yacht wikipedia english

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Derived terms
• 1.3.2 Translations
• 1.4.1 Translations
• 1.5 Anagrams
• 2.1 Etymology
• 2.2 Pronunciation
• 2.4 Further reading
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2 Pronunciation
• 3.4 References
• 3.5 Further reading
• 4.1 Etymology
• 5.1 Etymology
• 5.3 References
• 6.1 Etymology
• 6.3 References
• 7.1 Alternative forms
• 7.2 Etymology
• 7.3.1 Declension
• 7.3.2 Derived terms
• 7.4 Further reading

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ]

Circa 1557; variant of yaught , earlier yeaghe ( “ light, fast-sailing ship ” ) , from Dutch jacht ( “ yacht; hunt ” ) , in older spelling jaght(e) , short for jaghtschip ( “ light sailing vessel, fast pirate ship ” , literally “ pursuit ship ” ) , compound of jacht and schip ( “ ship ” ) .

In the 16th century the Dutch built light, fast ships to chase the ships of pirates and smugglers from the coast. The ship was introduced to England in 1660 when the Dutch East India Company presented one to King Charles II, who used it as a pleasure boat, after which it was copied by British shipbuilders as a pleasure craft for wealthy gentlemen.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• ( UK ) enPR : yŏt , IPA ( key ) : /jɒt/
• ( US ) enPR : yät , IPA ( key ) : /jɑːt/ , /jɑt/
• Rhymes: -ɒt

Noun [ edit ]

yacht ( plural yachts )

• 1897 December (indicated as 1898 ), Winston Churchill , chapter X, in The Celebrity: An Episode , New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company ; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd. , →OCLC : The skipper Mr. Cooke had hired at Far Harbor was a God-fearing man with a luke warm interest in his new billet and employer, and had only been prevailed upon to take charge of the yacht after the offer of an emolument equal to half a year's sea pay of an ensign in the navy.
• 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers , chapter VI, in The Younger Set , New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company , →OCLC : “I don’t mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera,   [ … ] , the chlorotic squatters on huge yachts ,   [ … ] , the neurotic victims of mental cirrhosis, the jewelled animals whose moral code is the code of the barnyard—!"

Derived terms [ edit ]

• motor yacht , motoryacht , MY
• sailing yacht , steam yacht , SY
• yacht person

Translations [ edit ]

Verb [ edit ].

yacht ( third-person singular simple present yachts , present participle yachting , simple past and past participle yachted )

• ( intransitive ) To sail , voyage , or race in a yacht .

Anagrams [ edit ]

• Cathy , tachy , tachy- , yatch

French [ edit ]

Borrowed from English yacht , from Dutch jacht .

• IPA ( key ) : /jɔt/ , /jot/ , ( Canada ) /jat/

yacht   m ( plural yachts )

Further reading [ edit ]

• “ yacht ”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [ Digitized Treasury of the French Language ] , 2012.

Italian [ edit ]

Unadapted borrowing from English yacht .

• IPA ( key ) : /ˈjɔt/ [1]
• Rhymes: -ɔt

yacht   m ( invariable )

• the letter Y in the Italian spelling alphabet

References [ edit ]

• ^ yacht in Luciano Canepari , Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
• yacht in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line , Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Norman [ edit ]

Borrowed from English yacht .

yacht   ? ( plural yachts )

• ( Jersey ) yacht

Norwegian Bokmål [ edit ]

From Dutch jacht , via English yacht .

yacht   m ( definite singular yachten , indefinite plural yachter , definite plural yachtene )

• “yacht” in The Bokmål Dictionary .

Norwegian Nynorsk [ edit ]

yacht   m ( definite singular yachten , indefinite plural yachtar , definite plural yachtane )

• “yacht” in The Nynorsk Dictionary .

Swedish [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ].

yacht   c

Declension [ edit ]

• yacht in Svenska Akademiens ordlista ( SAOL )
• yacht in Svensk ordbok ( SO )
• yacht in Svenska Akademiens ordbok ( SAOB )

• English terms derived from Dutch
• English 1-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• Rhymes:English/ɒt
• Rhymes:English/ɒt/1 syllable
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English countable nouns
• English terms with usage examples
• English terms with quotations
• English verbs
• English intransitive verbs
• en:Watercraft
• French terms borrowed from English
• French terms derived from English
• French terms derived from Dutch
• French 1-syllable words
• French terms with IPA pronunciation
• French terms with audio links
• French lemmas
• French nouns
• French countable nouns
• French masculine nouns
• fr:Watercraft
• French loanwords with irregular pronunciations
• Italian terms borrowed from English
• Italian unadapted borrowings from English
• Italian terms derived from English
• Italian 1-syllable words
• Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
• Rhymes:Italian/ɔt
• Rhymes:Italian/ɔt/1 syllable
• Italian lemmas
• Italian nouns
• Italian indeclinable nouns
• Italian countable nouns
• Italian terms spelled with Y
• Italian masculine nouns
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• Norman terms derived from English
• Norman lemmas
• Norman nouns
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• nrf:Watercraft
• Norwegian Bokmål terms derived from Dutch
• Norwegian Bokmål terms derived from English
• Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
• Norwegian Bokmål nouns
• Norwegian Bokmål terms spelled with C
• Norwegian Bokmål masculine nouns
• nb:Watercraft
• Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from Dutch
• Norwegian Nynorsk terms derived from English
• Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
• Norwegian Nynorsk nouns
• Norwegian Nynorsk terms spelled with C
• Norwegian Nynorsk masculine nouns
• nn:Watercraft
• Swedish terms borrowed from English
• Swedish terms derived from English
• Swedish lemmas
• Swedish nouns
• Swedish common-gender nouns
• sv:Watercraft
• English entries with topic categories using raw markup
• Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
• Mongolian terms with redundant script codes
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• Requests for gender in Norman entries

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History of the Yacht

By: American Sailing Sailing History

When does a boat become a yacht? One answer has always been, you can tell a yacht when you see one. But, It really has nothing to do with size of the boat, weight of the boat, its style, sleeping quarters, heads, tillers, or a wheel. A yacht is a boat that was designed for the express pleasure of its owner.

The yacht is an invention of the 14th century Dutch. The Dutch used small, fast boats for chasing smugglers, pirates and criminals. Rich ship owners and merchants began using these small “ jaghts ” to sail out to celebrate their returning merchant ships. It quickly became chic to use these “ jaghts ” to take friends out just for pleasure.

“ Mary ” was presented to King Charles II by the Dutch in 1660.

Charles II of England spent 10 years in exile in Holland before he was returned to the English throne in 1660. His return to the throne was celebrated by the city of Amsterdam, presenting him with a luxurious 60’ yacht including a crew of 20. Her name was Mary. He took great pleasure in sailing her up and down the Thames. He studied navigation and even naval architecture and he built approximately 20 yachts during his lifetime. It can be said that he was the world’s first yachtsman. His enthusiasm for yachting was contagious and his brother James, Duke of York, joined him and also became an avid yachtsman as well.

As always when there are two sailboats on the water a race ensues. Soon the first organized regatta was planned as a 40-mile race on the Thames. It took place in 1661 between Katherine , Charles’s newly constructed yacht and Anne , the Duke of York’s new yacht with Charles himself at the helm Katherine won and a new sport was born.

Yachting stayed the Sport of Kings for over a century, but by the 1800s yachting had grown to included participants of more than just the crown heads of Europe. The worlds wealthiest had joined in. Yacht Clubs were forming. The first yacht club in the world, called the Cork Water Club , was established in Ireland in 1720, followed the Lough Ree Yacht Club in 1770 (again in Ireland), and the Starcross Yacht Club in 1772 in England.

Cowes Castle became the headquarters of the Royal Yacht Squadron around 1858.

Probably the most famous of all the English yacht clubs the The Royal Yacht Squadron was founded on June 1, 1815 in the Thatched House Tavern in St James’s, London as The Yacht Club by 42 gentlemen interested in yachting.

Across the pond the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) was started on July 30, 1844 when John Cox Stevens invited eight friends to his yacht Gimcrack , anchored in New York Harbor. They formed a syndicate to build a yacht with the intention of taking her to England and making some money competing in yachting regattas and match races. They choose to build a Pilot style Schooner to represent the club; at the time there was no faster design!

Pilot Schooners would lie at anchor in the inner harbor of New York City and wait for the behmoth square rigged Clippers carrying goods between America and Europe. The Pilot Boats purpose was to guide the huge square riggers that would appear at the entrance to New York Harbor’s Verazno Straights, to a berth in the City. The Schooners had to be fast to make a living. First one to the cargo ship got the job second got nothing.

The syndicate contracted with master schooner designer George Steers for a 101 ft (30.78 m) schooner which was christened America and launched on the 3 of May 1851. America crossed the Atlantic on her own bottom that year and challenged all of England’s fastest yachts to a match race. No yachts were willing to race her. Finally, America joined a free-for-all on Friday, August 22, around the Isle of Wight, racing against 15 yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron in the club’s annual 53-nautical-mile (98 km) race around the Isle of Wight. Finishing 8 minutes ahead of its closest rival. America had won the Royal Yacht Squadron’s “ Hundred Guinea Cup “, later called the America’s Cup in honor of the yacht that won it.

The Yacht America

Watching the race was Queen Victoria, who supposedly inquired, “ Which is first? ” Told it was America , she asked, “ Which is second? ” “ Ah, Your Majesty, there is no second, ” was the reply. Or so the story goes. The NYYC defended that trophy from 1870-1983. This has been described by journalists as “ the longest winning streak in sports “.

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SailingEurope Blog - Sailing, Yacht Charter and Beyond

The Yacht – The Meaning and the Origin of the Word

In my language there are a few words for a floating object, or a vessel. According to the size and the purpose of the vessel, those words could be translated as “dinghy”, “yacht”, “boat” or “ship”. Some types of vessels have international names, for example “catamaran” or “hovercraft”.

What Does Yacht Mean?

However, when you say “ yacht” in my language, everyone know exactly what it is about. The word “yacht”, unlike other terms, has certain connotations. It always links with something classy, fancy, wealthy, elegant, and even glamorous.

For example, if you say that you have spent a week aboard a sailing boat , the recations of people will be more or less neutral. On the other hand, if you say that your week aboard a yacht was excellent, many people will become jealous. They will imagine you in a scene from a James Bond movie : aboard a massive white yacht in Monte Carlo , having a cold martini (shaken, not stirred)…

I wanted to share with you this language introduction because I found an interesting story about the word “yacht” and its origin. The word “yacht” became an English and an international term after an event that happened a long time ago.

How Do You Spell ‘Yacht’?

This word comes from the Dutch word “jacht”, which means “hunt”. Furthermore, “ j achtschepen” was the name for narrow, light and very fast sailing boats that the Dutchmen were using for intercepting larger and slower boats and ships.

One of the ‘hunters’ was given as a present to the British king Charles II . In His Majesty’s free time this vessel was not used for intercepting. Instead, was using it for fun. That is why the word “yacht” eventually became the term for vessels/boats made for pleasure.

I would highly appreciate comments from the native speakers of the  English and Dutch languages. Especially since I am not one of them. No matter whether this story is true or not, it still sounds interesting to me.

Find out more about sailing quotes and phrases here .

I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!

8 thoughts on “The Yacht – The Meaning and the Origin of the Word”

I looked up the origin of the word yacht, and it said it is a mid 16th century, Early Modern Dutch word from ‘jaght,’ from ‘jaghtschip’ meaning “fast pirate ship,” from ‘jaght’ which means “hunting” + ‘schip’ meaning “ship”.

I like the story of King Charles. It makes sense that that is why a yacht has the definite aura of wealth and pleasure!

Almost but not 100%. Actually the verb ‘jagen’ to hunt goes back to middle high German,i.e. Deutsch not Dutch, and before that it was ‘jagon’ in lower high German. But it seems that it all started with Greek and travelled North.

I guess that mid 16th century, the Dutch word jaght or jaghtschip was the word that got picked up. Not the earlier middle high German word where it came from.

Today it is jacht in Dutch, meaning hunting and it also the word for a luxury sailing boat.

In German Jagd is the word for hunt. Germans use the Dutch or English Jacht or Yacht for the boat.

Did the Germans design the original schooners? I think not! Since some Netherlanders speak a form of the Deutschland language, this word is shared (jacht/Dutch—jagd/German: meaning to hunt). It was the Dutch (Netherlanders) who designed the “flyut” or flute sailing ships, l-o-n-g before any British ever thought of such a ship—and—any German. The schooner grew out of the basic designs of the Dutch flute sailing ship (known for it’s speed). The Dutch economy relied heavily on trade and shipping, and were, thus, cutting edge innovators in ship building. Their engineering skills, was and is, plainly seen in their dike system, as well.

My father built a beautiful wooden replica of the”yacht” referred by the author (“Yacht Mary”) which was a present from the city of Amsterdam to King Charles II of England in 1660. They wrecked the ship a few years later (already too much partying on yachts, perhaps?)

I noticed the plaque that came with the model ship spelled the name as “Yatch” Mary. First, I thought, maybe, it was old English or Dutch spelling but it looks like it was just an error.

Nice, We have made an eplainermovie about this subject!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3HDZHF8w2E

In my head yogurt used to be spelled yoghurt and yacht used to be spelled yaught. Am I completely mis-remembering?

Dear Margaret, you are quite right for the spelling of the word yogurt that used to be, and sometimes still is, spelled with its old spelling yoghurt. However, there are no traces of the word yacht to have ever been spelled as yaught, but it would be best to take an etymology expert’s word for it.

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Yacht : modern meaning of the term and types of boats

The etymology of the term yacht comes from the Dutch word ‘jacht’, which was used in the past to define the fast sailing vessels used to hunt down pirates along the coasts of northern Europe.

Today, the term ‘yacht’ is used to describe all recreational vessels, whether sailing or motor-powered, with at least one cabin that allows the crew to sleep on board.

There is no established definition for the length of this family of boats, but common usage tends to define a yacht as a vessel longer than 33 feet, or about 10 meters.

As mentioned above, a yacht may be equipped with sailing, motor or mixed propulsion. It can have more than one hull, and if it exceeds 25 meters it also deserves the definition of superyacht . When a yacht is over 50 meters it is called a megayacht and, more and more frequently, when it exceeds 100 meters it becomes a gigayacht.

A yacht normally flies a flag that corresponds to the country where the vessel is registered, not least because, if it does not, it may be captured and taken to the nearest port for ‘flag survey’. As far as international maritime law is concerned, the yacht is considered in all respects to be the territory of the country of the flag it flies, to whose sovereignty the crew is subject.

A yacht flying the flag of a country, unless there is well-founded suspicion of illegal activity, can only be stopped for inspection by the military vessels of that country. When a yacht enters the territorial waters of a country other than that of its flag, it is obliged to fly a courtesy flag.

This is tantamount to a declaration of submission to the navigational laws of the country in which it is sailing.

Sailing and motor-powered yachts

The first major distinction is between sailing yachts and motoryachts. The current worldwide spread of these two families has shifted decisively towards motor yachts, which make up about 75% of the total sailing fleet.

Progress and design have produced many different categories of motor yachts, so let’s discover them together.

Motoryachts

Seen from the stern, a flybridge yacht is often equipped with a “beach club”, a platform that facilitates access to the sea and on which water toys are placed or simply used for diving. A staircase, or even two symmetrical staircases, leads from this platform to the main deck. Sometimes there is a “garage” between these two staircases to house the engine room, a tender and other on-board equipment.

The main deck is characterized by the presence of a helm station, inside of which a large open-space salon houses settees and a galley. The helm station often leads below deck, also known as the lower deck, where the sleeping quarters, or cabins, are normally located.

The foredeck often has a large sundeck bordered by a “bowplate” for hauling anchor. The bow is often “fenced in” by the handrails, which are vital grips for safety at sea.

Let’s get to why a yacht is called a flybridge. The flybridge is an upper deck, open 360 degrees and often covered by a hard-top, a roof usually made of fibreglass. The flybridge usually has an additional helm station to steer from a more panoramic position. An additional galley is often located on the flybridge, as well as additional lounge seating and sun decks.

Open Yachts

An open yacht has no flybridge and its main deck is commonly all open. The helm station can frequently be sheltered by a T-Top. Below deck, depending on the length of the yacht, there are living spaces for the crew which may include dinette, cabins and facilities. Open yachts can be walk-around, i.e. with the possibility for passengers of walking freely around the perimeter of the boat, or they can have an enclosed bow and thus have a raised deck.

A coupe yacht is a yacht without a flybridge, characterized by a sporty design, with the main deck open aft. Very often it has a sunroof and is always equipped with side-decks connecting the stern to the bow. It is a vessel that, depending on its size, is suitable for medium to long-distance cruising.

This is an important type of yacht, which has its origins on the American East Coast where it was used to catch lobsters. It has a romantic, sometimes vintage aesthetic, and is endowed with sinuous lines that, for some, are evocative of the 1950s. Very suitable for cruising and conviviality, thanks also to a large sofa in the cockpit, the lobster is an iconic boat that offers plenty of comfort and space below deck for at least one cabin and one head.

The trawler is essentially a yacht for owners who want to spend a lot of time on board. This is why interior volumes are maximized and the upper deck is always present. Also part of the trawler family are the famous Menorcan boats, inspired by the llaüts of the Menorca island..

Increasingly popular among motor yachts, too, is the multihull, due to its inherent features of stability and capacity. In most cases it is a catamaran designed for long stays at sea.

Sailing yacht

Sailing yachts are vessels where propulsion should mainly rely on the power transmitted by the wind. In the past, sailing yacht engines were low-powered and mainly used for entering and leaving ports, but today, for obvious reasons of practicality and ease of use, they have enough power to make the sailing yacht cruise at a speed at least equal to its theoretical hull speed. This means that sailing yachts can be used efficiently even in the total absence of wind.

A sailing yacht can be rigged in many different ways, these being the most common in modern times:

Sloop : this is the most common rigging on modern boats, characterized by the presence of a single mast with a mainsail and a jib or genoa. Sloop rigging has become popular over the years because it is the easiest to handle with a small crew and also offers the best ease of use/sailing performance ratio.

Cutter : Widely used for long distance sailing, it is characterized by the presence of a mainsail and two jibs rigged on a single mast. Normally the two jibs are a genoa and foresail that are used individually, depending on the weather conditions.

Ketch : this is the most commonly used rig on two-masted sailing yachts, with a mainmast, rigged with a mainsail and genoa, and a mizzenmast, forward of the rudder shaft, rigged with a single mainsail. The splitting of the sails makes this type of yacht suitable for sailing in bad weather.

Yawl : exactly the same as a ketch but with the mizzen mast located aft of the rudder shaft.

Sailing yachts can be monohulls or multihulls, i.e. catamarans or trimarans, but in all cases they can be divided into these categories:

Easy to handle and with plenty of space above and below deck, this type of yacht is normally characterized by an unbalanced length/width ratio favouring the latter, a small sail area and more powerful than average engines.

The interiors are fully equipped and sophisticated, with each cabin often having its own en-suite head.

The deck plan and sailing equipment are simplified, often electrified and minimal.

Cruiser-Racer

This yacht, while still featuring a luxurious and complete interior, also has all the equipment needed for sail fine-tuning and a generous sail area.

This is a category where special attention is paid to both the overall weight of the boat and the hull shape.

The hull lines are in fact designed to enhance performance and, inevitably, this results in a slightly smaller interior than that of pure cruising yachts of the same length.

Racer-Cruiser

The owner who buys this type of yacht has already competed in club competitions and now wants to engage in higher level racing. The hulls are light and can sometimes be made of carbon, and all the sail adjustments are fine-tuned to achieve maximum performance.

The deck plan is definitely designed for crewed racing and the sail area/displacement ratio is unbalanced in favour of the former, making this yacht more difficult to handle with a smaller crew but, conversely, capable of performance similar to a pure racing yacht.

A pure racing yacht is a sailing yacht built exclusively for racing. Free from any commercial constraints, it is built according to the type of race to be competed in and, above all, the rating to be obtained. The interiors of this boat are minimal. This yacht is capable of planing and sailing upwind at very low wind angles, but is almost never used for recreational purposes.

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History repeating: How Malahne’s refit restored her 1930s splendour

To celebrate Malahne winning the Rebuilt Yachts Award at the 2016 World Superyacht Awards , we revisit this stunning transformation.

The 1930s classic motor yacht Malahne was rendered almost unrecognisable by a 1980s refit; to restore her classic lines, the owner went right back to the beginning.

Some refits of classic yachts are transformations, some are rehabilitations and some are restorations, depending upon the owner’s views toward preserving historical context.

When it comes to 50 metre  Malahne , built to represent yachting perfection in 1937, the term restoration doesn’t go nearly far enough. Before she could re-enter the pantheon of pre-war classic yachts, first she needed a structural exorcism to remove a controversial modernisation done in 1983.

As has been the case with a number of British yacht restorations, such as  _ Blue Bird _and  Nahlin , Nicholas  Edmiston , chairman of the eponymous firm, has been both broker and enabler of what are complex and costly rescues.

“I live in a Georgian building, I have been sailing since I was four. Yachts like _Malahne_are part of my life,” he says, his gruff voice and clipped accent hinting at a romanticism and veneration for days of manners and elegance.

“I watched the 1983 refit with tears in my eyes,” he recalls. “I kept hoping that owner would sell it while it was still afloat. I’m so happy and fortunate I was able to interest an owner who understood the yacht and who would put his trust in me and our vision to return the yacht to what it felt like in 1937.”

In 1937, Malahne was the jewel in her owner’s crown. William Lawrence Stephenson was a Yorkshire-born retailer who had been appointed by Frank Woolworth in 1909 to direct the British arm of FW Woolworth.

He led it to great success in the 1920s and ’30s, eventually taking the company public. Stephenson was a gregarious sort who took up yacht racing after buying a Fife-designed Big Class yacht named White Heather II , which had been converted to a J Class by Lord Waring in 1930.

Having caught the racing bug, Stephenson commissioned a new J from Charles Nicholson to race in the America’s Cup.  White Heather II  was scrapped and her lead melted for the keel of JK7, which he named  Velsheda  for his daughters Velma, Sheila and Daphne.

In her second season she won more than 40 races against the likes of  _ Shamrock V  _and  Endeavour . Next, to expand his yachting experience, he ordered an ocean-going motor yacht from Camper & Nicholsons, this time using the final letters of his daughters’ names to form  Malahne .

This lovely lady cruised the Med in 1937 and ’38 and transported Stephenson back and forth to New York. With the outbreak of WWII, Stephenson offered her to the Admiralty, which was quickly accepted.

As a Channel patrol cruiser, she saw action in the evacuation at Dunkirk and later took part in torpedo target practice in Scotland.

Unlike most of her kin,  Malahne  survived the war years and bounced through a number of owners, even being refitted and re-classed to Lloyd’s in 1960 when the legendary film producer Sam Spiegel bought her for a unique purpose: to serve as his production office and hotel while filming  Lawrence of Arabia  in Jordan.

The late King Hussein became the first of a retinue of royalty to be entertained aboard by the colourful, quixotic Spiegel who owned  Malahne  for 23 years.

Hollywood stars and music moguls were such frequent guests as to almost be part of the décor, and that’s not counting 1973 when the murder mystery  The Last of Sheila , starring Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, James Mason and Raquel Welch, was filmed aboard.

Spiegel and  Malahne  were such fixtures along the Côte d’Azur that the yacht graced the cover of  Life  magazine’s 9 July 1965 edition promoting a feature on “Riviera yachting”.

In her 2003 biography of Spiegel, fashion writer Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni wrote: “In many respects,  Malahne  became a never-ending Spiegel production. The boat was old-fashioned by today’s standards, but possessed a majestic charm. Stepping onto_Malahne_ was like stepping into another era.”

As Spiegel’s star eventually faded in Hollywood, so did the maintenance on the yacht; she fell out of class. In 1983 she passed into the hands of Saudi Sheikh Adel Al Mojil, who rendered her unrecognisable as  Adel XII  with a new bow, stern and superstructure.

Edmiston kept an eye on the boat throughout the subsequent years, and then in 2009 sensed his chance. He asked Dr William Collier of classic yacht experts GL Watson & Co to prepare a design proposal for a restored  Malahne  to make her a showpiece of the Golden Age of yachting.

“These [projects] are daunting at the beginning,” says Collier, “but having already prepared preliminary designs it was more a case of, ‘Here it is, here is what it can be and here’s a map of how to get there.’ Nick and I were well prepared.”

These drawings and a stack of photos of what she had been and could become were Edmiston’s proposal in 2012 to a potential owner who had chartered the smaller and older but elegantly restored  Fair Lady .

“He immediately grasped the potential beauty of the yacht and the concept of bringing something back from the edge. He was interested in polishing a jewel not creating a replica,” says Jacqueline Lyne, director of Edmiston’s recently formed Yacht Management division, which co-directed the project with Collier.

It was to be a project to highlight “Made in Britain”, and thus  Pendennis  Shipyard in Falmouth, Cornwall (which had also restored  Fair Lady ) was the logical yard for the task along with  BMT Nigel Gee  for the engineering to make the yacht achieve LY2 standards for charter.

For the interior design, Edmiston suggested London-based Guy Oliver, who, as the designer for the Connaught hotel, Claridge’s and the state rooms at Number 10 Downing Street, knows his way around a period interior.

Malahne  arrived at Pendennis from Tarragona, Spain, in September 2012. Pendennis had proposed to restore her in two parts: the only way.

“Part one was the job of taking the yacht apart so we could find out what we had,” says Pendennis’s joint managing director Mike Carr. “Part two was to rebuild _Malahne_out of it.”

After the deconstruction, evaluation of  Malahne ’s bones went frame by frame – a nearly six-month process of determining what to save, what to scrap and what would need to be refabricated to meet the modern codes.

“We went right to the last nail,” says Henk Wiekens, Carr’s fellow MD. “This is the most intense refit project we have ever done.”

Assessing integrity was one thing, but figuring out how to best use her volume for the new owners, crew and necessary machinery was quite another.

The original double-height engine room was one area mined for more guest space as was the original owner’s dining room on the lower deck – now the crew mess.

The yacht’s new main-deck dining room was originally occupied by engine exhaust trunking. The crew and galley areas are among the biggest physical changes to the original yacht.

In the 1930s there was a marked difference in the accommodations of officers and crew – they even had separate entrances from the deck. GL Watson & Co styled completely new crew quarters for 11, including two single officer’s cabins plus a captain’s cabin and a new galley reusing period Camper & Nicholsons joinery details.

The machinery for modern living such as air-conditioning and refrigerator compressors, fire suppression, electrical distribution panels, laundry and water-makers is squirrelled away in all sorts of places to make incredible use of the relatively narrow forward sections.

For Pendennis, the biggest concern was achieving modern stability criteria, which in the days before stabilisers was achieved by draught and weight. A lot of weight came off the hull, but lots would be going back in with all-new hull plate and safety features not imagined in 1937.

Fortunately, materials were available to Pendennis that were similarly not available to Camper & Nicholsons in 1937, such as the aluminium used for the bridge bulwark and superstructure, and composite for the replacement funnel, which hides the communication domes.

Even replacing the hull steel was a challenge when fitting old and new pieces together, because modern steel has less carbon, fewer inclusions and is easier to weld. The new plate was applied in the same staggered pattern as the original.

The rebuilding process took a further two years: one for structure and systems and one for the fit-out of interior and decks. The prime directive was to make _Malahne_look as if she had always been this way, always lived in and loved.

“He’s (the owner) been in grand homes and Claridge’s, where I have worked as a designer for 20 years. I wanted to create for him what looked like the original space but would offer comfort and service impossible back in the day,” says Guy Oliver. The new spaces were configured for family use but with a nod to select charter.

One of Oliver’s big decisions was not without risk: he wanted everything hand-finished on site to avoid finishes that looked plastic. “You want a sense of brush stroke,” he says. “Luxury is about bespoke and unique and being made by people not machines.”

It was a decision that involved extra time and scheduling as well as careful preservation as each bit of joinery or furniture was completed.

The result of this work is magical: colours and a softness that make the yacht look like an authentic collection of desired, acquired objects rather than a design montage.

Soft chenilles and down-filled cushions in just the right mix of prints and solids, beautiful timber floors and rugs, valanced, pleated curtains and elegant nickel hardware create a smart deco-style environment that lives like modern comfort.

Meanwhile, GL Watson & Co was doing the same thing with exterior design. Replica deck hardware was researched and redesigned, the original John Roby portholes were recast to meet current code and other items were remade from original drawings in the extensive GL Watson & Co archive.

The original binnacle had been chucked in the 1983 modernisation and try as he might, Collier could not find another 1937 binnacle, but he did locate one from a 1934 Camper & Nicholsons motor yacht that makes him almost as happy.

For the interior joinery stylings by Ruiter Quality Interiors, Oliver studied the art deco-style house at Eltham Palace, which was built at the same time as  Malahne  and would have presented a similar design language.

It was a time when designers mixed exotic woods or unique cuts for interior interest. For example, the bookcase backgrounds are roto-cut Japanese tamo ash, while the master suite features sycamore veneers in a chevron pattern, European tiger oak defines the dining saloon and macassar ebony with bronze insets makes an eye-catching bar.

Electricians had to go back to basics to hook up the onboard telephone system as the phones are rotary dial. A pair of original 1950 wall phones are in the master suite and reconditioned 1930s desk phones are used through the rest of the accommodation.

While 122 of the overhead lights on board were custom designed by Oliver as yacht-sized adaptations of deco originals, a pair of Queen Mary reading lights with quaint 14 watt French bulbs, had to be accommodated.

This faithfulness to the past even impacted the fairing. The hull and superstructure are semi-faired, using lighter, flexible aluminium battens that follow the shape and existing contours of the hull.

The paint is also semi-shiny in an off-white typical of the time. The 70 per cent gloss on the Awlgrip paint took a great deal of sampling to get right. With stainless steel rigging too shiny to match the period, Pendennis found a supplier who would sell the stainless wire pre-finished and unpolished to mimic the galvanised steel of the 1930s.

Collier believes that the project’s success stems from the fact that  Malahne  was “right for the doing. Her original lines and her full-beam sections made her suitable to arranging the yacht for a modern family. Fifty metres is a really, really nice size. It gives you good guest accommodations, a good balance of decks to indoor spaces and you can get the yacht into virtually anywhere”.

Carr, meanwhile, is extremely proud of the standard of workmanship on board: “Over the past two and a half years the team worked incredibly hard to bring Malahne back to life. Seeing the final transformation from her 1980s form back to her original design, her launch marks a proud moment for everyone.

“Our tradespeople have applied quality, care, pride and passion to every aspect of the project. There have been unprecedented opportunities to showcase their restoration skills, whilst sympathetically integrating modern systems. Malahne now commands a special place in the Pendennis fleet.”

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• ON THE HORIZON

GT 65 Carolina

HERITAGE WITH A NEW BEGINNING

When the first Hatteras splashed in 1959 it forever changed what the world could expect from a sportfishing boat. In fact, the Knit Wits was the first fiberglass boat over 40’. From this landmark beginning, innovation and performance have informed every chapter of Hatteras’ storied history.

This legacy—and the pride and craftsmanship upon which it has been built—was central to our purchase of Hatteras. When the White River Marine Group bought the brand in May of 2021, we welcomed one of the finest teams of boat builders in the world. We also welcomed a proud history of innovation—one that matches our own.

We are hard at work charting the next chapter of Hatteras. Full of pride and optimism, it is our commitment that what comes next can influence the industry as profoundly as the first Hatteras once did. This is what we mean by, “Heritage with a new beginning.”

FOR 60 YEARS, THE ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE ON THE WATER.

A Hatteras Yacht does not aspire to offer a luxury. That is simply where we begin. It is beyond that point – and within the experience each voyage offers – that you begin to understand the true Hatteras difference. That difference, for over half a century, has allowed Hatteras to stand as the benchmark of quality and innovation to which all others aspire.

Willis Slane envisioned a fishing boat strong enough to withstand the waves off Cape Hatteras, where his prey of choice, the marlin, grow as big as the swells.

Building a legend.

Two strong currents collide near Cape Hatteras: pride and perseverance. We’re a product of the storied coastal waters from which we borrow our name. Unforgiving seas where, for hundreds of years, dreams were sacrificed and legends born. So when others say we’re obsessed with over-engineering every detail, we know it is simply the right way to build a yacht. The uncompromising union of inspired design, breakthrough innovation and unmatched craftsmanship. Our commitment began 60 years ago when Hatteras founder, Willis Slane, envisioned a new breed of fishing boat. One strong enough to tame the waves off Cape Hatteras. What followed was the birth of a legend. Beginning with the Knit Wits, the 41-foot fiberglass yacht that revolutionized the industry, Hatteras served notice that our yachts would now be the standard to which all others were judged – above and below the waterline.

From that initial breakthrough vessel to each innovative yacht that has followed through the decades, Hatteras has offered a level of craftsmanship focused on perfecting every detail and over delivering on every expectation. When Hatteras began, some asked why our yachts were made this way. These days, they just want to know how. There is an undaunted spirit in the Hatteras brand. You can see it in the obsessive work of the men and women who pour their talent and heart into building each legendary vessel. You can feel it in the way the Hatteras hull cuts confidently through waters that lesser boats dare not enter. But more than anything, you can witness it inside the ambitious souls who make Hatteras an expression of their own drive for adventure. Those who are unwilling to compromise and determined to push boundaries. So, for all those who celebrate a life without limits, we welcome you aboard.

The sea creates winners and losers every day. Know which side you’re on.

INNOVATION BEYOND IMAGINATION

For 60 years, Hatteras has set the standard to which all other yachts aspire. That began with producing the world’s first fiberglass yacht over 40 feet and pioneering the revolutionary convex and modified-V hull. And while decades of design and engineering have resulted in a long list of patents and accolades, our focus continues to be on everything yet to come. From hull and propulsion breakthroughs to on-board connectivity and interior design, a commitment to innovation fuels every aspect of our business. And in the process we’re creating a legacy for others to chase and an unmatched experience for a fortunate few to enjoy.

Convex and modified-V hulls  for optimal performance under the widest range of conditions.

Double chine and side “step-outs”  offer a dryer ride and more interior space.

In-house designed multi-bladed hybrid propellers  offer improved fuel economy, reduced vibration and a quieter ride.

Deep gear ratio  improves efficiency and thrust capabilities.

Revolutionary deep tunnel design  for enhanced performance and rudder response.

Patented air induction system  reduces noise and vibration by over 200%.

Resin Infusion  for stronger and lighter decks, bulkheads and other parts.

Electrical systems  surpass all NMMA, ABYC and National Electric Code standards.

High-gloss and UV-resistant paint  on every exterior surface. The most durable coat in the industry.

Custom finishing and design  available across every element of the yacht, including luxury materials, furnishings and appliances.

“Our designs reflect who the owner is today – and where they intend to take their yacht tomorrow.” —Cullen Moser, Lead Designer

Design. build. and beyond..

Exceed every expectation. It’s a blueprint that guides the engineering and construction of our legendary yachts. It’s a philosophy that extends to the experience you will discover from our very first consultation. And it’s a commitment that ensures every moment aboard a Hatteras reflects your personal vision and pursuit of a life without limits.

DISCOVER MORE IN THE DESIGN

Hatteras involves owners at every stage of the design-build process. This includes an initial consultation at our headquarters in North Carolina to outline your wish list, including technology integration and choice of several amenity combinations. A dedicated team, led by your personal sales consultant, will guide you through every step of the planning and construction process to ensure your dream is realized.

YOUR VISION IS REALIZED

Our seasoned Hatteras design team will work with you to develop an interior plan that fully realizes your vision and reflects your personality. This includes the ability to personalize several features to your tastes. Everything from appliances and galley tile to furniture upholstery and wall coverings can be impacted by your choice of finishing packages.

A GREATER COMMITMENT

Our relationship with our customers doesn’t end when the keys are handed over. In fact, it’s only the beginning. A multi-day orientation session is offered with each purchase, including the ability to have members of the Hatteras team join you for portions of your maiden voyage. And in the days, weeks and years that follow, you’ll have the added peace of mind of direct access to your Hatteras team whenever you need assistance. That commitment is also backed by an industry-leading 1-Year Warranty on all systems and a 10-Year Structural Warranty.

READY FOR MORE?

110 North Glenburnie Road New Bern, NC 28560

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