Several days of sailing trials on Penobscot Bay have validated the design of SY Ouzel, a 95-foot contemporary classic superyacht built at Rockport Marine in Maine. Under a deliberately simple sail plan—mainsail, Yankee, staysail, and Code Zero—the yacht reached speeds exceeding 13 knots in a building afternoon sea breeze, meeting the performance targets set by the project’s four collaborating firms: Langan Design Partners, Mark Whiteley Design, Rockport Marine, and Marine Construction Management.
The numbers are worth dwelling on. Ouzel carries more than 4,500 square feet of sail upwind, hangs a 12-foot keel, and tacked through less than 90 degrees while making 10 knots to weather in 15 knots of breeze. These are not the numbers of a comfortable passagemaker content to ghost between anchorages. They reflect a deliberate choice by the owners to favor performance from the outset, according to the builder.
“Our client decided to go with the deeper draft and favor performance because there’s real pleasure in sailing a better-performing boat,” said Tom Degrémont of Newport-based Langan Design Partners, who sailed aboard during trials. “Also, you can get somewhere, or get out of harm’s way, fast. Going upwind at 10 knots, tacking through less than 90 degrees with a Yankee and a staysail, and doing 12 knots in 15 knots of breeze while reaching—it’s a great cruising combination and a really pleasurable experience.”
Interior designer Mark Whiteley of Mark Whiteley Design, who helmed Ouzel for a full day during trials, put the experience in simpler terms. “She briefly did over 13 knots,” he said. “It’s a lovely feel to the yacht that goes with her modern classical style.”
Sam Temple, president of Rockport Marine, reflected on the longer arc of the project from the helm. “Feeling the rig drive the hull, and later sitting in the upper saloon with the group of partners, I thought of the early mockups we made and the conversations about sheet leads, sight lines, and systems,” he said. “It’s a joy to see that the best of our combined abilities has delivered a balanced yacht where each of our disciplines finds full expression.”
Peter Wilson of MCM Newport, who oversaw construction management, noted the breadth of technical expertise assembled for the trials—sailmakers, hydraulics technicians, PLC engineers, sparmakers, riggers, and electrical and mechanical specialists all present for the first hoist. “To heel the yacht over for the first time was a profoundly rewarding milestone,” Wilson said. “Steering the yacht was effortless and super responsive. Simply put, Ouzel ticks all the boxes.”
