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GEIST yacht NOT for charter*

33.9m  /  111'3 | spirit yachts | 2020.

Owner & Guests

Cabin Configuration

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Multi-award winning
• 1,430nm range
• RINA (Registro Italiano Navale) C ✠ HULL ● MACH classification
• Sleeps 8 overnight
• 4.2m/13'9" Henshaw Tender

The multi-award winning 33.9m/111'3" sail yacht 'Geist' was built by Spirit Yachts in the United Kingdom. Her interior is styled by design house Rhoades Young and she was delivered to her owner in March 2020. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Sean McMillan.

Guest Accommodation

Geist has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 8 guests in 4 suites comprising one VIP cabin.

Range & Performance

Geist is built with a wood hull and wood superstructure, with teak decks. Geist comfortably cruises at 8 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 11 knots with a range of up to 1,430 nautical miles from her 2,500 litre fuel tanks at 8 knots. Her water tanks store around 2,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to RINA (Registro Italiano Navale) C ✠ HULL ● MACH classification society rules.

*Charter Geist Sail Yacht

Sail yacht Geist is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Geist Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Geist Photos

Geist Awards & Nominations

• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2021 Best Interior Design: Sailing Yachts Winner
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2021 Eco Award Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2021 Sailing Yacht of the Year Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2021 Sailing Yachts Winner

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

S/Y Geist

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GEIST the 111-foot sloop – OWNER INTERVIEW

The sailing yacht GEIST, a 111-foot sloop from the Spirit shipyard in the UK, has now been launched. Looking at the vessel for the first time, it is difficult to discern whether it is indeed a seaworthy yacht or more so a work of art. The owner who commissioned the build, however,  wasn’t seeking to pay homage to the tradition of classic wooden tall ships; GEIST was about shifting standards and generating inspiration for more sustainable actions in yacht building practices. We spoke with the German owner, and Pantaenius customer, about the meaning and spirit of sailing.

THIS MIGHT SEEM OBVIOUS TO SOME, BUT WE’D STILL LIKE TO HEAR THE ANSWER FROM YOU. WHY DO YOU SAIL?

Sailing is so natural to me that I do not really know the answer to that. It is part of my life and was already part of the life of my father, who was very successful sailing dragon boats. The passion has been laid in my cradle, so to speak. I have never not sailed. This has had a lasting effect on me and makes me constantly seek closeness to water and the elements.

GEIST IS THE LARGEST WOODEN YACHT CONSTRUCTED IN THE UK SINCE THE J-CLASS SHAMROCK V WAS BUILT. WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GO WITH WOOD FOR SUCH A LARGE PROJECT?

The point was to demonstrate what is possible.

Of course, it would be even more sustainable not to build a ship at all, but I am convinced that it is only by continuously challenging established standards that we can bring real innovation to the fore and allow ourselves to live the way we want to, while remaining sustainable. The yacht industry is booming, so why not deliver a vision that shows it can be done differently: that it is possible to build a light, fast, dynamic and elegant vessel that at the same time meets the most modern standards in terms of energy efficiency. Wood has emerged as the perfect material in this regard because it is extremely flexible, noble and versatile, but unlike many other materials, it can be obtained and recycled in a very controlled manner.

ONE OF THE LEADING YACHTING MAGAZINES HAS REPORTED THAT THE YACHT IS ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY EVER BUILT. WHAT MAKES GEIST A STANDOUT YACHT FOR YOU?

Actually, the yacht follows very familiar requirements in its basic layout. It is the perfect charter yacht booked by four friends with their partners, but implemented in a very generous space. It offers an excellent overview on deck and always lets you feel the proximity to the water despite her size. For me, the most important thing was that GEIST met these requirements. At some point I realized that sailing together with friends only works if there is enough space on board, because by now everyone has created their own little family.

So the path from my 52-foot Spirit to 111-foot GEIST was, in part, also quite pragmatic. Her elegance, of course, is also a unique quality for me. The shipyard meticulously responded to every one of my wishes and contributed a number of innovative ideas themselves. The interior design is exceptional and there were almost no limits placed on me by the designers during the planning. This is another aspect recognized by people who are passing by.

GEIST has the charm of a wonderful vintage car and at the same time something ultra-modern.

FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU HAD A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT GEIST WAS SUPPOSED TO ACHIEVE IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABILITY. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT VISION?

I wanted to show that it does not have to be a compromise to design a luxury object like a yacht and at the same time measure up to the demands of our time. We cannot pretend we do not know about the impact we have on the planet through our consumerist behaviour.

Yachting in particular, however, still seems pretty divided in this regard. In addition to using recycled and sustainably sourced materials as much as possible, the yacht should avoid fossil fuels whenever feasible and make the best use of available renewable energy.

When we sail, we continuously generate power that is fed back into the batteries. The propulsion system regenerates the battery banks through the rotation of the propeller shaft while the yacht is under sail. For up to four days, the fully charged batteries allow us to use all the yacht’s amenities, including air conditioning and hot water, without needing a generator or shore power. The two built-in generators are actually only due to class conformity and serve as a backup in case of a real system failure. This ambition has made everyone involved go above and beyond and work very closely together. We have been able to reduce the consumption of oil in the hydraulic systems to a minimum, saving not only waste but also weight.

A benchmark that applies to almost every part on board. To be even more efficient, the hydraulics also allow the boat to operate in an eco-mode. Only in emergency situations or during regattas do we fully exploit the possibilities and work in a much faster, but less economical mode. Above all, I want to leave nature as I found it. That is why wastewater is passed through a treatment plant before it is discharged. I think everyone involved challenged each other. Yes, the sustainability aspect was my wish as a client but everyone shared my vision.

THE YACHT IS NOT DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE A LARGE CREW. HANDLING AND LAYOUT ARE DESIGNED FOR SHORTHANDED SAILING IN AN ALMOST UNCOMPROMISING WAY. DO YOU ALWAYS SAIL YOURSELF?

The goal was to be able to operate the ship alone with friends and family. I actually prefer to sail myself, but even GEIST cannot do without a professional crew. Maintenance alone requires specialized personnel. However, even here, the technology on board is a great help, because troubleshooting is made possible remotely – thanks to a sophisticated cloudbased monitoring system, similar to that used in modern cars. At the end of the day, of course, the ship should be ready when you want to use it, and unfortunately, I do not spend nearly as much time on board as I would like.

THE WORD COMPROMISE LEADS US TO THE LAST QUESTION: WERE YOU REALLY ABLE TO REALISE EVERYTHING YOU ENVISIONED? MOREOVER, IF SO, WHAT IS THE CONSEQUENCE? ARE YOU EVEN MORE INSPIRED NOW AND ALREADY PLANNING THE NEXT PROJECT?

Of course, it was incredibly complicated. That is probably why many people are afraid of turning their yacht into a supposed million-dollar grave by using new, innovative technologies. However, it really worked better than you might imagine. I have the shipyard to thank for that, but also the project management. Now and then, there were points that were discussed controversially. How narrow can the boom be?

Where can weight be saved? But, as I said before, I never had the feeling that there were different sides in these discussions. Everyone was working towards one goal. This worked so well that some of SY GEIST’s ideas have been established as permanent components of the Spirit program. Especially in the refit area, I think there will be a lot of electrification in the future. My next project is an all-electric and foiling tender in the style of the legendary Bystanders, with a range of 100 nautical miles. I am convinced that there is huge potential for more sustainable designs in yacht building, that are currently only being exploited in rare cases.

As one of the leading yacht insurance specialists, Pantaenius know that every cruising area and every customer has their own individual requirements. Whether motor or sailing yacht, Pantaenius offer Australia’s most comprehensive insurance cover.

www.pantaenius.com.au

Published in print January-March 2023

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• Yachts for sale
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• A look inside newly delivered 34m Spirit Yachts eco-sailing yacht Geist
• Yacht Harbour

A single-masted wooden yacht of this size that can be owner-driven is nothing less than a feat of engineering. The yacht’s impressive strength to weight ratio, a carbon rig, and lightweight, performance sails will allow the owner to compete at regattas worldwide.

Latest News

Spirit Yachts GEIST

Sail Number:

Type: Fractional Bermuda sloop

LOA: 111’3″ / 33.90m – LOD: 111’3″ / 33.90m – LWL: 78’9″ / 24.00m – Beam: 21’0″ / 6.40m – Draft: 13’3″ / 4.04m – Displacement: 110 GT – Ballast: 45% Iron blade with lead bulb – Yard Number: – Hull material: Wood – Designer: Spirit Yachts / Interior design Rhoades Young Design. – Built by: Spirit Yachts LTD, Ipswich, Suffolk UK – Year Launched: October 8, 2019 – Original Name: Geist – Original Owner: Private – Former name(s) – Sail Area: 450sqm

Historical:

Spirit Yachts – At the request of her overseas buyer, the Spirit 111 was designed and built in-house by Spirit Yachts to be one of the most environmentally friendly sailing superyachts ever created. The sloop-rigged yacht is also the largest single-masted wooden yacht to be built in the UK since Shamrock V in the 1930s.

Spirit Yachts worked collaboratively with leading marine and automotive suppliers to deliver on the owner’s eco brief. A Torqeedo electric propulsion system using a 100kW motor propels the yacht silently for up to 40nm at eight knots from battery power alone. Whilst sailing, the propulsion system will regenerate the four BMW lithium battery banks by rotating the propeller shaft whilst the yacht is under sail. All power-consuming components have been carefully selected to be highly efficient and will use minimal energy without impacting performance or comfort.

The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest:

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SPIRIT 111 GEIST SCOOPS DOUBLE AWARDS WIN

Innovation awards.

Launched in summer 2020, the Spirit 111 Geist has been awarded two accolades in the recent Design & Innovation Awards.

Designed for an international owner, who set Spirit Yachts the task of creating a “work of art”, Geist won Best Sailing Yacht Interior and the Eco Award.

Organisers of the awards, Boat International, commented, “Innovative and stunning are words that just touch the surface when it comes to one of the most bespoke yachts we have seen. Following the directive for organic shapes and no straight lines, Rhoades Young and Spirit Yachts have created a yacht interior that truly flows.”

The award winners were chosen by a panel of 15 independent judges, all of whom are yacht designers and industry professionals.

Boat International continued, “The all-wood interior hides all systems, support and structural elements – indeed all storage, too – behind a gleaming curvaceous façade of clear-finished Sipo, which forms the interior skin of this cold-moulded yacht. There is no reliance on loose designer furniture or decorative elements. Light, shadow and sensuous shapes define a saloon and four staterooms that seem simply to unfold like a dream. As evidenced by the fact the yard had to invent a new way to steam-bend walnut for the furniture, the joinery skills and labour hours needed to execute this interior are off the chart.”

At 33.9m long, Geist has a fully laden displacement of 65tonnes and is the largest, wooden sloop built in the UK since the J-Class yacht Shamrock V in the 1930s. The yacht’s completely customised, hand-crafted interior is a series of seamless curves made from sustainably sourced timber.

Spirit Yachts CEO and Head of Design Sean McMillan commented, “As well as looking like a “work of art”, the interior of the yacht also had to comply to RINA’s (Royal Institute of Naval Architects) exacting classification requirements. This marriage of practicality, safety and beauty to deliver on the owner’s brief made the project a thrilling challenge. We are delighted the creativity, innovation and craftsmanship that went into delivering a yacht of this calibre have been recognised by such a prestigious panel of judges.”

As well as the award for Best Sailing Yacht Interior, Geist won the Eco Award.

Spirit Yachts Managing Director and Head of Operations Karen Underwood commented, “The owner was very clear he wanted to spend longer periods of time at anchor and that the yacht had to be mindful of the environment. At the start of the project, we analysed the yacht in three phases: the build, operation and end of life. This approach ensured we challenged ourselves and our suppliers to deliver bespoke solutions to lower the carbon footprint at each stage of the design and construction.”

The Spirit 111 has a Torqeedo electric drive system that regenerates the batteries via propulsion whilst the yacht is sailing. All onboard systems were selected to work holistically and consume the minimum amount of power possible. On deck, the yacht has recyclable OneSails 4T Forte sails and energy efficient Lewmar hydraulic deck hardware.

Find out more about the Spirit 111 here.

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Spirit 111 Sailing Yacht Geist Leaves Spirit Yard

Spirit Yachts's 33.9 metre flagship  Spirit 111  sailing yacht  Geist has now left the Suffolk based yard and is en route to the south coast of the UK.

Since hitting the water for the first time on October 8, the yacht has been based at the Spirit yard for commissioning, which included the installation of the mast, boom and sails.

The yacht is now the thee largest single-masted wooden yacht to be built in the UK since  Shamrock V  in 1930 and is also the largest sailing superyacht to come from the Suffolk-based yard to date, easily surpassing the 30.66 metre  Gaia , which launched in 2007.

Spirit Yachts managing director Nigel Stuart paid tribute to the yard's diligence in the construction of the yacht. "We're obsessed," he said. "A lot of hard work and passion has gone into it and our people are just so determined to make sure it’s perfect."

Spirit has also revealed more details about the eco-credentials of the yacht, which is powered by a Torqeedo electric propulsion system using a 100kW motor. This can propel the yacht for up to 40nm at eight knots from battery power alone. The four BMW lithium battery banks will be recharged during sailing by the rotating propeller shaft.

Stuart previously described the yacht as "one of the world's most sustainable superyachts".

"From construction using responsibly sourced timber to carbon-saving systems whilst in operation, the Spirit 111 sets a new standard for reducing the impact sailing has on our environment," he said.

He also revealed that the owner intends to "spend the majority of his time away from marinas enjoying sailing and anchoring in bays."

The yacht has been designed with a simple sail plan to enable cruising without crew. Spirit founder and head designer Sean McMillan described this as "nothing less than a feat of engineering."

"The yacht’s impressive strength to weight ratio, a carbon rig and lightweight, performance sails will allow the owner to compete competitively in the Mediterranean regattas," he added.

The launch of the yacht comes after the yard revealed the "flowing" interiors of the sailing yacht for the first time. Penned by  Rhoades Youn g , the interior design features the "sleek contours" of the interior walls, bulkheads and furniture which unite to create a "flowing design".

The curvaceous interior also features floating beds inside cocoons made from steamed tapered timbers.

The initial interior concepts and drawings by  Rhoades Young  were later refined by Spirit Yachts' in-house design team, who worked closely with the owner. It is the first time the Ipswich based yard has worked with an external interior design firm.

Speaking about the project, Rhoades Young partner Jonathan Rhoades said: “It was a joy to work with a client with an absolute passion for design. The brief was a combination of his love for furniture and organic architecture." Stuart described the interior as "a work of art".

The bespoke seating and bed heads were built by former Spirit Yachts employees Will Fennell and Ben Jackson. The two-part seating arrangement is constructed out of strips of American walnut, while the completed sofa, which features "sweeping curves", took over 1,000 man hours to build by hand.

Accommodation meanwhile is for a total of eight guests in four ensuite cabins, including the forward owner's cabin.

Featuring exterior lines by Spirit Yachts's head designer  Sean McMillan , the sailing yacht is being built to RINA standards from a wood epoxy composite supported by a stainless steel space frame.

More about this yacht

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Spirit 111: This sailing art gallery is one of the most sensational yachts ever built

• Toby Hodges
• September 29, 2020

A technical masterpiece or a piece of art? The new Spirit 111 is somehow both, and is one of the most remarkable large yachts Toby Hodges has ever sailed

Powering upwind with green water rushing over the leeward rail, an enormous mahogany-clad wheel in hand and a view of the cleanest flush decks ahead, I couldn’t help but feel this was as good as it gets. This is real big boat sailing, yachting glamour at its finest.

It is tempting to compare this Spirit 111, with her timeless lines and towering sloop rig, to the mighty J Class , which are well known to evoke such rapturous feelings. After all, this is the largest single-masted wooden yacht to be built in Britain since the oldest existing J, Shamrock V , launched in 1930.

However, striking though any initial impressions are, there is so much more to the Ipswich-built Spirit 111 than first meets the eye. It has a multitude of qualities which combine to make it incomparable. In short, this is one of the most sensational yachts ever built.

Toby enjoys all the space to himself at the deep, secure helm. The cockpit seems like it is sculpted from a tree; the tables lower to form sunbeds. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

First, there is the scale of the project. Not only is this one of the largest timber craft constructed on our shores, it is also one of very few yachts of this size capable of being sailed without a professional crew.

Spirit’s new flagship is a technical masterpiece. It is conceived to be one of the most environmentally friendly superyachts to date, a particularly demanding brief which has driven some fascinating solutions for the equipment and engineering throughout.

And finally – yet to my mind fundamentally – this Spirit 111 is an art exhibition, a yacht that takes aesthetics to new heights. The interior, from layout to furniture design to craftsmanship, is unlike anything seen on a boat before.

Article continues below…

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Bespoke brief

Geist , German for ghost or spirit, is “a project for someone who wanted to do something different from the norm,” confirms Spirit’s managing director, Nigel Stuart. This someone is a young European owner in his mid-thirties, who already has a Spirit 52 , but wanted something larger.

The result of his clear vision is a celebration of bespoke design and engineering. Going below decks feels like walking into a gallery. As long as you can put practicality aside, it’s a mind-boggling, fantastical experience.

The initial design started at 90ft, but in a clue to the importance of aesthetics, got stretched an additional 20ft to ensure the most appealing lines. A skipper will help maintain the yacht, but while on board the owner wants to sail it himself. There isn’t even accommodation for crew. Many of us who view private time aboard our boats as sacrosanct may understand such a request, but it is rarely seen on this scale.

Hoisting the code sail – but most operations are done with the push of a button. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Our trial sail proved that such self-sufficiency really is possible, with most operations able to be carried out from the helm pedestal.

Sound of silence

I joined Geist at Endeavour Quay, Gosport, a significant venue for it was here, under the yard’s former owner, Camper & Nicholsons, that the British J Class yachts were built in the 1930s.

Leaving port is a smooth, peaceful affair. As we glided silently away from the dock and entered the bustle of Portsmouth Harbour, the only detectable noise on board came from the turning of the prop or the whir of a hydraulic pump.

‘She handled full sail up with delicious ease.’ Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

The Torqeedo electric drive is always ready for instant activation, with no pre-heat needed and no throttle lag. Just push the lever. This is particularly handy if you need a quick burst of power to help the bows through the wind or to clear an obstruction while under sail. Spirit has also fitted a power on/off button, a sensible safety measure to avoid accidental operation.

Hoisting sail is equally without fuss. It involves using one finger on a portable remote control to instruct the boom mandrel to unfurl the main, and another to direct the main halyard to pull the sail up the four-spreader carbon mast.

As the genoa released, I let the bows fall off a little and Geist powered up gracefully. What a feeling!

‘You need to adjust your mindset aboard this yacht.’ Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

We were treated to a proper sea trial of an elegant large yacht. Sailing upwind at 10-11.5 knots and back down at 12-14 knots makes the Solent seem pretty small. It is a delight in both directions, but particularly on the breeze with a rail awash and 23-27 knots blowing over the decks.

Sheeting off a bit of main in gusts is done via the push of another button to release the captive mainsheet or drop the traveller down the rail. It all seemed so manageable considering the sail area aloft. These are the largest sails yet produced by the OneSails UK loft and use its 4T Forte technology, a recyclable performance cloth.

It was also the most breeze Geist had sailed in and we kept full sail up for the duration. She handled it all with delicious ease as we worked our way through the deeper parts of the Solent.

Traditional overhangs surrender lots of space over modern designs, but there is good stowage in two huge lazarette lockers. Two road legal electric motorbikes store in the starboard locker. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

In its own class

It is easy to fall into the trap of comparing this Spirit to a J Class. I’ve been lucky enough to sail a few Js, including the three built at Camper & Nicholsons that are still afloat today. But there are fundamental differences.

Js are traditional long-keelers that are three times the weight of Geist . They are stubborn, awkward yachts to handle and certainly need a large crew who know their salt. If the helmsman doesn’t work in harmony with the mainsail trimmer, for example, a recalcitrant J will refuse to turn.

Not so the Spirit. This is a lightweight composite machine, a speedster in comparison, complete with T-keel, a carbon spade rudder and direct steering. If you have sailed a Spirit before, you will know they are highly rewarding on the wheel and the Spirit 111 is no different. It’s balanced and delightfully direct.

Angled panels house the plotters and controls for the hydraulics and electronics. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

This Spirit 111 is perhaps more comparable to the Js when it comes to use of technology . The original J Class owners were known for pushing innovation in their quest for America’s Cup spoils. Spirit Yachts has done the same here, with a focus on ease of operation and environmental efficiency.

Geist ’s highly technical construction uses wood epoxy on stainless steel space frames to ensure a stiff structure for a light displacement under 60 tonnes. The majority of this weight has been kept central and low down, with little to weigh down the 40ft of overhangs, which all equates to a high righting moment and ballast ratio (45%).

The times when I was left alone in the cockpit, with 80ft or so of flush deck up ahead and all that sail area above, were particularly exhilarating and I started to understand the owner’s desire to sail short-handed.

The high-voltage lithium battery bank is mounted on shock absorbers. Photo: Mike Bowden

With the push-button controls making it a doddle to trim, and backwinding winches making it easier and safer to ease high loads, in fact Geist is more analogous to an overgrown daysailer than a J, which is more appropriate given the owner’s brief.

Where Js are bewitching to sail upwind, modern performance boats are all about the downwind thrills. The Spirit 111 gives you a taste of both, making you crave every minute on the helm.

Once past Cowes, we hoisted the furling code sail. Manhandling such a large sail, combined with the occasional groan from a loaded winch, were telling reminders of Geist ’s size and power. But once set and trimmed, the cableless sail helped generate that sportsboat feel, especially when we had the sea room to heat it up a little.

Wine glass transom and the beautiful classic lines of Geist . Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

Hand crafted wonder

The credit for Geist ’s timeless lines and her balance under sail goes to Spirit’s co-founder Sean McMillan, who has drawn all the Spirit yachts to date. He has also built up a team of world-class craftsmen in his Ipswich yard.

Look anywhere around Geist ’s deck and you’ll be struck by the hand-built details. Around her flush aft deck, for example, you’ll notice the eyelet fairleads in the transom, the way the bulwark curves around her pushpit and the perfect angle of the ensign staff. This is the type of deck jewellery Spirit specialises in. But the real showpiece aboard Geist is reserved for below decks.

I cannot think of another yacht that is so impressive on the outside, so thrilling and memorable to sail, yet the interior is even more striking.

The saloon seating is made from strips of 10x10mm American walnut, steam-bent into shape, and took 2,000 hours to build. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

The owner had visited Antelope Canyon in Arizona and drew inspiration from its famously smooth, flowing sandstone shapes, the light beams and reflections. The resultant S-shaped layout of Geist ’s interior, with its free-flowing curves and sculptural furniture, is nothing short of an artistic wonderland.

The saloon table and surround seating, floodlit by a fanlight of glass in the coachroof above, is the centrepiece of the yacht. Artistic simplicity like this is incredibly hard to achieve.

There are only two vertical bulkheads on the boat and only three different types of timber used: sipo (mahogany) bulkheads, teak soles and American walnut furniture. The sipo has all been cut from one log to ensure matching grain throughout, which makes for a magnificent sight.

Saloon seating detail. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

For the first time Spirit used an independent design agency, Rhoades Young, who came up with the novel layout and drew the capstan-style table. This table has 64 wooden legs, all of which are curved, each with slightly different measurements.

Two former Spirit employees, Will Fennell and Ben Jackson, fashioned the artistic steam-bent seating. This exquisitely detailed design feature, which is also replicated on the bedheads in the owner’s and VIP cabins, “blurs the line between furniture and sculpture,” declares Jonathan Rhoades.

Initially the galley was designed to join this table and seating arrangement, however the owner didn’t want anything to detract from the centrepiece. Even now all galley elements are hidden below the countertop and inside lockers.

Galley sink in yellow metal. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

Visuals first

Aesthetics, you quickly learn, trump all else on Geist . The owner didn’t want to see door handles, so Spirit used sensor-activated latches. Placing a finger across the recessed sensor triggers the latch (and yes, if you lose power, the doors all open automatically).

The joiners have managed to match the grain on these bowed-out sections to the rest of the bulwark, thereby camouflaging the handle recesses by maintaining a contoured look. The result is that you can’t see any cabins from the saloon, or even their doors, just an undulating maze of mahogany.

“This is someone who really knows what he wants as the overall picture,” Stuart comments.

The capstan table has 64 legs, each one a slightly different shape and measurement. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

The sofa to starboard appears to float, seemingly growing out of the side of the hull. Above this a panel can be removed to reveal the sailing instruments and electronics that would typically be at the navstation. These screens are hidden away when the yacht is at rest.

The shadow gaps in the panels and joiner work are so precise you can’t see where lockers are built in. Were it not pointed out to me I’d never have noticed the door opposite the owner’s cabin, which leads into a large mechanical room.

There are no discernible fixings, no plumbing visible in the four ensuite heads. The owner didn’t even want the heads to be seen. Lift the solid timber lid of a heads and you’ll find sections for loo roll and a brush neatly built-in and concealed. It’s precision craftsmanship to the very last detail.

Interior lighting adjusts automatically to match the conditions. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

There are no visible light switches either. The lighting uses a network of motion-activated and light-sensitive sensors. If it goes cloudy above the saloon fanlight windows, the interior light adjusts accordingly. It ensures there are no big differences in brightness between outside and in, matching the soft yellow natural light in the morning or a golden evening glow.

At night, motion sensors activate floor lighting to guide you. These are intelligent, so they are designed to light the way to the heads if you move in that direction from your berth. “If a guest starts to go elsewhere in the interior, the system will deduce which way they are going and light the relevant areas in a very soft warm light,” Stuart explains. It’s like being aboard a wooden spaceship.

The banality of practicality

Most sailors will naturally question the practicality issues aboard Geist . Can you imagine setting your mug of tea down on that table? Or being at heel and sliding across the near 20ft of beam from galley to navstation sofa? Unfortunately, were you to do so, you might connect with one of the only hard edges on the boat on the aft end of the saloon seating!

The showstopping berth, a nest within an egg, in the master cabin. All furniture appears to float. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

The fear of damaging the woodwork might drive you to distraction. And with the elaborate open spaces of the saloon and so much volume lost in the overhangs, Geist is comparatively compact below. There are only four cabins and no crew accommodation at all.

However, you need to adjust your mindset aboard this yacht. The rules of practicality do not govern art. They’re not something the owner of a seven-cum-eight figure yacht such as this should necessarily be concerned with.

“Sean [McMillan] and I had pointed out the total impracticalities along the way,” says Stuart. “The owner could understand it – he loves racing his Spirit 52 and understands sailing boats.”

The mahogany trim continues in the heads, with sinks machined out of the same wood. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

The owner did concede elements might need to be added at a later date to make Geist more practical, says Stuart, but initially he didn’t want anything to detract from the visuals.

“It’s not that Spirit can’t do practical. We’re just delivering on his brief,” Stuart points out. This project certainly shows just how customised a custom yacht really can be.

Eco collaboration

A key priority was to make the yacht as environmentally friendly as possible. The shell of Geist is built using responsibly sourced timber and the yacht is dressed with recyclable sails, but it’s the power system that forms the heart of her green credentials.

One of the two ensuite aft guest cabins The panel on the right removes for interior access to the engine room. Photo: Mike Jones / Waterline Media

The 100kW electric motor can propel Geist silently for 30 miles at 8 knots using high-voltage battery power alone. The propeller regenerates power to the four 40kWh BMW battery banks while sailing too. This makes it possible to run for four days without needing to start a generator or plug into shorepower.

“When the yacht crosses the Atlantic, as long as there is adequate wind, she will not need to consume any fossil fuels,” Stuart predicts. During her initial delivery trips, Geist has averaged 11-13 knots under sail, at which speed she consistently regenerates 3kW.

Two 25kW Torqeedo gensets are installed, but these are for class compliance purposes and will be used only as a back-up to the electric system. “The owner said to go as far as we can while making it reliable,” Stuart explains.

Mounted above the electric drive is a Lewmar Vortex reservoir, a system that reduces hydraulic oil needs (and therefore waste) by 90%. It requires just 25lt of oil, giving a weight saving of over 50% over a traditional power pack. The hydraulics can operate in eco mode for lowest battery consumption and have fast cruise or race options.

Meanwhile, the air-conditioning uses a variable-speed compressor, which ensures it can be run overnight without needing generator power.

The hot water employs a highly efficient on-demand system, which minimises wasted water and energy, and Cryogel insulation is used for the refrigeration to ensure low temperature holding for minimal power.

The main engine room space is particularly well-laid-out, with access from the deck or interior, and contains a sewage treatment plant to ensure waste water is clean.

A spirited vessel

I have been fortunate enough to sail many large yachts. Some look striking, sail particularly handsomely or are easy to manage.

Others have standout interiors or the craftsmanship shines above all else. And, latterly, it has been heartening to see more superyachts with an eco-friendly slant.

But I have never seen or sailed a yacht that has so many of these attributes wrapped into one exquisitely elegant, unique and extrovertly custom package. Aboard Geist , art has successfully married with technology and created something truly stunning.

Specification

LOA: 33.9m (111ft 3in) LWL: 24.0m (78ft 9in) Beam: 6.40m (21ft 0in) Draught: 4.05m (13ft 3in) Displacement (light): 58 tonnes (127,867lb) Sail area: 450m2 (4,844ft2)

First published in the October 2020 issue of Yachting World.

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If you have any questions about the GEIST information page below please contact us .

Luxury sailing yacht GEIST is a 33.9m (111'22') performance vessel built by Spirit Yachts and launched in 2020. She can accommodate up to 8 guests in 4 cabins.

NOTABLE FEATURES OF GEIST: ~Regatta-ready performance ~Cutting-edge energy-efficient technology ~One of the largest wooden sailing yachts built for almost a century ~Internationally renowned designers ~Interiors inspired by Antelope Canyon, Arizona ~Unique cocoon-like cabins ~One of the most eco-friendly sailing yachts on the market ~Designed for short-handed sailing ~Air conditioning ~Wi-Fi

The above deck area has a generous flowing cockpit furnished with an abundance of seating: A sofa/sunbed is placed in the forward corners and behind two inward-facing C-shaped sofas and two semi-circular tables for alfresco dining and resting outdoors with hobbies in comfort. The helm controls aft have excellent line-of-sight down the deck, which provides plenty of space for sunbathing, exercise and observation while at anchor.

Below deck, organic shapes are incorporated into the surroundings for a unique interior never before seen aboard a superyacht. Sipo, teak and American walnut are used in the ceiling, wall panelling, floors and furnishing for a seamless effect. The lounge amidships receives plenty of sunshine through the skylight, and the cutting-edge technology uses smart lighting to complement the wooden interior. Light sensors and a GPS clock control the interior brightness so that the difference between interiors lighting and the sunlight strength for the time of the day is minimal.

GEIST Specifications

The galley is combined with the salon for open-plan ease-of-use, with two curving sofas creating a cosy central space for conversation and dining around the circular table. A sofa/daybed is placed on the starboard side of the room, forward of which is the corridor that leads to three of the guest cabins; the final en-suite guest cabin placed aft. Instead of handles, the discreet doors have sensor-activated recesses for an uninterrupted appearance to the natural materials.

Luxury yacht GEIST uses Diesel engines producing 175HP for a top speed of 11 knots and a cruising speed of 8 knots. The Torqeedo electric propulsion system uses a 100kW motor for a total of 8 knots and a range of 40 nautical miles using only battery power. The propulsion system regenerates four BMW lithium battery banks by rotating the propeller shaft whilst under sail.

Yacht Accommodation

The accommodation sleeps a maximum of 4 en-suite cabins: 1 Master suite, 1 VIP stateroom and 2 double cabins. ~ The Master suite and VIP stateroom both have steam-curved timber above the beds. All cabins come with auto-sensor lighting and an en-suite bathroom containing a sink, toilet and shower. ~ S/Y GEIST is capable of being controlled by the Owner only, and a crew is not required.

Amenities and Extras

We do have available further amenity, owner and price information for the 33.9m (111'22') yacht GEIST, so please enquire for more information.

GEIST Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht GEIST displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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Professional BoatBuilder Magazine

The esprit of spirit yachts.

By Nic Compton , Sep 29, 2023

The sleek 52′ (15.85m) Flight of Ufford, launched in 2007, was campaigned hard and successfully by Spirit Yachts cofounder Sean McMillan. The traditionally styled wood/epoxy sloop has become the yard’s most popular model to date.

T he James Bond movie franchise has never shied from any chance to include a yacht in the narrative and as part of the set. And given the urgent nature of the glamorous secret agent’s business, these have tended to be fast powerboats, starting with the Fairey Huntresses and Huntsmen in  From  Russia With Love  (1963) through to the Glastron GT150 speedboat, which performed a spectacular 120 ‘  (36.6m) leap in  Live and Let Die  (1973), and a clutch of Sunseekers in subsequent films. In 2006, while filming  Casino  Royale , the filmmakers decided to do something a bit different. Alongside their usual high-velocity petrol-fueled fare, they featured a sailing yacht: a 54 ‘  (54 ‘  9 “ /16.7m) sloop with a long counter stern and seemingly acres of flawless varnish, which James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) sailed into Venice during a romantic interlude in the film.

Cast in the enviable role was the Spirit 54 designed and built by British boatbuilders Spirit Yachts, located in Ipswich, Suffolk, on the east coast of England. And if that wasn’t enough notoriety for the somewhat obscure custom builder, the producers repeated the trick in the 2021  No Time to Die , this time using a Spirit 46 (46 ‘  6 “ / 14.15m) sailing yacht for James Bond to sail around Jamaica during his “retirement” scenes.

The 54′ (16.7m) Soufrière was built for the 2006 James Bond franchise movie Casino Royale. Her brief appearance in the film making her way up the Grand Canal in Venice added the cachet of an international luxury brand to Spirit’s already sterling reputation as a yacht builder.

The pairing was in many ways a marriage made in heaven. Just as James Bond has come to symbolize the aspirational best of British wit, style, and appetite for adventure, Spirit Yachts offers the best in bespoke sailboats, combining high-performance modern hulls with a classic aesthetic and a price on par with Bond’s generous expense account. The formula has inspired a devoted following and led to a unique line of yachts, steadily increasing in size over the years, from the original 37-footer (11.5m) built in 1993 to its biggest creation so far, the 111 ‘  (33.8m)  Geist , launched in 2020.

Spirit Yachts is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2023, so it seemed the perfect time to visit its expanded boatyard facility in Ipswich, where Spirit has become an increasingly important part of the regeneration of the disused docks and looks set to play an even bigger role as plans for a company-centered boatbuilding university take shape. The year started with the announcement of a major management reshuffle. Founder and chief designer Sean McMillan (now 72) is in effect taking semiretirement, handing ownership to a consortium of Spirit yacht owners and the day-to-day running of the company to Management Director Karen Underwood and the office’s newest recruit, Production & Design Director Julian Weatherill.

McMillan at the drafting table.

Yet the first person I see when I walk through the office door is McMillan, looking as suave and relaxed as James Bond himself, and bearing a roll of drawings for his latest design. No surprises there. Spirit Yachts has always been inextricably linked with this former-art-student-turned-boat-bum-turned-boatbuilder-turned-company-director. It turns out that he’s staying on as a consultant for the next three years, before fully retiring from the scene. Though it seems to me unlikely that will ever really happen.

“Sean is hanging on to the bits he likes [the designing] and letting go of the bits he doesn’t like [running a busy boatyard],” says Underwood, with a cheerful chuckle. She has worked in the marine industry for the past 25 years (including 15 years at Oyster Marine), and you get the feeling the company is in very safe hands.

She and McMillan are meeting a client at 11 a.m., so after a lengthy chat, newly promoted Marketing Director Helen Porter shows me around the yard. “We’ve had both sheds full of new builds for the past three years, catching up with pent-up demand after COVID,” she says. “We’ve had three 72s, one 68, one 52, and two 30s. We’ve now finally got space to take on some refurbishment projects, one for a couple who has been waiting a couple of years. The 52 in-build over there is Spirit hull number 80—or Sean’s 100th boat, if you include the ones he built before Spirit Yachts.”

A Spirit 72 in the busy yard in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, last June. At the time, the 30-year-old company was building its 80th hull.

It’s all a long way from the cottage in Saxmundham, about 18 miles (29 km) north of Ipswich, where I visited McMillan and his then-business-partner, Mick Newman, in 1994. They had just built their first boat, the Spirit 37, in a disused cowshed at the back of Newman’s house, and I had come to interview them and take photos of the boat for what would turn out to be the first-ever test sail of a Spirit yacht. Not that any of us had the slightest inkling of what was to come.

It all seemed to be a bit of a laugh. Sean had already had his fingers badly burned when his company, McMillan Yachts, had gone bust in the global financial crisis a few years earlier. Those boats were strip-planked gaffers, usually with modern underwater hull shapes and fancy joinery that fairly shouted out, “I am a wooden boat!”

“I was already playing with the visual joke about having a traditional-looking boat which is very modern below the waterline,” McMillan says. Not everyone got the joke, however, and after building a dozen boats, the company ground to a halt.

Back in ’94, he had joined forces with Newman—a former barge sailor—to create something completely different. The original Spirit 37 was inspired by the skerry cruisers of the Baltic, with their improbably tall rigs designed to catch the wind blowing over the tops of the flat islands, and their long, narrow hulls for optimum speed rather than comfort. But the new partners wanted to push the type to its limit by building the boat in super-lightweight materials and with a modern underwater shape—that McMillan joke again.

The first Spirit 37 (11.5m) was built in 1994, inspired by the tall-rigged skerry cruisers but with a modern hullform. She sailed beautifully and spurred multiple orders for boats of the same type and form.

The Beginning of Spirit Yachts

The first Spirit 37 was by any standards an extraordinary boat. With her long overhangs and narrow 7 ‘  (2.1m) beam, she looked superficially like a classic yacht from the 1920s, but underwater her bulb keel and skeg rudder told a more contemporary story. A judicious use of modern materials—including a strip-planked hull sheathed with fiberglass set in WEST System epoxy—meant the boat turned out exceptionally light: just 2 tons (4,000 lbs/1,814 kg), with an impressive 60% ballast/displacement ratio. It had a retro-looking fractional rig with knocked-back mast (curved aft at the top) combined with a modern-looking T-section boom and full-battened mainsail. The double cockpit and modern deck fittings suggested she was a serious racing boat, while the black walnut trim set it all off to dramatic aesthetic effect. Below decks, the boat had only sitting headroom, despite her 37 ‘  length, and the fit-out was stylish but spartan.

The Spirit company logo, a distiller’s retort flask, is set in the deck of the Spirit 52 Oui Fling

The pair named the boat the Spirit 37, not from any spiritual conviction but due to the volume of spirits consumed during her construction—hence the distiller’s retort flask in the logo. They had considered calling her the Hashish 37, but wisely decided against that in the end.

On the water, the boat proved nothing short of spectacular, clocking 11.7 knots on that first trial (a record she would take many years to break) and as light and responsive on the helm as an overgrown dinghy. She was every bit the fun boat McMillan and Newman had intended, but at that time she was a complete anomaly. The Spirit of Tradition class had yet to be created, and there were only a handful of identifiable “modern classics” in existence—mostly big cruising boats from the boards of Bruce King and André Hoek.

“[Back then] we were whistling in the dark,” McMillan later told me. “We had no idea whether there was a ‘retro’ movement or not. We just built the boat we wanted, which was fun and of a size we could relate to. Luckily, it struck a chord.”

The Spirit 46 Reprobate reveals the modern bulb keel and spade rudder that contribute to her remarkable turn of speed as she sails hard on the wind.

The Spirit 37 was one of the standout boats at the Düsseldorf boat show in January 1995 and was quickly snapped up by a German buyer, who sailed her for the next 25 years. The company also received two orders for 33 ‘  (10.1m) versions of the boat that would satisfy size restrictions on European lakes. Since then, Spirit Yachts hasn’t looked back.

The 37 was followed in 1996 by the 46 (14m), complete with carbon fiber mast, teak decks, and a serious turn of speed, reaching 18 knots on plane (though, according to my notes, McMillan claims he once got 26 knots out of a 46). Ten 37s were eventually built, as well as a dozen 46s. McMillan is keen to emphasize that no two Spirit yachts are identical, as they are all custom built, and even the 37 has three slightly different hull shapes, never mind the various interiors and deck layouts.

The year 1996 was a significant milestone in another way: it was the first time the Antigua Classics featured a dedicated class for modern classic yachts, and by a happy coincidence it named that class Spirit of Tradition. The Mediterranean classic-yacht circuit eventually followed suit in 2003. Suddenly it seemed that Spirit Yachts’ eccentric foray into imaginative boat design was not so contrary after all and was in fact on the leading edge of a new and growing movement. The bad boys of British boatbuilding were trendsetters in a glittering new vein of yachting.

Crucial to all this was McMillan’s background in fine art, for while he is just as concerned with performance and seaworthiness as other designers are, it is his willingness to take aesthetic risks that has set him apart in what is an intrinsically conservative industry.

After her role in the Bond film, Soufrière collected real-world silver racing in Ireland and at the Classics Week in Cowes.

“I take the view that yacht design is an art with science applied,” he says. “You have to have an instinctive understanding of how the hull moves through water. I gained that by sailing tens of thousands of miles as a delivery skipper, by leaning over the side of the boat and watching the hull, by getting more curious and studying hydrodynamics, and by going out and doing it. Some of the boats were great, and some not so great, but I learned a lot along the way.”

Despite its growing success, the business remained in the old cowshed behind Newman’s house until 2003, when they had to erect a temporary extension to build a 70-footer (21.3m), which was a full 10 ‘  (3.1m) longer than the shed itself. That was the final straw, and the following year the company moved to bigger premises at the old docks in Ipswich.

The slightly shorter Spirit 52 was spun out of that success, including the flush-decked Spirit of Tradition racing machine Oui Fling.

Bond Effect

If you had to imagine what a James Bond sailing yacht would look like, it would probably be a modern classic with exaggerated hull lines and a generous helping of shiny deck gear. So, it was almost an inevitability that sooner or later Spirit Yachts’ classy finish and understated power would attract the creators of the world’s most famous secret agent—and the 54 ‘   Soufrière  was duly built for the 2006 Bond movie  Casino Royale , complete with a luxurious interior comprising two cabins, en suite heads, and (that rarest thing on a Spirit yacht of that era) full standing headroom. The yacht was shipped to the Bahamas and sailed to Puerto Rico, then shipped to Croatia and sailed to Venice, where she is said to have been the first sailing yacht to go up the Grand Canal in 300 years (albeit under power).

All these efforts yielded just a few minutes of footage in the final film, but it was enough to turn Spirit Yachts, until then mainly a British success story, into an international brand. Following the release of Casino Royale , inquiries at the yard increased fourfold—though more often than not the phone went quiet when a price was mentioned. Not everyone, it seems, has a Bond-caliber budget.

Soufrière  turned out to be exceptionally fast and, under her new real-life owner, won a string of trophies at home in Ireland and at the annual British Classics Week in Cowes. Her success prompted McMillan to build a slightly smaller version for himself. Launched in 2007, his 52 ‘   Flight of Ufford  has proven equally competitive, regularly clocking speeds of up to 16 knots and winning British Classics Week three years running in 2014–16—though since 2017 he has had to take turns at first place with the stripped-down, flush-decked 52-footer  Oui Fling , built for Baron Irvine Laidlaw of Rothiemay. McMillan’s proudest moment on his boat, however, was being invited to join the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant on the Thames in 2012—the only modern yacht to be summoned.

The year 2007 was also a landmark for a more somber reason, as McMillan’s longtime business partner, Mick Newman, died in a plane crash. Sadly, he would never see the full flowering of the company he helped to create.

The 111′ (33.8m) Geist, designed for the owner of a 52 who wanted a larger version, was built mostly of sustainable timber, except for the teak decks.

The 52 went on to become the yard’s most popular boat to date, no doubt helped by McMillan’s enthusiastic campaigning of  Flight of Ufford  on both sides of the Atlantic. It also led to the yard’s biggest and most challenging commission. After the Spirit 52  Happy Forever  hit a rock in the Baltic, she went back to the Spirit yard for repair, and while her owner (a young German shipowner) stopped by to check progress he spotted a design McMillan was working on. He asked him to design a 90 ‘  (27.4m) version, and when that wasn’t quite right, asked that it be drawn out to 100 ‘  (30.5m), then 105 ‘  (32m) and, finally, 111 ‘  (33.8m). While the yacht’s hull grew longer with each design iteration, her freeboard remained unchanged—she just got sleeker and more stunning each time.

The result was  Geist , the Spirit 111, said to be the biggest single-masted wooden boat built in Britain since the J-Class  Shamrock  in the 1930s. Not only that, but the yard claimed it was “one of the most environmentally friendly sailing superyachts ever created.” Built mostly of sustainable timber (except for those endless teak decks), it boasted a 100-kW Torqeedo electric engine served by four banks of lithium-ion batteries that could be recharged by the propeller while under sail.

Belowdecks, the owner specified that he wanted only organic shapes—there should be no straight lines and no sharp corners. It was a challenge that the Spirit workforce (with some help from the design agency Rhoades Young) rose to, creating a cocoon-like interior with rounded bulkheads, curved seating and sideboards, and shell-like beds that seem to hover in space. Storage space is mostly hidden behind panels with sensor-activated doors that open to the touch. It was quite simply, as Underwood puts it, “a floating work of art.”

“Building the hull wasn’t a problem; that’s our bread and butter,” says Yard Supervisor Adrian Gooderham, who has worked at Spirit for more than 20 years. “But building the interior was a challenge, especially as they wanted the veneers to match, even in the sink areas, where it comes down the bulkhead onto the countertop, down the side, then onto the shelf, and down again—all matching. If there was a defect in any part of it, you’d have to find another veneer and start again.”

Most of the internal joinery was farmed out, but Gooderham built the distinctive saloon table—56 curved legs arranged in a circle, with a round glass top that bolted to the top of each leg. “Quite complex,” he admits.

Geist’s curvaceous bulkheads, settees, and house structure were built with flawless veneers, glass surfaces, and the absence of trim that could conceal any gaps.

Building Clean

The company’s commitment to the environment stems from its early days when, McMillan points out, just choosing to build in wood would label you as a crank. He still feels just as strongly about it now.

“You can’t build boats and not be concerned about the environment,” he says. “The implications for the yachting industry are dire, yet 99.9% of companies are banging out petrochemical products with no attempt to deal with end of life. There has to be a point when you stand up and say, ‘This cannot be right.’ We are gradually getting rid of diesel engines and trying to build boats that have minimum impact on the planet.”

Laminating diagonal sipo wood veneers over the Douglas-fir strip planking yields a stiff monocoque hull built mostly of renewable wood.

Over the years, the company has refined its focus. Early on, they stopped using Brazilian mahogany when their supplier couldn’t guarantee it came from a sustainable source. They switched to sipo, a similar timber grown as a commercial crop. More recently, they stopped using teak for decks and tried using the teak-substitute Lignia. When that company went bust amid concerns about the durability of the product, Spirit switched to using Douglas-fir, which has proven a good substitute. Various test panels with the alternative decking material are being continuously monitored, in part thanks to an accelerated-aging test tank on loan from electronics supplier Raymarine.

In 2020, they launched the first all-electric Spirit 44E (13.4m), fitted with an Oceanvolt sail drive powered by lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged by two large solar panels on the afterdeck or, while under sail, by the spinning propeller. Her decks were made of Lignia, and her sails were fabricated with 4T Forte recyclable cloth, courtesy of OneSails, which makes most of Spirit’s sails.  Avvento  was shipped to her owner’s home in British Columbia, Canada, where she cruises in remote areas for weeks at a time with no need for external energy supply. Her owner jokes that he’s more likely to run out of food than run out of electricity. Nearly half of Spirit’s new builds are now fitted with electric engines, though McMillan is quick to acknowledge that, environmentally speaking, they are not the “perfect panacea” due to the use of rare metals in the batteries.

Recently the yard has experimented with replacing teak decking with quarter-sawn Douglas-fir.

Bcomp’s flax fiber is a promising alternative to glass fiber laminate for exterior hull sheathing on Spirit’s 30-footers

More recently, Spirit Yachts has been applying flax cloth in place of fiberglass to sheathe their 30-footers—Bcomp’s ampliTex flax 350-g/m 2 biaxial (+/–45°) 1270mm and ampliTex flax twill 2/2, no twist, 1000mm, 300-g/m 2 —and will apply it to the bigger boats once they are happy with its performance. (See “ Flax  Boats,”  Professional BoatBuilder  No. 197, page 44.)

“We had to be much quicker with the glue when laying up the flax, as it is very absorbent,” says Gooderham. “We had to be precise with the quantities of resin, and we had to post-cure in a tent at 25°C [77°F] during the fairing process.”

The Spirit 44E Avvento was the first Spirit yacht with an electric sail drive powered by lithium-ion batteries. She also sported sails made of recyclable sailcloth.

They are also experimenting with bio-based resin in nonstructural areas and hope to use it more extensively in due course.

And there are many other, smaller ways the company earns its eco-credentials, as Helen Porter explains: “We recently replaced our plastic paint trays with sugar cane trays, and we’ve replaced our paint brushes and rollers with low-carbon-footprint products. We’re using vacuum bags made out of recycled materials. We’ve discovered we can reduce waste timber by 20% by using CNC to cut wood. So, we are constantly chipping away in the background. The goal is always to lower the carbon footprint of a yacht as much as possible.”

She makes the point that in most instances, the more sustainable solution will offer other benefits such as reduced noise, cheaper running costs, or greater self-sufficiency, meaning there is less need to call on expensive marinas. When the benefits are fully explained, she says, nine times out of 10 the client will opt for the more sustainable option.

Once again, the company’s once-unorthodox stance has served them well, and while most of the marine industry is playing catchup on burnishing their environmental credentials, Spirit finds itself in the vanguard of the movement. Underwood estimates that as many as 60% of their customers “have sustainability in their minds. They are living and breathing it already. They have an electric car. They have a ground-source heat-pump system at home. That’s why they come to us.”

Custom cabinetry and accommodations are strategically built-in before the cabin structure is sheathed.

Another sign of the times for Spirit Yachts is a greater emphasis on boat interiors, something designer Tom Smith, who trained partly in Italy, is happy to go along with. “The interior never used to get as much attention as the exterior. Now it’s just as much,” says Smith, who heads a team of four designers at the yard. “Lots of people want their yachts to be as comfortable as their homes. That should be possible, as long as you’re clever. I hate it when people say that yacht design is a compromise. There’s no reason to compromise; you just have to be clever with the design.”

In practical terms, that has meant a shift away from traditional wood paneling toward lighter colors, including white satin painted panels. The company is also collaborating with textiles companies to try out new color palettes including cloths made from recycled bottles.

Spirit Yachts Under Power

In recent years, Spirit has added a few powerboats to their stable of designs—from a couple of retro-styled launches, the P40 (12.2m) and P35 (10.7m), to a more substantial 70 ‘  motoryacht, the P70, designed to cross the North Sea from the U.K. to the Baltic and back at 18 knots. Even here, the company is keen to emphasize the designs’ eco credentials, noting that it can build the boats lighter than their GRP equivalents, which means they require smaller engines and therefore have greater fuel efficiency. It’s a virtuous circle that again benefits the client by saving them money in running costs.

Spirit’s most spectacular powerboat to date had finally completed its trials stage when I visited the company in June 2023. The F35 looks every bit like one of those classic North American speedboats from 100 years ago. Long and narrow, with sensuously shaped varnished topsides and foredeck, it appears the epitome of 1920s elegance. But, like her sailing sisters, the F35 has a secret hiding underwater: foils. Power her up to 14 knots or so and she will free herself from the tedious limitations of wetted surface area and fly largely above the water at up to 30 knots (though 22 knots is her cruising speed).

Spirit Yachts joined forces with BAR Technologies (better known for its  America ’s Cup simulation and design) to create this electric foiler with a range of 100 miles at 22 knots. This is a major step forward in electric boating, and all with a classic aesthetic that you don’t expect to perform so efficiently—that old McMillan joke again.

McMillan is rightfully proud of his new design and, back in the office, shows me a video of the boat in action on Lake Maggiore in Italy. Halfway through, the F35 is joined by a copy of the Crouch-designed  Baby Bootlegger , a curvaceous 1924 American mahogany speedboat that inspired his design. (See Paul Lazarus’s “How Fast Will It Go?” in PBB No. 169, page 62.) The family resemblance is clear—though, as McMillan points out, their performance is quite different. The old boat with its 220-hp (165-kW) combustion engine leaves a vast wake, while the big foiler at speed barely dimples the lake surface.

She’s clearly the future of motorboating—fast, elegant, and clean—especially once safety and ethical concerns around some lithium-ion batteries are resolved or competing alternative fuels become viable.

I’m keen to see the roll of plans McMillan has brought in for scanning—he still works in the early stages with pen and paper before submitting his drawings to CAD for the development and production stages—but it turns out they’re top secret. All he will say is that they are for an “extremely radical” electric foiler, considerably bigger than the F35. Even at 72, he is still clearly excited by this latest project.

An F35, the latest model in Spirit Yacht’s sparse line of powerboats, is an electric-powered fully foiling tribute to the mahogany runabouts of the 1920s.

Spirit Yachts’ Academy and Beyond

McMillan is willing to talk about another project close to his heart: the new Spirit Academy. In the past the company was able to recruit staff from all over the world to work in the yard, but that has become more difficult since Brexit, and like most companies in the boating sector, Spirit has suffered a skills shortage. The solution McMillan decided on is to set up a training center in a disused building right next to the yard. The Spirit Academy will be the first university-standard boatbuilding college in the world, training students to a high skill level so they come out ready to start work using modern tools and materials. The course of study will comprise most aspects of boatbuilding, including design, rigging, and sailmaking. The only thing that won’t be in the curriculum is fiberglass construction, which McMillan is convinced will soon “come to a crashing halt.”

He said he hopes to start restoring the building this autumn, with the first intake of students possible as early as fall of 2025. The plan is to enroll two classes a year of 12 students each for a two-year course, with a total of 48 students when it’s fully up and running.

Meanwhile, Spirit Yachts will continue building its distinctive brand of high-quality wood/composite yachts. Despite recent forays into powerboats, sailing yachts will continue to be their focus, particularly in the 60 ‘ –90 ‘  range (their “sweet spot,” according to Underwood). The new 72-footer is particularly popular right now, with three built in two years—one for charter (with a cabin forward for paid crew), one for racing, and the third for bluewater cruising.

McMillan shows no signs of slowing down, and neither does the company he created in a disused cowshed all those years ago. At last, it seems the world has caught up, and the McMillan joke of delivering modern performance boats with vintage aesthetics is one we can all understand.

About the Author:   Nic Compton is a freelance writer/photographer based in Devon, U.K. He lived on boats in the Mediterranean until the age of 15 and worked as a boatbuilder for many years before swapping his chisel for a pen and his router for a computer. He sails a Rhode Island–built Freedom 33, currently based in Greece.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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California yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker in vicious showdown, cali yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker drops pants for rude salute, 78 3/13/2024 8:09 am pt.

A California yacht owner's vicious beef with a dock worker has reached death-threat levels -- and their exchange was caught on camera and included a nude, and very rude, gesture!

Check out the clip ... it all unfolds when San Diego entrepreneur Ajay Thakore swings by the swanky Marriott Marquis Marina in his rare $4.5M Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 yacht to pick up one of his employees -- but things boil over when dock worker Joseph Holt tells him he can't be there.

Thakore, the CEO of medical advertising firm Doctor Multimedia, flips out on Holt big time ... and starts spewing threats like, "I will kill you, you know I will kill you, I will kill."

And it doesn't stop there -- as Thakore's pulling out of the harbor, he drops trou to make a full frontal salute in Holt's direction. Stay classy, San Diego!

Holt's only retaliation was flipping the bird, and he later told CBS8 that was all he could do to keep his cool and avoid escalating the situation.

Holt says parts of the altercation were not captured on camera, and he adds ... Thakore not only threatened to kill him, but also claimed to have connections who could totally mess up his life.

Holt also says Thakore pulled out $100 bills and tossed them at him, even chucking some in the water.

BTW, Thakore's done some backpedaling since the ugly exchange -- he now says, "The interaction that occurred yesterday was regrettable. What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

FWIW ... One of Thakore’s employees claims the whole thing began because other dock workers blocked him from boarding the yacht.

Oh, and if that fancy Lambo yacht looks familiar -- it's the same one Chuck Liddell recently tumbled off just last month. Now it's famous AND infamous!

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Ready for spring break? Geist beach will be, too. Here's the latest on when it will open.

It won't have the same cachet as, say, South Beach, in Miami, and is just a bit smaller. But beginning Spring Break, 2023, Fishers residents can frolic in the rolling surf right here at home.

Geist Waterfront Park, at 111 th Street and Olio Road, opens March 18.

The $27 million beach and nature park will be the only place for people to use Geist Reservoir without a boat. It will be free to all Fishers residents, said Sarah Sandquist, Fishers Parks and Recreation director.

Waterfront Park is being built in three phases on 70 acres, with the beach and related structures the largest and first to be completed. The 100-yard-long beach was constructed in a cove next to a narrow channel of the reservoir that passes under the Olio Street bridge. Part of the beach will be for swimming and part for the launching of kayaks and paddleboards.

Behind the beach will be a restroom, outdoor showers, a large playground and small concession areas. Plans to build a boardwalk and café with outdoor seating have been pushed to the second phase because of budget constraints, Sandquist said. Instead, food trucks will likely be set up to a driveway turnaround.

The first phase also will have a mile of trails, something that will be prominent in the final construction.

“We thought it was important to have something now for people who might want something instead of swimming,” Sandquist said.

The beach will have a lifeguard stand and the swimming and boating areas will be separated by buoys. Plans for a fishing pier have been pushed to a later phase of development.

The beach area takes up only about 25% of Waterfront Park. The rest is scheduled to be completed in 2040 . “Creekside” will include boardwalks over wetlands and a nature trail. “The Uplands” will be restored woodlands with picnic shelters and dirt nature trails.

Mayor Scott Fadness said the beach will be the only free public access to the reservoir. The 3-square mile lake is used mostly by boaters and fishers who have to pay a boat launch fee.

How much it will cost to get into Geist Beach and Waterfront Park

Though free for Fishers residents, out-of-town users will be charged $30 a car or $20 per person if they walk up from Memorial Day until Labor Day, and $20 and $10 during the rest of the year. The parking lot will have space for 370 cars.

Original as it is, Geist Waterfront Park isn’t the only beach in Fishers. The Saxony subdivision at 146th Street near Olio Road has its own beach, also free to residents. It attracted 4,700 users this year. Waterfront Park is about three times as large as Saxony and Sandquist expects it to attract many more visitors. The Parks Department will hold a preview at the beach Nov. 19 from 4-6 p.m. The gathering will include food trucks, games, activities and music, and is open to the public.

C all IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at  [email protected]  and follow on  Twitter  and  Facebook .

Iconic 'little blue boat' that calls Montrose Bay home up for sale after family makes tough decision

For almost 50 years a little blue boat has been moored on the River Derwent in Hobart's northern suburbs by the side of a busy highway.

It is known affectionately by many Tasmanians as "the little blue boat", and has floated alone next to the Brooker Highway at Montrose Bay over the decades.

Sea Breeze, its official name, was built by Robin Attrill in his Montrose backyard in the early 1970s.

His son Colin Attrill said the boat was launched at Macquarie Wharf in 1976.

"It's been on the mooring in Montrose Bay ever since, and that's why it's such an iconic little blue boat," he said.

Tasmanians curious about 'little blue boat'

The boat is an object of fascination for Brooker Highway motorists and foreshore walkers due to it seemingly never moving.

Colin Attrill said it was "absolutely amazing" the number of people who would stop and talk to him about the boat when he was launching the dinghy to go and check on it.

"The number of people that talk to me that are walking past and go 'that boat has been there forever' and 'it was there when I was going to school or every day when I've been driving to work'," he said.

"Some people say they've never seen it move. Well it used to move all the time.

"Of late it's slowed up, we're all busy and dad has slowed up. We lost mum and once that happened it impacted on family activities."

Tough decision to sell

Its owner is now 91 and the boat has not been sailed for about 10 years.

Colin Attrill said the family had recently made the tough decision to try to sell the boat.

"Dad isn't well and he's gotten old, which we all do, and the boat's got old," he said.

"Anyone who knows about a timber boat knows that they need maintenance."

Mr Attrill said the family used to put the boat on the slip at least once a year to clean and antifoul it, and do any repairs.

"But the past few years Dad has been unable to do anything, and the boat unfortunately has just sat on the mooring," he said.

He said the family decided it was time for the boat to have a new owner.

"Nobody is using it, it needs a new owner who will give it the time and get the enjoyment out of it that we had growing up," he said.

"It's a great boat, and there are many years left. Wooden boats just last."

'Next phase' for the boat

The Attrill family is full of passionate sailors and Robin's brother Peter represented Australia in sailing at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 — Tasmania's fifth Olympian and the first to represent the state in sailing.

When Robin finished building the 25-foot river cruiser, known by the family as The Breeze, it was used for trips away around Hobart.

"We used to have family trips down the channel, down to Cygnet, down to Dover, and all places in between fishing and weekends away," he said.

"We also used to go to events in Hobart like the Hobart Regatta, the Sandy Bay Regatta. We'd be down the river at any chance, or up the river. She made it to New Norfolk a couple of times.

"The boat was all over the place, wherever we could."

Mr Attrill said it would be a sad day when the boat left Montrose Bay after almost 50 years.

"We will see where it goes and where it ends up and what's the next phase for the boat," he said.

Over the years its owner has been keeping a watchful eye on it just a matter of metres away, across the Brooker Highway from his Montrose home of more than 70 years.

"He's always been there. He'd open the blinds in the morning in the kitchen and look out the window and there's the boat," son Colin said.

"It's always been a part of his life."

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Owner of sunken historic fishing boat leaking fuel off Maine’s coast has been charged

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The owner of a sunken 80-foot-long fishing boat  that’s sitting at the bottom of New Meadows River in Harpswell and leaking oil is now facing charges.

The boat, the sardine carrier Jacob Pike, sank in Harpswell during January’s twin storms and record-high tides.

The harbormaster hasn’t received a plan yet for raising and disposing of the sunken boat.

The town is summonsing the boat’s owner, Cyrus Cleary, for the crime of abandonment of a watercraft, according to the harbormaster.

Cleary could be fined the cost of removal plus 50 percent of that cost.

Cleary told the Bangor Daily News in February that he doesn’t think he’s responsible for all the costs of removing the boat and has disagreed with the U.S. Coast Guard on how to get it out.

Removing the boat from the water and towing it piece by piece could cost more than $100,000.

First built in 1949 by Newbert & Wallace in Thomaston, the Jacob Pike was a refrigerated vessel used to fish for and transport sardines. After the collapse of Maine’s sardine industry, the vessel was used to transport lobster, then pogies. The ship was retired from fishing in 2022 and passed through several owners before Cleary acquired it.

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Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

The most relaxing and picturesque tour that Moscow can offer: a great way to see the city center and its main attractions. This is a perfect alternative to exploring the city by car, if you only have time to do sightseeing during weekday rush hours.

Your English-speaking guide is eager to share every bit of their knowledge about the surrounding landscape, the architecture and historical details.

We conduct Moscow river tour on Radisson Flotilla boats all year around!  It’s warm inside during winter months, while there’s air conditioning during hot summer days. You may also treat yourself to drinks, lunch or dinner on board (drinks and food are not included in tour price).

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

Quay at Radisson Collection Hotel

Government Headquarters ("the White House")

Kievsky Railway Central

Novodevichy Convent

Luzhniki Stadium

Academy of Sciences

Monument to Peter I

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow Kremlin

St.Basil's Cathedral

Novospassky Monastery

U-turn and back to Quay at Radisson Royal Hotel

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The owner of a $3.4 million Lamborghini yacht screamed 'I will kill you' and threw $100 bills into the water when told he couldn't use a private dock

• The owner of a Lamborghini yacht threatened a private dock employee, per CBS8.
• The employee said Ajay Thakore mooned and threw cash at him after being told he couldn't use the dock.
• Thakore, the CEO of Doctor Multimedia, issued an apology through his public relations team.

The owner of a $3.4 million Lamborghini yacht threatened a private dock employee after being told he couldn't be there, the San Diego-based broadcaster CBS8 reported on March 11.

Joseph Holt, a 21-year-old employee at Marriot Marina in San Diego, told CBS8 that he spotted the yacht sailing into the private dock. The owner, whom CBS8 identified as Ajay Thakore, tried to pick another person up at the dock, Holt said.

"I told him respectfully that he couldn't be there, and I honestly was hoping to have a conversation with him about his cool boat," Holt told CBS8.

In a YouTube video posted by @SM-wc9eq on March 10, a dark blue Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 is seen sailing out of a dock. A man in a gray T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a cap was shown standing on the yacht. The man appeared to be Thakore, per CBS8.

Thakore was shown shouting at Holt. "I will kill you, you know I will kill you!" he can be heard saying multiple times in the video

Thakore was later shown pounding his fist on his palm and pointing his thumb down before telling Holt: "To your face!" Holt was shown responding by pointing his middle finger at Thakore.

"I really was trying to restrain myself from getting fired from my job or stepping out of line. The only thing I did was give him the bird," Holt told CBS8.

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Holt said Thakore then took $100 bills from his wallet and threw them at him. He added that Thakore mooned him. This exchange was not shown in the video.

"He was saying I'm nobody, I'm nothing, I work a silly job. He said that he knows people, he has connections, he can change my life and ruin it," Holt said. Holt did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The San Diego Harbor Police arrived at the marina 10 minutes after Thakore's yacht exited the dock, per CBS8.

The Harbor Police told Business Insider that Holt decided to press charges against Thakore and that they are investigating the incident.

According to Thakore's LinkedIn page , he's the CEO of Doctor Multimedia. The company's website shows that it's a healthcare marketing firm based in San Diego. Thakore appears to go by the name Ace Rogers on Instagram and TikTok, where he's noted as being a professional gambler.

Thakore, through his public relations team, told CBS8 in a statement that his altercation with Holt was "regrettable."

"What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange," the statement said. Thakore did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Thakore isn't the only CEO who's been called out for threatening another person. In November 2021, an Activision spokesperson told BI that its ex-CEO Bobby Kotick had previously apologized for telling his assistant he would have her killed. The spokesperson added that Kotick's threat was "obviously hyperbolic and inappropriate" and that "he deeply regrets the exaggeration and tone."

In June 2020, Lisa Alexander, the CEO of LaFace Skincare, a cosmetics company, apologized in a statement to the media after she had threatened to call the police on her neighbor for writing "Black Lives Matter" on his property. Alexander said in the apology that she was "disrespectful" and "should have minded my own business."

March 21, 2024: This story has been updated with Harbor Police's comments.

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