We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Luca Bassani nominates Windward Passage\u201cA very modern boat for her times: very large stern (almost like today\u2019s naval architecture) and semi-round bilge hull made her very fast in reaching \u2013 and with a flush deck!\u201d says Luca Bassani.
\n\u201cFor a long time she was the fastest boat in real time in the SORC regattas \u2013 ie the world\u2019s fastest boat \u2013 and she can be considered the first modern maxi yacht.\u201d
\nWindward Passage was designed by the late Alan Gurney as an ocean racing record breaker for lumber tycoon Robert Johnson and built in laminated wood in 1968. The semi-planing hull was radical for the time, particularly beamy with a shallow canoe body, a fin keel and an elegant run aft to a broad transom \u2013 a shape described on launching as a \u201873ft dinghy\u2019. Windward Passage won and set a record for the Transpac Race in 1971. Originally designed as a ketch she was later refitted to a sloop rig designed by Doug Peterson.
\nPhoto: Windward Passage\/D Ramey Logan\/Wikimedia Commons
\n\u201cA true yet forgotten myth,\u201d concludes Bassani.
\nMake sure you check out our full list of\u00a0Coolest Yachts.
\nWindward Passage stats rating
\nTop speed: 25 knots
\nLOA: 73ft\/22m
\nLaunched: 1968
\nBerths: 12
\nPrice: \u20ac500,000
\nAdrenalin factor: 50%
\nLuca Bassani
\nThe visionary founder of Wally Yachts, Luca Bassani created an iconic brand and can be credited with shaping the trend for clean Italian aesthetics in yachting. As well as being ahead of the curve with yacht design, he has won world championships in sailing and industrial design awards for his innovative style.<\/p>\n
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The post World\u2019s coolest yachts: Windward Passage appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Luca Bassani nominates Windward Passage\u201cA very modern boat for her times: very large stern (almost like today\u2019s naval architecture) and semi-round … <\/p>\n