Used Antique and classic sailing yachts for sale

What is an antique - classic sailing yacht?

There is no official definition of a classic sailboat that everyone agrees on. Each association or entity will define classic or antique sailing yachts according to its own classification. But let's try to sketch a picture anyway.

The characteristics of a classic or antique sailing yacht

The term 'classic sailing yacht' mostly refers to a sailing ship that will sail in a way that fits with the sailing traditions of the past:

• a crew working in symbiosis,
• intricate manoeuvring
• and seaworthy elegance in all circumstances.

Also the age of the boat will often be a determining factor in order for it to be called a classic sailboat. In fact, if there is one thing everyone agrees on, it is that the early 1970s is a pivotal period for sailboats. It was around then that fibreglass made its appearance and began to be used in the construction of sailboat hulls in the late 1960s. Wooden hulls gradually disappeared until shipyards developed new techniques based on wood and epoxy glue. This is why yachts dating from before 1970 are often considered classic, if they fulfil certain conditions.

The reason why some post-1970 yachts are still considered to be classic yachts is that some builders have been slow to adapt to the emergence of new construction designs due to the advent of plastics and have continued to produce boats that resemble pre-1970 yachts.

Classic sailing yachts defined according to different entities

The Classic Yacht Club is a 2005 association that promotes the conservation, research and advance of classic yachts' maritime heritage. It defines classic sailboats as follows:

• all vessels designed before the end of 1945 in accordance with their original plans and built using the techniques and materials of the period of their design;
• those designed before the end of 1968 and built individually in accordance with their original plan;
• sailboats designed before the end of 1968 and produced in limited non-industrial series in accordance with the original plans;
• replicas of sailboats built according to plans made before the end of 1945 and according to the techniques at the time these plans were made;
• and sailboats that are recognised as having a 'classic feel': designed in accordance with the spirit of the classic boat building era and built individually,

The Classic Regatta Anglo-Breton Association divides classic boats into two categories:

• a class for sailboats built before 1969 with a traditional construction that were built either individually or in limited series;
• a second class for vessels built after 1969 but whose design and construction characteristics must comply with certain rules.

The third entity is the Association Française des Yachts de Tradition (AFYT) which was founded in 1994 and which aims to increase global information on classic boats. Their definition of classic sailboats is as follows:

• mass-produced sailboats are not accepted as classic boats (those built in a single yard or with an exclusive licence);
• vessels built of wood or metal before December 1975;
• sailboat replicas whose construction plans were made before December 1975.

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