such as high-grip, anti-slip soles and special drainage channels “for optimal traction and water displacement on all marine surfaces,” according to the website.

The style also has a fast-lacing system, rubber toe protection, and a dual-layer breathable upper. The company said the shoe also provides “precise contact” with the boat’s winch buttons through a specialized engagement pad on the sole that’s meant to promote stability.

The shoes come in a technical fabric, leather, or suede in a neutral palette of white, gray, black, navy and chestnut. They’re priced at 185 pounds.

Finch described them as “quite sturdy,” and said they are meant to get better with age. “Over time, they become more glued to your foot, and more glued to the deck. They’re sustainable in the old-fashioned way” because they last, he said.

Finch, whose businesses range from film to lifestyle to publishing, and who founded the Chucs Dive & Mountain brand and restaurant franchise, funded the initial development stage.

Last year the partners also raised funds through a friends and family investment round. Investors include Jonathan Newhouse , the Givenchy family, and film producers P.J. van Sandwijk, Eric Fellner, Jeremy Thomas, and Ginevra Elkann.

Finch and Barshall worked with a freelance designer to create the shoe, and Barshall used his supply chain contacts to secure a Taiwanese-owned factory that works with high-end brands and also has technical expertise.

They’ve spend the past few weeks testing the shoe on sailors and crew members during races and trials, and will be soft launching this weekend during the regatta.

Finch argued the Lemieux Elite works on land – and at cocktail parties – while Barshall said he’s been testing his shoes onshore, offshore, and in every single environment – successfully – for the last nine months.

The shoes have sustainable elements, too. The suede and leather are vegetable-tanned and chrome-free, while the midsoles are made from 30 percent sugarcane. Laces and other components are made from recycled materials, while the box comes from 100 percent post-consumer cardboard.

The brand will hold trunk shows with friends and family throughout the summer, while sales are currently direct-to-consumer.

Barshall said he has already started setting up wholesale distribution, which will start in spring 2025, in countries including Japan.

“It’s baby steps at this point, and we really want to establish the brand through the right channels in the sailing community,” he said. “We’re taking things slowly, and want to do them the right way. We want this to be a tremendous business” in the medium-term he added.

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