The British luxury yacht builder has just launched the sleek Spirit 52D, Oui Fling, ahead of its debut at the Panerai British Classic Week at Cowes in July
The Spirit 52D, Oui Fling, has been launched by the traditional British boatbuilder, Spirit Yachts.
The 52-foot racing yacht will debut at the Panerai British Classic Week at Cowes in July, beginning a racing season which will finish with the Voiles de St Tropez in October.
Unlike other Spirit 52s, Oui Fling is slightly different – it is a “totally maxxed out race boat” so it doesn’t carry the weight of an interior.
CEO and head designer at Spirit Yachts, Sean McMillan said the team were excited about designing and building such a boat for its owner “an internationally known and highly respected racing yachtsman”.
The sleek lines of the Spirit 52D. Credit: Mike Bowden
“The design harks back in many ways to the glory days of the ‘metre boats’ of the 1930s – flush decks, slim easily driven lines and supremely elegant overhangs. However, in the true spirit of a ‘Modern Classic’ this yacht is as tricked out for racing as can possibly be,” stated McMillan.
“Of course, there is the Spirit standard carbon rig (although in ultra-high modulus), but so much else has been engineered in carbon as well, from the keel blade and rudder to the winches, and the host of fittings, large and small, that would normally be in stainless steel,” he continued.
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Oui Fling will start the racing season at the Panerai British Classic Week at Cowes, which runs from 8-15 July.
“At the Cowes regatta, she will be racing against a mixed fleet of classics, but also against six or seven other Spirits, including my own FLIGHT of Ufford – also a Spirit 52,” said McMillan.
Oui Fling is fitted with high performance black and white sails. Credit: Mike Bowden
“However, whilst they may be the same length and essentially share the same hull, OUI FLING is some 1500 kilogrammes lighter so I suspect I may spend much of the regatta admiring her very elegant transom!!”
McMilan said he believes the new Spirit 52D embraces the concept of ‘modern classic’ like no other Spirit yacht.
“The concept of the ‘modern classic’ has been espoused by us at Spirit Yachts for well over 20 years and is expressed through some 66 yachts now afloat worldwide.”
“However, perhaps none of these Spirits exactly embrace the idea of the ‘modern classic’ in quite the same way as the new Spirit 52D just launched,” he added.
And why is Oui Fling described as a 52D?
“Because she is a Distilled Spirit of course,” stated McMillan.