As designers of fine custom yachts we pour our knowledge, experience, creativity, and our love for the work into each project with which we are involved. Sometimes it’s a brand-new sailing yacht built to a style of sailing from a bygone era. Sometimes, it’s revisiting that design a decade or more after launch to review what is working well and even improve upon the original. Such is the case with Zemphira. Built as Goshawk in 2005, Zemphira will launch in the Spring of 2021 after a substantial re-fit, ready to take on all-comers in Classic Yacht Spirit of Tradition racing throughout New England.
Paul and I designed Goshawk while the in-house design team at Brooklin Boat Yard. Construction was a collaboration with the hull built by Rockport Marine and then towed across Penobscot Bay to be completed with us at Brooklin Boat Yard. This design features a long, narrow hull with long classic overhangs, a deep but rather conservative fin keel with bulb, and a spade rudder. Her rig appears small for her length, but that’s because she is so light that little sail area is required to drive her to max speed. The combination produces a stiletto-like sailboat, sleek and easy to maneuver, with speed and power. Read on.
