Yankee One Design

Y11 MONSOON, circa 1940

The Yankee One-Design racing sloop was designed in 1937 by Starling Burgess, as part of an effort to create a class of 30' racing sailboats for interclub racing among New England Yacht clubs.

Forty Yankees have been built, primarily at the Quincy Adams shipyard in Massachusetts in the years immediately before and after WWII. Most recently, Y44 GEMINI was constructed in 2010 by the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, Washington.

The Yankee One-Design performs well in all conditions, but is especially competitive in heavy weather. In fact, the design criteria was that the boat would be able to handle the rugged conditions of Buzzards Bay, and still be fast enough for the lighter air off Marblehead.


	Y21 SIROCCO, Port Townsend, Wa, 2007 © Elizabeth T. Becker

The Yankee class was competitive from 1937 through the 1950's, and is now a highly collectable wooden racing yacht because of its beauty, its history and its exceptional handling under varied conditions.

The last YOD racing fleets disbanded about 40 years ago, but Y21 SIROCCO and Y42 FLOTSAM compete individually in PHRF races in Port Townsend and San Francisco, respectively. They both have outstanding records, even against more modern racing designs and lighter fiberglass boats. Of course when it really blows, they leave all the other sailboats at the horizon.

This large, graceful daysailor is also much loved as a family boat, with its big cockpit and ease of handling. Some, like Y29 WESTWARD HO, have been with the same family for generations.

And while the YOD has the low cabin and simple accommodations of a racing boat, it's surprisingly comfortable for small cruising trips or overnight racing.


Y29 WESTWARD HO, on Lake Champlain, summer of 2010

It is a mystery what happened to many of these sailboats, and most likely only 15 or 20 have survived, worldwide. Any Yankee that's still sailing has either been meticulously cared for, or extensively restored.

We welcome any information about Yankees. Please contact us if you have any recollections or information you would like to share about the Yankee One-Design class.