&MAINEMAINEBOATS,HOMES HARBORSHouse guru Steve ThomasLiving small Means living well

House guru Steve ThomasLiving small Means living well

13+ Maine-Built BoatsFAST & HI-TECH TO SMALL & FUNKY

+Why is the ocean blue?

26 MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS | January /February 2016 | Issue 138

boats BUILDERS ALONGSHORE

IN 1959, Gigi was movie of the year. Dr.Zhivago by Boris Pasternak and TrumanCapote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s were on

the top of many reading lists. Frank Sinatrawon his first Grammy. And in Maine, theHenry R. Hinckley Company launched itsfirst Bermuda 40.

The fiberglass auxiliary sloop designed byWilliam H. Tripp to win races went on tobecome a classic, just like Breakfast atTiffany’s. But when it was launched, tradi-tionalists were aghast both at the materialfrom which it was made and its modernlooks. Flash forward to today when the B-40is considered to be one of the most beautifulclassic yachts ever. It has stood the test of time.

Yet times do change. The HinckleyCompany’s recent successes have been basedon a fleet of gorgeous powerboats of vari-ous sizes, all sharing advanced technologyand a certain Hinckley style. But within thecompany, the love of sail never disappeared.And this past year Hinckley launched theBermuda 50. Will it be the next classic?

Hinckley Yachts: Bermuda 50Speedy and fun to sail BY JOHN K. HANSON, JR.

The Bermuda 50’s plumbbow, flush deck, and long

bowsprit are a new lookfor Hinckley.

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Reprinted with permission of MAINE BOATS, HOMES & HARBORS • DIGITAL edition @ www.maineboats.com 27

Like the B-40, this new yacht is aWilliam Tripp design, but it was con-ceived by the son not the father. Like theB-40, this yacht has been designed to winraces; its looks also have been criticized.

But also like its predecessor, the B-50goes fast, setting the Block Island Raceweek on fire after its debut last summer.It’s also a joy to sail, as I found out on aglorious fall day on the waters off Hinck-ley headquarters in Southwest Harbor.The crew for this last sail before the boatwas hauled for the winter, included me,Phil Bennett and Eric Roos of the all-starHinckley sales team, the company’s in-house designer Peter Smith, and marinejournalist Steve Rappaport. We are allcertifiable boat nuts and we had a blast.

I once owned a smaller wooden ver-sion of the B-40 designed by “Tripp theelder,” which I raced and thought was fast.Still I was unprepared for the B-50’s speedand responsive handling. As we left thedock, Smith went down below and low-ered the keel—a 12'-deep foil with astreamlined bulb of lead on the bottom.When not sailing, the keel retracts to amore manageable seven feet. But we

needed all of its length to counterbalancethe horsepower in the B-50’s big sail plan.

I publish a boat magazine and unlesscows learn to fly, I will never be able toafford a yacht of the caliber of the Hinck-ley Bermuda 50. That realization madethis sail even more special. We hit sixknots in a five-knot breeze sailing up

Somes Sound and sped up to nine knotsreaching out the Western Way. The yachtsailed superbly, and having such a crack-erjack crew on board made it even morefun. The sail control systems are in theright spot and easily accessible; the high-aspect-ratio blade jib is extraordinarilyeasy to tack. The twin helm stationsmake for great visibility on both tacks.Down below the interior features gor-geous woodwork.

So back to my original question: Willthe Bermuda 50 be considered a classic50 years from now? I think so. Just don’task me which current books or movieswill stand that same test of time. ✮

John K. Hanson, Jr. is publisher and founder of

this magazine.

HINCKLEY BERMUDA 50

LOA 49'11"LWL 45'2"Beam 14'7.5"Draft 7' keel up, 11'7.5" keel downWater 118 gals.Fuel 79 gals.Sail area 2,221 sq. ft.

DESIGNER:Tripp Design Naval ArchitectureNorwalk, CT203-838-2215www.trippdesign.net

BUILDER:Hinckley CompanySouthwest Harbor, ME207-244-5531www.hinckleyyachts.com

We hit six knots in a five-knot breeze sailing up

Somes Sound and sped upto nine knots reaching out

the Western Way.