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Laurent Giles Vertue II

• Designer: Giles, Laurent
• Location: Sweden
• Length on deck: 25'8"
• Beam: 7'10"
• Draft: 4'5"

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Full specification

Wooden Ships Comments on this Laurent Giles Vertue II

Based on the famous Vertue design by Laurent Giles, this is the very first example of what was known as the Vertue II, the same lines but built using GRP, completed in 1979 and built to Lloyds 100A1 classification.  Shortly after completion, the boat was exhibited at the London Boat Show in 1979.  This is the first and and possibly the best GRP Vertue II, a superb and immensely capable short handed blue water cruising boat.

The most notable feature of this boat compared to other examples of the Vertue II is her interior.  Because she was due to be exhibited at the boat show, the yard put a lot of time and effort into building her interior using solid teak giving her a cozy and comfortable feeling comparable to some of her earlier wooden sister ships.  Later boats were not fitted out to this high standard due to the extortionate cost.

Sold into Swedish ownership in 2010 where she has been based ever since, cruising the archipelagos and coasts of the Baltic.  Last year she was sold, bought by an Australian for an intended long distance cruise and she had considerable investment with new gear and equipment in readiness for that trip.  Unfortunately plans have changed, the trip cancelled and the boat must be sold once again.

The boat had been totally prepared for this voyage and is a fully equipped, turn key blue water cruising boat in ready to go condition.  Recent updates include:

2021 survey

New Liferaft

New roller furling headsail system

New batteries

New EPIRB and PLB

She has been well maintained and continually upgraded over the years.  She is well set up for single handed sailing, easily handled by one person and capable of offshore cruising in rough weather if required, the Vertue has often been referred to as the ‘greatest offshore cruiser’.

Length on Deck                 25’8″

Length Waterline             21’6″

Beam                                    7’10”

Draft                                      4’5″

Displacement                    4,100kg/9000lbs

Ballast                                   2000kg/4400lbs

Construction

GRP moulded hull, heavily laid and built to Lloyds 100A1.

2 ton external iron ballast keel.

GRP moulded decks and coachroof finished in blue non slip coating.  Scrubbed teak hand rails on the coachroof deck.

Lewmar hatch forward of the mast

Moulded self draining cockpit with a scrubbed teak capping rail and Treadmaster non slip mat on the thwarts.  Sprayhood with a zipped back to shelter the cockpit.

Tiller steering with a transom hung wooden rudder, rebuilt in 2016.  Stainless steel pintles and gudgeons.  Aries wind vane steering fitted.

Masthead bermudan sloop rig on a deck stepped alloy mast.  Mast steps fitted.

New Selden single line slab reefing boom in 2016.  Stack pack system fitted on lazy jacks.

The mast and rigging is over spec for a boat of her size making everything very strong.

Twin lower shrouds and a single cap shroud to internal stainless steel chain plates.

ProFurl C290 roller furling genoa system, new in 2022.  Split standing backstay.  Inner forestay for storm jib.

Fully battened mainsail with lazy jacks and stack pack system.  Genoa by Hood in good condition.  Second genoa, storm jib, working jib and spinnaker.

Lewmar 16 primary cockpit sheet winches and a pair of Lewmar non-self tailing secondary sheet winches.

Lewmar 16 self tailing winch on coachroof for running rigging which is led through jamming clutches.

Yanmar 2GM20 16hp twin cylinder diesel.  Complete and thorough service in 2022.  Full set of spares and tools aboard.

Stainless steel shaft with an Aqua-Drive coupling to a centreline fixed 3 blade bronze propeller.  5 knots cruising speed.

17 gallons of diesel in an incorporated tank under the engine built into the keel.

20 gallons of water in a plastic tank under the saloon sole.

2 x AGM domestic batteries and 1 x engine start battery, all new in 2022.

Small inverter for 240 volt, new in 2022.

Accommodation

3 berths plus an extra berth in the fore peak currently used for storage.  6’2″ headroom throughout the saloon.

The interior of this very first example of the Vertue II was finished in solid teak panelling all done to a very high standard and gives her a cosy comfortable feel in the cabin similar to that of her earlier wooden counterparts.

Steps down from the cockpit with a quarter berth to starboard and galley to port.

Galley has an Origo twin burner meths stove on gimbals.  Stainless sink with manually pumped fresh and salt water.  Various lockers, cubby holes and storage shelves around the galley give plenty of stowage space.

Half height bulkheads with the recognisable curved top found in Vertues separate off the main saloon.  Settee berth either side with trotter box forward.  Lockers behind under the deck head and storage beneath the seats as well.

Teak shelf and storage lockers at the forward end of the saloon either side, each with a brass oil lamp on gimbals.

Custom made stainless steel solid fuel cabin heater mounts on the bulkhead.

Centreline door into the forepeak with a heads to starboard and the 4th berth/storage are to starboard.

Heads is a Blakes manual sea toilet which discharges directly overboard.

Aries Lift up wind vane self steering

Autohelm ST 4000 tiller pilot with fixed mounted display/control unit in cockpit.

Yeoman Navigator Pro

AIS EM-track B400 class B (AIS sender and receiver) with its own chart display

3 anchors plus chain.

Simpson Lawrence anchor windlass type S-L Hyspeed Double Action Lever Windlass.

Lazizas Coastal valise life raft, new 2022

EPIRB, new 2022

Personal locator Beacon, new 2022

Life jacket, new 2022

2 x life line terthers

Fire blanket in the galley

Spare tiller

Manual bilge pump

Auto electric bilge pump

Radar reflector

Bunk and berth cushions

Full galley equipment

Paraffin cabin lamps

2 burner Origo spirit stove

Bimini sun awning

Custom made stainless steel solid fuel stove cabin heater.

Sprayhood with zipped on back

Engine spares

Mainsail, fully battened

Working jib

Mainsail stack pack system with lazy jacks

2 x Lewmar self tailing cockpit sheet winches

2 x non-self tailing cockpit sheet winches

Disclaimer:

These particulars have been prepared in good faith from information provided by the Vendors and are intended as a guide, Wooden Ships cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. The Purchaser should instruct his agent or surveyor to validate all details as necessary and satisfy himself with the condition of the vessel and its equipment.

Wooden Ships classic yachts brokers have an extensive database of boats for sale. With a wide range of sailboats , classic yachts , motor yachts and small classic boats , Wooden Ships has one of the largest selections of traditional wooden boats and yachts for sale in the UK.

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How to Sell a Yacht

September 5th 2022

How to sell a classic yacht – 10 things to expect from your broker.   Selling a classic yacht can be daunting, but working with a broker can simp…

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Boats for sale.

This new service for Vertue owners allows their boats to be displayed when they are For Sale . A small selection of up to date photos is included, together with the selling owner’s email address. Further details about all the boats can be found on each of the boat’s own ‘page’, in the main database. Please get in touch directly with the owners if you would like to buy their boat. These are all seriously classic boats, each one with her own distinctive character, yet all sharing the impeccable Laurent Giles Vertue pedigree.

____________________

VIRTUE FIDELIS

Under sail some years ago off her home port of Dartmouth.

Immaculate topsides. Virtue Fidelis is one of the ‘long cockpit’ Vertues.

Launching, showing underwater shape. Being relaunched in November 2022.

She has some outstanding joinery work such as the recessed fore hatch. Seen here during her refit in September 2022.

Seamanlike accommodation with some classic Laurent Giles design detailing.

VERTUE FIDELIS V 40

Owner: Philip Key

Price Reduced! : £15,500

Email address: PHILIP KEY <[email protected]>

SPARROW rigged for doubling Cape Horn!

Completing her recent deep refit

Sparrow in cruising trim

Beautifully built interior

SPARROW VII 5

Still the most famous Vertue II since Daniel Hays and his father doubled the Horn in her,  20 years and one day after Bill Nance in Cardinal Vertue .

“Fiberglass/grp.  No engine. Deck, topsides and cabin awl-gripped 2023. Custom built and over rigged for Cape Horn voyage, 1985. My Dad and I had the unfinished hull shipped from England and built her up to be rolled over. She can be hung from her cleats and is 80 – 90% ready for the circumnavigation I am now too old for.”

Brooklin, Maine USA 

Lots of photos and details, contact Daniel at

[email protected] 

______________________________

Serif under sail in Plymouth

SERIF , V28 is for sale in Plymouth. Built by Cardnells in 1948, of mahogany on oak, she has the sublime, springy sheer of the early Vertues. She has a more spacious cockpit than most, and is an outstanding early Vertue in excellent condition. She is usually wintered ashore, inside at Mashfords.

Very reasonably priced at £14,500 because her owner, John Suter, is keen that she goes to the right home.

John Suter can be reached at [email protected]

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Extraordinary boats: Andrillot, the original ‘Vertue’ design

• May 25, 2021

Andrillot is the original ‘Vertue’, the design which launched Laurent Giles’s long and illustrious career in 1935. Nic Compton reports

German boatbuilder Uli Killer was looking for a boat to sail while he was working on a big restoration project when he spotted Andrillot , a 25ft wooden cutter for sale in Dartmouth, UK.

The boat had recently undergone a three-year restoration and was said to be in very good condition for her age. The ad claimed the yacht was ‘an important part of our maritime heritage’ and that she and her sisterships had ‘become legends in their own right’. But to Uli, a relative newcomer to the classic world, she was just a pretty boat at the right price.

Andrillot as she was built with a gaff rig.

“She looked pretty and was affordable for us. I knew nothing about her history, and I had to ring a friend to ask him who Laurent Giles was!” Killer recalls. “Then I saw articles in English and American magazines and realised she really was such a famous boat, and hundreds of them were built. Being No 1 makes her more interesting.”

The boat Uli had inadvertently stumbled across was Andrillot , best known as the ‘original Vertue’, the first of a class which, 85 years after she was launched, is still going strong and now numbers around 200 boats. More by chance than intent, Uli had discovered a unique piece of maritime history, which he was able to buy for less than the price of a new VW Golf. He could hardly believe his luck.

It was in 1935 that Guernsey solicitor Dick Kinnersly commissioned British yacht designer Laurent Giles, then at the start of an illustrious career, to design a cruising boat for him.

“I was ignorant of yacht design but I knew what I wanted; a boat that would spin on a sixpence and I could sail single-handed,” he told British journalist (and fellow Vertue owner) Adrian Morgan 60 years later. “I don’t mind a transom, I said, and a good entry. I couldn’t afford an engine, so I needed ‘plenty of air’ aloft, which meant a topsail.”

The result was a modest 25ft 3in cruising yacht with a wide, distinctive sheer strake inspired by her working boat origins, and a manageable gaff rig (described by some as the ‘pinnacle’ of gaff rig design).

The hull shape was moderate in every way, and Giles himself was reticent about his achievement, saying: “There was nothing very special about the first conception, simply a contemporary interpretation of the Pilot Cutter theme with the same sort of displacement and general arrangements whittled down suitably to the very small size.”

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The boat’s capabilities were soon put to the test by Giles’s colleague Humphrey Barton, who borrowed Andrillot soon after she was launched and sailed her from Lymington to Concarneau and back, covering 855 miles in 23 days. The voyage, almost unheard of at the time on such a small boat, earned him the 1937 RCC Founder’s Cup.

More orders for the design soon started trickling in although, strangely, the class didn’t get its name until 10 years after Andrillot was launched. One of the boats built to Laurent Giles Design No.0015 (as it was then known) was Epeneta , which won the Little Ship Club’s annual Vertue Challenge Cup in 1939 for a 745-mile cruise of the English Channel. When Giles came to naming the class after the war, he chose the name Vertue in honour of that achievement.

Andrillot has been converted from gaff to Bermudan rig. Photo: Nic Compton

Other epic Vertue voyages soon followed, including notable transatlantic crossings. One, by David Lewis on Cardinal Vertue , was made while competing in the first OSTAR in 1960. He finished 3rd, behind Francis Chichester and Blondie Hasler.

Over the years, there have been several changes to the boat’s superstructure and rig, but the basic hull shape remained unchanged (indeed Giles believed it couldn’t be improved) until the design was adapted for GRP construction in 1976.

Reconfigured with slightly more beam and a higher freeboard, more than 40 Vertues were built in GRP, mostly by Bossoms in Oxford.

Wooden Vertues continue to be built to this day, both in carvel and strip-plank construction, and the company recently sent out plans for hull No.249 – though not all the plans sent out have been built.

As for Andrillot , the progenitor of this remarkable explosion of small boat sailing, she was owned by Kinnersly until 1947, after which she went through a succession of owners (seven in all) until 1982 when she was spotted by father and son Peter and Tim Stevenson.

By then Andrillot was in a dilapidated state. Peter and Tim had to tow her across the Solent and had her transported to a hay barn on the family farm near Lyndhurst.

The chart table was completely rebuilt for her new owner, including the non-original inlaid compass rose. Photo: Nic Compton

There, over the next two years, they gave her a full restoration, gutting the interior, doubling up several frames, and replacing the old Stuart Turner engine with an 8hp Bukh. By then, the yacht had already been converted to Bermudan rig and her coachroof had been extended, with the mast stepped on top of the coachroof rather than on the keel, as original. Peter and Tim kept the Bermudan rig but reinstated the bowsprit.

Andrillot across the channel

For the next few decades, Peter and Tim sailed extensively from the yacht’s base in Lymington to both sides of the English Channel. When Peter died in 2002, Tim took over the boat and based her on the River Exe in Devon. But eventually, the wear and tear of 35 years of sailing took its toll – particularly on the extended coachroof, which was creaking under the strain of the rig.

Tim entrusted the job of repairing the boat to Dartmouth-based boatbuilder Michel LeMoigne, whose CV includes working on major restoration projects such as the William Fife sloop Rosemary . He duly opened the coachroof up and replaced two deck beams, fitting three hefty posts under the mast step to transfer the load to the keel.

In the process, he had to rebuild the foc’s’le bunks and lockers. Once that was done, it was clear the rest of the interior needed to be updated, soon followed by the cockpit. And so one job led to another…

Andrillot in Darmouth where she was given an extensive refit. Photo: Nic Compton

Finally, near the end of the summer 2019, Andrillot was ready to be relaunched, but any hopes Tim might have had for a late season’s cruise were crushed when the surveyor spotted a crack in the mast – which had been there for years and never caused a problem – and condemned it.

It was the last straw for Tim and soon after Andrillot was put on the market. By the time a new mast was made and a buyer was found, the UK was deep in Coronavirus lockdown, so Andrillot wasn’t launched until August 2020 – three years after she’d been taken out of the water for repairs.

Uli Killer was in some ways a surprising buyer. A former CEO of a finance company, he quit his well-paid job in 2010 after becoming ill with the stress of work. In a dramatic change of life, he decided to pursue his lifelong love of boats and trained as a boatbuilder at the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis.

He then set up shop at his home in southern Germany where, alongside building bespoke dinghies, he embarked on a major project restoring an 1884 gaff cutter called Wild Duck. But, as it became clear the restoration would take longer than expected, he decided to buy a smaller boat to sail in the meantime. Which is when he discovered Andrillot .

Close encounters

Uli only had time for one trial sail on his new boat, before he and his son Moritz set off from Dartmouth to Vlissingen, Holland, at the end of August.

They were pushed on their way by strong following winds, with a dramatic wind against tide run past the Needles, a boat crashing into them in the middle of the night in Lymington, and a close encounter with a military firing range near Dungeness.

The RCC Founder’s Cup was awarded to Andrillot after she sailed 855 miles from Lymington to Concarneau and back. Photo: Nic Compton

In the end, it took them two weeks to make the 380-mile trip – including a week’s stopover in Cowes for repairs – averaging 50 to 60 miles a day. Yet, despite the drama of the trip, Uli was euphoric about his new acquisition.

“The boat felt really safe. Several times, we made 7-8 knots. It’s amazing such a small boat goes so fast – more than the theoretical hull speed. With the white cliffs near Eastbourne to one side, it was really beautiful. And when you go into harbour, people are interested in the boat and want to talk to you – we met such nice people all the way. In the evenings, it was so cosy and nice to snuggle in there and have supper.”

If Uli was ignorant of the boat’s importance when he bought her, he is certainly fully appreciative of her now. He is talking about taking her back to her gaff rig one day – perhaps in time for her 90th birthday – and hopes his son will take over ownership once Wild Duck is restored.

Once again, it seems, Andrillot will be handed down from father to son, as it was under the Stevensons’ long tenure. Almost by accident, it seems, the little boat with a big heart has reinvented herself and found a doting owner to take her to the end of her first century. Laurent Giles himself could ask no more.

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Sumara of Weymouth

Adventures of a small yacht

Vertue Yachts in General

Vertues are small yachts with a reputation for extreme seaworthiness. The original “Vertue” called Andrillot, was designed as a commission by Jack Laurent Giles in 1936. It was roughly based on the design of the pilot cutters such as Jolie Brise. It also has a striking similarity to the splendid yacht Dyarchy, although at just 25 ft 3” it was, of course, considerably smaller. The boat proved itself to be a very capable sea boat and so more were to follow.

It wasn’t until 1939 that the name Vertue was adopted for the class. The yacht “Epeneta”, built to the same design, won the Little Ship Club’s Vertue Trophy for making a passage across the Bay of Biscay and so it was decided to name the class “Vertue Yachts”.

Since then, the yachts have made many ocean voyages. Humphrey Barton described his eventful Atlantic crossing in the book Vertue 35. David Lewis entered his yacht, Cardinal Vertue, for the first Observer Transatlantic Race in 1960 which he describes in his book “The Ship Would Not Travel Due West”. The same boat under the ownership of Bill Nance held the single-handed speed record for a long passage of 122 miles per day over 53 days.

There is a wonderful film about an engineless Vertue called The Restless Wind . It is well worth spending 40 minutes watching it and marvelling at the skill of the Skipper and his wife.

Over the years some 200 Vertues have been built. They have various rigs and coach roof styles but the hull shape has remained virtually the same. There are a few steel versions but the majority are timber.

During the 1970’s, Bossoms Boatyard of Oxford produced the Vertue II in GRP. The glass fibre version is about 6 inches wider but retains the basic shape of the wooden Vertues

My yacht is number V198 and is called Sumara of Weymouth. She was built in, guess where, by Terry Newman and although the name Sumara sounds a bit like an Iraqi war zone, it is actually following the Velsheda tradition of combining the stems of his daughters’ names. I am not a believer in changing boat names because it tends to confuse the boat’s history.

Terry was an extremely talented boatbuilder and Sumara was built with a huge amount of thought and skill. Nowadays there would be a YouTube channel all about the build but as YouTube wasn’t set up until 14 th February 2005 we are grateful that Terry took some photos and gave me a splendid album. I have photographed each page and made it into a PDF which can be found in the “Downloads” section of this website.

There are a few things that make Sumara rather special.

Firstly, she was built in a barn besides Terry’s house. This enabled Terry to spend many evenings just sitting on board and carefully working out the fine ergonomics of the interior. He decided to place the two main sea berths in the centre of the boat with a pilot berth going off aft on the starboard side. Most Vertues are laid out as four berth yachts and, too be honest, there just isn’t the space for four people plus kit and all the sails on a 26ft boat.

Up forward through a panelled door is a Baby Blake loo in a central position with a wash basin to starboard. There is a bin for the anchor chain. More about the interior later but it is very civilised, and that’s thanks to Terry.

I have made a rather over length video about the interior which can be found here

Secondly, Terry decided to build her out of a single log of Iroko on oak frames, with an elm keel and garboards. Varnished boats should ideally be built from a single log so that the planks all match. There is a little split behind the aft port window and a matching one on the starboard side! Because the log was sourced long enough, it means there are no scarf joints on the boat.

Thirdly, the boat was built for pleasure. There was no rush, no short cuts. Everything was made by Terry, his wife and sons. They welded all the stainless fittings on the mast, they poured the lead keel and made all the engine controls. Terry even marinized the engine – which lasted for thirty years before I replaced it with a Beta 16 hp in 2020.

Hull Planking                    Iroko from a single log with no scarf joints. All splined except the garboard and the next two boards. The planking was undertaken Mike Patrick (“Spike”) who was an expert at planking boats. Terry and family helped secure them. The hull is varnished with Epifanes Gloss Varnish.

Frames                              Oak

Keel and Deadwood        Elm

Ballast Keel                       Lead with Aluminium Bronze Bolts

Deck                                  Ply and teak. Teak replaced 2020. Chalking TDS. All bonded no screws.

Engine                               Originally Kubota 12 hp solid mount with raw water cooling. Now Beta Marine 16 hp heat exchanger cooled and flexible mounts

Controls                            Originally all rods and lever. Now bronze Kobelt system

Propeller Special casting in aluminium bronze. Right hand 14 x 8

Mast                                  Varnished Douglas Fir. Air draft 11.7 m (touching the aerial)

Rigging Renewed for 2022 season. Wire by KOS. Rigging screws by StaLok

Boom                                Recycled gymnasium parallel bar – Douglas Fir

Sails                                   Since 2009 Ratsey and Lapthorne, triple stitched in brown thread. Main, stay and Yankee

Diesel Tank                       14 gallons (63 L) giving a range of 200 nm at 2,000 rpm using 1.25 L per hour

Water Tanks                     Two stainless tanks 17 L each

Paraffin                             One pressurised tank (Taylors) plus aluminium tank in forepeak.

Heating                             Eberspacher

Cooking                             Taylors paraffin

Performance Criteria (from Sailboatdata.com)

Comfort Rating 54.56 (over 50 indicates an extremely heavy blue water boat)

Capsize Rating 1.29 (The boat is better suited for ocean passages (vs coastal cruising) if the result of the calculation is 2.0 or less. The lower the better. The Vertue’s rating is very low indeed!)

Sail area/displacement Ratio 14.05* (below 16 would be considered under powered; 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance; above 20 suggests relatively high performance) This seems rather strange as a Vertue held the single-handed speed record for a long passage of 122 miles per day over 53 days. It seems that Sailboatdata.com are currently using a sail area of 300 square feet but Sumara’s sails are 395 square feet and other Vertues seem to have sails between 380 and 390 square feet. I have contacted them so hopefully the figures will be revised soon. (*This has now been changed so the ratio has increased from about 9 to 14)

Ballast Displacement Ratio 40.91 (A Ballast/Displacement ratio of 40 or more translates into a stiffer, more powerful boat that will be better able to stand up to the wind). Vertues are very narrow and heel quickly to the wind becoming progressively stiffer.

Displacement Length 494.12 (The lower a boat’s Displacement/Length (LWL) ratio, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed. less than 100 = Ultralight; 100-200 = Light; 200-275 = Moderate; 275-350 = Heavy; 350+ = Ultraheavy;

Hull Speed 6.21 knots

Pounds/Inch Immersion 550.04 lbs (249 kg) (The weight required to sink the yacht one inch. Calculated by multiplying the LWL area by 5.333 for sea water or 5.2 for fresh water).

May / June Issue No. 298  Preview Now

July / August 2020

The vertues.

One of the finest Vertues afloat, RAUMATI was built in 1962 by E.F. Elkins Boat Yard in Christchurch, England, the most prolific builder of the type. Her bottom is planked with teak and her topsides of mahogany, over a backbone and framing of English oak, and she has a lead keel, bronze floors, and all-teak deck structures. She represents the final flourish of English classic construction before the first Cheoy Lee–built boats were imported from Hong Kong into the U.K. the following year. She is now owned by Gerry Williams and is based in Cornwall, England.

Most cruising sailors have heard of Vertue yachts. Though small in size—only about 25 ' LOA—they have an outsized reputation as the  most successful design to come from English yacht designer Jack Laurent Giles during his long career. More than 200 of the boats have been built, and many of the exploits that their owners undertook have become legendary among ocean-cruising sailors.

Giles, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1901, was brought up on the country’s North Sea coast in Scarborough, a town best known for its School of Art where for 35 years yacht designer Albert Strange was the kindly and enthusiastic headmaster. Strange is best remembered for his beautifully proportioned canoe-sterned gaff yawls, such as SHEILA II (see WB No. 64). Giles was quoted as having “first got the idea of designing yachts at school,” in Scarborough, where he probably knew Strange. Giles went on to study engineering at Oxford University and then naval architecture at Durham University, which, being only 75 miles from Scarborough, was closer to home. He must have pored over yachting journals to study designs, and the influences of Strange and other designers of his day more than likely informed his thinking.

fter completing his education, Giles first worked as an engineer with Vickers-Armstrongs, a manufacturing conglomerate with a shipbuilding division on the River Tyne. He didn’t stay long; instead, in 1925, at age 24, he moved to Southampton on the south coast of England to follow his dream of designing yachts. There, he started working under the wing of Charles E. Nicholson, the middle son of one of the founders of the Camper & Nicholsons yard.

With his engineering background, Giles must have been fascinated by the yachts designed and built there after World War I. Among the Camper & Nicholsons projects of that era was the conversion of NYRIA, a cutter with a composite hull of steel framing and teak planking, 117 ' LOA, which in 1921 was reconfigured as the first really large European yacht to be given a Bermudan rig.

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The Vertue 25 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Vertue 25, a heavy-displacement long-keeled sloop, was designed by Jack Laurent Giles and built in the UK by E.F.Elkins Ltd.

Published Specification for the Vertue 25

Underwater Profile:  Long keel with transom-hung rudder

Hull Material: V arious *

Length Overall:  25'3"  ( 7.7m)

Waterline Length:  21'6"  ( 6.6m)

Beam:  7'2"  ( 2.2m)

Draft:  4'6"  ( 1.4m)

Rig Type:  Masthead sloop

Displacement:  11,000lb (4,990kg)

Designer:  Jack Laurent Giles

Builder:  E F Elkins Ltd (UK)

Year First Built:  1947

Number Built: 270

*  230 in wood, wood/epoxy or steel, plus 40 in GRP.

Published Design Ratios for the Vertue 25

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 9.7

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 40.9

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 494

4. Comfort Ratio: 54.6

5. Capsize Screening Formula:   1.3

Read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the  Vertue 25

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 9.7 suggests that the Vertue 25 will need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 40.9 means that the Vertue 25 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 494, tells us the Vertue 25 is firmly in the ultra-heavy displacement category. Load her up as much as you like and her performance will be hardly affected, not that it was ever startling. Few if any sailboats are built to this displacement category these days - but they remain popular with some long-distance sailors.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 54.6 suggests that crew comfort of a Vertue 25 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of an extremely heavy bluewater boat - and that's as comfortable as life ever gets on a sailing boat!

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.3 indicates that a Vertue 25 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0. 

Cruisers' Questions about this Sailboat...

What is the history of Vertue 25 sailboat?

The history of the Vertue 25 sailboat is quite fascinating. It dates back to 1936, when the first boat of this design, named ANDRILLOT, was launched by Jack Laurent Giles for Humphrey Barton. The design was not named Vertue until after the war, when another boat of this design, named EPENETA, won the Little Ship Club's Vertue Cup in 1939 for a passage across the Bay of Biscay. The Vertue Cup is given for the best log of a cruise longer than a week by a member of the club.

The Vertue 25 sailboat gained an enviable reputation as a long-distance cruiser, with several remarkable voyages completed by boats of this class and close derivatives, such as Vertue XXXV, which sailed from England to New York in 1950. The design has also been praised by famous sailors such as Eric and Susan Hiscock.

There have been minor variants of the design, most notably in the shape of the coach-roof and the hull material. The original design had a length overall of 25'3" (7.7m), a beam of 7'2" (2.2m) and a draft of 4'6" (1.4m). The extended cruising version of the design was known as the Vertue Ocean and incorporated modifications suggested by Barton. The Vertue II design is slightly larger at 25'8" (7.8m) overall with a 7'10" (2.4m) beam and has been produced in GRP since the 1970s by Bossoms Boatyard in Oxford.

What are some famous voyages completed by Vertue 25 sailboats?

Some of the famous voyages completed by Vertue 25 sailboats are:

• In 1950, Humphrey Barton sailed from England to New York in Vertue XXXV, a 25'3" wooden sloop, in 40 days. This was the first transatlantic crossing by a small yacht and inspired many other sailors to follow his example.
• In 1952, Eric and Susan Hiscock sailed around the world in Wanderer III, a 30' wooden sloop based on the Vertue design. They covered 30,000 miles in three years and wrote several books about their adventure.
• In 1966, David Lewis sailed from England to New Zealand in Rehu Moana, a 25'8" GRP sloop of the Vertue II design. He then continued to sail around the Pacific islands and Antarctica for several years.
• In 1979, John Guzzwell sailed around the world in Trekka, a 20'9" wooden sloop derived from the Vertue design. He covered 28,000 miles in four years and became the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe single-handed at the time.
• In 1990, ELLENOR JOSEPHINE, a 25'8" GRP sloop of the Vertue Ocean design, was launched by IBTC Lowestoft for Ian Wright, who wanted to sail long distances. She has since been sold to different owners and has cruised around the UK and Europe.

What are some modifications that have been made to the Vertue 25 sailboat over time?

Some of the modifications that have been made to the Vertue 25 sailboat over time are:

• After winning the Vertue Cup in 1939, Laurent Giles named the class the Vertue and made minor modifications to the hull and coachroof design. These Vertues became the classic small boat of choice for the single-handed long distance sailor.
• The extended cruising version of the design was known as the Vertue Ocean and incorporated modifications suggested by Humphrey Barton, such as additional freeboard, a slightly different sheer, a longer bowsprit, a larger cockpit and a self-draining well.
• The Vertue II design is slightly larger at 25'8" (7.8m) overall with a 7'10" (2.4m) beam and has been produced in GRP since the 1970s by Bossoms Boatyard in Oxford. It also has a different coachroof shape, a longer waterline length, a shorter boom and a higher aspect ratio rig.
• Some individual owners have also made their own modifications to their Vertues, such as changing the engine, adding or removing equipment, altering the interior layout, or repainting the hull.

The above answers were drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; to the best of our knowledge,  we believe them to be accurate.

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Copyright © 2024  Dick McClary  Sailboat-Cruising.com

"Have found your very interesting page and would be pleased to offer some information which I hope will be of interest. First Cheoy Lee built Vertue Bettina V58 1953 Cheoy Lee built Vertues throughout the late 1950's to the middle 1960's Fibre Glass Vertues (Vertue II) designed in 1976 with minor hull molds to enable GRP molding (less tumble home), in June 1999 VII No 44 under construction in England. 1986 Vertue redesigned for wood/epoxy construction and in June 1999 V227 has just started construction. On average four new Vertues are built each year. Plan cost about �800 Study plans �5"

Rupert Reed has a website on the Vertue's   http://drumler.com/where-are- they-now/

BACK to C.L. MODELS PAGE

Here are a couple of interesting e-mails submitted....

The following e-mail was sent in by Wayne S...

Good morning (well, it's morning in san diego), james and cilla-- i notice that someone-- i think ben stavis-- sent you a list of models of older cheoy lees; and it hit me that there's a magnificent model that not too many people know about that isn't on the list.  it's the 25' 3" vertue sloop, made entirely of teak by cheoy lee (they never made a glass one) of a design by laurent giles, as i recall.   these are absolutely fantastic boats, and pretty rare.  they were made of mahogany in england, and both the cheoy lee models and the english ones have made famous trips.   the famous english sailor and racer humphrey barton thought they were the very best small cruisers ever built.  he sailed an english one, vertue xxxv, from england to new york through hurricane-force winds, and wrote a book about it.  the most well known of the cheoy lee models also had one of the best boat names i know of, "speedwell of hong kong"-- it made a long voyage, which was written up.  good old-time ocean sailors drool when you mention these boats.   one of the rare cheoy lee vertues is in san diego.  i'll try to get your web page address to the owner, and enlist him in this effort to let everyone know about cheoy lees- the world's best boats.  many thanks for your work on behalf of all of us the web page looks great. best-- wayne s...

Received this e-mail from Bob aboard "Patience"

Dear Friends,

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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