A 95ft (29m) sailing yacht with the lines of a classic pilothouse cutter has just posted quick numbers on her first outing. Ouzel, built by Rockport Marine in Rockport, Maine, touched close to 12 knots on a fast reach during sea trials on Penobscot Bay in June, and held 10 knots upwind flying the staysail and Yankee. For a 29m bluewater cruiser under a stripped-back sail plan, that's a serious number.
Ouzel is the product of a four-year, transatlantic build across three firms in two countries: naval architecture and exterior design from Langan Design Partners in Newport, Rhode Island, interior design from Mark Whiteley Design in Lymington, UK, construction at Rockport Marine, and project management from MCM, also of Newport. With the teams spread across the US and UK, the principals coordinated the build through weekly meetings. The project started in 2021; the hull was turned upright in late 2023, ahead of technical launch and systems trials.
Classic above the waterline, modern below
Above the waterline, Ouzel plays it traditional: a long bow overhang, a classic counter stern, a sweeping sheer, teak-clad bulwarks and a traditional deckhouse all read as a Maine-built cutter from another era. Below the waterline, the brief changes completely. The fin keel carries a hydrodynamic bulb, designed to balance stability against upwind performance. Draft runs to 3.7m (12ft), a deliberate owner choice, backed by a deep spade rudder and a modern propeller. Above deck, the rig is carbon fibre throughout, including a Park Avenue boom, and Doyle Sails supplied a laminate cruising wardrobe built for short-handed crew: a pin-head main, high-cut Yankee, staysail and blade jib, plus a Code Zero for off-the-wind work.
On the water
Trials ran in 10 to 15 knots of breeze on flat water. Ouzel held 10 knots upwind flying the staysail and Yankee, then eased up toward 12 knots after cracking the sheets onto a fast reach. Owner's representative Peter Wilson of MCM said the owner "was elated" after his first sail, citing light helm feel, good visibility and strong upwind and reaching numbers. Langan Design's Tom Degrémont recalled hoisting the Code Zero a few times and being surprised by how quickly Ouzel crossed Penobscot Bay.
Below deck
Mark Whiteley Design has kept the classic theme going below deck without tipping into pastiche. The raised saloon is well lit, with deep sofa seating and a navigation station and desk to starboard. A lower saloon handles the main dining and seating, and the accommodation runs to three guest cabins plus a separate crew cabin.
Built light, built to last
That pace also comes down to how she's built. Rockport Marine used a wood-composite method: multiple orientations of laminated Douglas fir and western red cedar, reinforced with carbon fibre and foam coring in key areas, and sheathed in e-glass. Rockport Marine president Sam Temple said the result is low-maintenance, does not corrode, and carries a strength-to-weight profile that is winning over more owners. It's part of a broader resurgence in wood-composite building on both sides of the Atlantic. New Zealand has its own long history in cold-moulded and composite construction, home to specialist yards such as Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders, though their techniques and projects differ from Rockport's.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| LOA | 29m (95ft) |
| Draft | 3.7m (12ft) |
| Builder | Rockport Marine, Maine, USA |
| Construction | Wood-composite: Douglas fir, western red cedar, carbon fibre, foam coring, e-glass |
| Rig | Carbon mast and Park Avenue boom, Doyle Sails laminate wardrobe |
| Upwind speed (trials) | 10 knots, staysail and Yankee, 10 to 15 knot breeze |
| Reaching speed (trials) | Nearly 12 knots |
| Layout | Raised and lower saloons, three guest cabins, one crew cabin |
With trials done, Ouzel is now sailing under her owner, built with an equator-to-high-latitudes cruising brief in front of her.
