Wooden boat

The Return of the 1920s "Gentleman's Racer" from New England Boat & Motor Co.

Mark Mason, owner of New Hampshire's New England Boat & Motor Co., is bringing back the era of the 1920s "gentleman's racer" with his stunning new line of reproduction mahogany speedboats. Mason, who spent decades restoring classic boats, decided to build replicas as the originals grew ever more scarce and expensive. At his boatyard in Laconia, Mason is now custom building three 1920s racing models, each 27 ft. long with a 6-foot beam, and each priced at $395,000. The three models on offer are the Impshi (above) Hornet and Palm Beach Days, some sportier, others more stately, all with period details and graphics. The original Impshi was built by Strother MacMinn, a famous automobile designer of the era. Palm Beach Days was originally designed by famed naval architect John L. Hacker for a Palm Beach socialite who raced it in competitions around the country and used it as a stylish runabout at his yacht club. Equipped with a 548 cubic inch GM V8, it cruises at 50 mph and reaches a top speed of 70 mph.

Gallery: New England Boat & Motor Co.

Tags: 1920s, boat, classic boats, mahogany, New England, New Hampshire, powerboat, speedboat, wooden boat

Gianni Agnelli's Classic Yacht for Sale at $1.8 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Men's Style

Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli, who died in 2003 at the age of 81, was one of the most stylish men who ever walked the Earth. An avid playboy and racecar driver (Fiat of course owns Ferrari), Agnelli was also a keen yachtsman, and enjoyed many years of sailing his Knut Reimer-designed 82-ft. yawl Agneta with its distinctive port-wine colored sails and superb varnished hull, built in 1948. Now the stylish yacht with its restored Burmese teak deck has been listed for sale in France via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for about $1.8 million.

A regular on the on the Mediterranean Classic Yacht regatta racing circuit, the Agneta's spacious owner's stateroom features a marble fireplace and en-suite bath suitable for an elegant gentleman, while interiors are fitted with polished paneling and exotic inlays. We don't know for certain but can speculate that Agnelli, whose estate was worth $4.4 billion, entertained famed female companions like Anita Ekberg, Rita Hayworth and (rumored) Jackie Onassis aboard the beautiful boat.

Gallery: Gianni Agnelli's Agneta

Tags: classic yacht, Ferrari, Fiat, Gianni Agnelli, Italy, JamesList, Mediterranean, playboy, sailing, sailing yacht, wooden boat, yacht

Classic 1931 Gentleman's Yacht for Sale at $9 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Many people admired the classic 1936 sailing yacht restored by Italian watch brand Panerai that we wrote about last month. Now you can buy your own version, an even larger classic gentleman's yacht built buy the same famed Scottish boatyard as Panerai's craft, for $9 million. The 134-ft. Altair, a gaff rigged topsail schooner, was originally commissioned by Captain H. MacCaw who asked William Fife for "a sound, safe cruiser to go to the South Sea Islands in with no difficulty." She then passed through a series of notable owners including Viscount Runciman, a British Member of Parliament, before being acquired by the British Admiralty in World War II. Completely restored in 1987 and refitted in 2007, the teak on oak with teak deck Altair now ranks as one of the best-preserved large high-quality pre-war yachts in the world. The interior is considered one of the most beautiful and authentic of any classic yacht, with fine French polished walnut throughout the five cabin guest accommodations.

Tags: altair, classic yacht, Panerai, sailing yacht, schooner, teak, wooden boat, yacht

The Classicist: Set Sail on a 100-Year-Old Superyacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Yachts & Sailing, The Classicist

Among yachting historians the name Nathanael Herreshoff is spoken with awe. With a degree in mechanical engineering from M.I.T., Herreshoff - known as "Captain Nat" - revolutionized the world of yacht design and produced a succession of undefeated America's Cup winners between 1893–1920. The elegant yachts he designed for those who could afford them were the largest, most expensive and most powerful ever built to defend the famed sailing trophy. Among the moguls who commissioned sailing superyachts from the Rhode Island-based naval architect were Jay Gould, William Randolph Hearst, J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, William Kissam Vanderbilt, Harry Payne Whitney and Morton F. Plant.

Plant, who liked to be known as "Commodore", was a financier, yachtsman and philanthropist who founded the Connecticut College for Women. These days however he is best remembered as the man who traded his opulent Fifth Avenue mansion to Parisian jeweler Cartier in 1917 for $100 and a pearl necklace. Plant owned several yachts during his lifetime, but one of the most famous was the "peerless schooner" (according to the New York Times) Elena which he commissioned from Herreshoff in 1910. His instructions to the great naval architect were simple: "Build me a schooner that can win!" The yacht claimed several victories before Plant's death in 1918, later passing into the hands of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Elena's crowning triumph came in 1928 when she won the 3,400 mile King's Cup Trans-Atlantic Race from New York to Santander, Spain.

All ancient history, you're probably thinking; but the Elena (above) has now been rebuilt and relaunched in all its original splendor, and what's more it is now listed for sale in the South of France via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for $12 million. Spain's Factoria Naval de Marin tracked down 320 original hand-drawn plans, in the possession of Herreshoff's alma mater MIT, prior to beginning the restoration process. Historic images of the yacht were painstakingly studied to ensure that every detail was restored to perfection, from her towering masts and nearly 1,200 square meter sail plan to the wide teak deck and luxurious appointments. The Elena can accommodate 10 guests in Gilded Age luxury, with beautiful woodwork throughout and elegant, period correct fittings discreetly updated with modern technology. All guest cabins are exquisitely finished with mahogany panellng, while all interior ornamental details follow the original Herreshoff designs. Check out the gallery for glorious images.

Gallery: The Elena

Tags: Americas Cup, classic yacht, Nathanael Herreshoff, sailboat, sailing, sailing yacht, superyacht, Vanderbilt, wooden boat, yacht

Classic Rocker David Crosby Puts Yacht Up for Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Classic rocker David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash fame has put his beloved wooden sailing yacht on the market after 40 years. Crosby is asking $1 million for the classic 59-ft. Alden 356-B Centerboard Schooner, named Mayan. Crosby, who had an affluent upbringing in California and learned to sail at age 11, composed several songs aboard the yacht which he lived on for long spells. The Mayan is pictured on the cover of the 1977 Crosby, Stills & Nash album CSN, and references to her can be found in songs such as "Wooden Ships," "The Lee Shore" and "Through My Sails."

Crosby originally purchased the yacht in 1968 and spent over $600,000 on a refit in 2005, including new electronics, and she has been upgraded annually. The Mayan, which is located in Santa Barbara, is described as "a very powerful design that takes the weather very well." The cabin layout is very traditional but easily sleeps eight in three staterooms plus a large saloon double berth. Stars like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have sailed on her. Click here to see a photo gallery of the yacht.

Tags: California, celebrity, classic rock, ClassicRock, David Crosby, DavidCrosby, Neil Young, NeilYoung, rock star, RockStar, sailing, sailing yacht, SailingYacht, Santa Barbara, SantaBarbara, wooden boat, WoodenBoat, yacht

Edison Marine Electric Classic Cruiser

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Green

Oregon-based Edison Marine is now taking orders for its beautiful handbuilt 1940s-style electric mahogany powerboat, with whisper-quiet engines and zero emissions. The 17-ft. Edison Classic Cruiser (above) will be ready for spring delivery at a base price of $100,000 with a single propeller engine and $120,000 for a twin propeller model. Hand crafted from solid African mahogany, the surprisingly lightweight barrel-back craft can reach speeds of up to 30 mph with twin 85-hp electric motors. It can cruise for 8-10 hours at hull speed on one charge of the batteries, which are fully rechargeable using a standard AC/DC 110/220V outlet in just 3-4 hours. Options include a full leather interior and an on board gas generator for remote battery charging.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: Edison Electric Cruiser

Tags: Edison Marine, EdisonMarine, Electric boat, ElectricBoat, mahogany, Powerboat, Speedboat, Wooden boat, WoodenBoat, Yacht

Aquariva Cento Boat

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

The Aquariva Cento, a special edition created to celebrate the hundredth unit of the main Aquariva model, is a hot property. In just two days, the ten limited edition units produced by the shipyard on the base model of the 100th hull have already been sold out. The only one left is the real number 100, which will be put on auction on November 15th at the Roundhouse in London, during the "Invest in Futures" gala night, organized by the Prince's Trust. The gleaming wood Italian cruiser is the ultimate in elegance. After the jump, a few press shots of this Bentley of the sea which comes complete with a leather picnic basket and wood bottle holder.

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Tags: boat, cruising, riva yacht, RivaYacht, wooden boat

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