Owning a yacht dating back nearly a century is cause alone to have pride. Owning one that welcomed some of the most important composers, writers, artists, and designers of the 20th century, though, is cause for even more. Next month you’ll have that chance with the auction of the sailing yacht Weatherbird, whose decks hold remarkable stories.

This 102-foot (31-meter) oak and teak schooner, currently in Greece, originally launched in 1931. Her unusually beamy stance—21 feet (6.5 meters)—distinguished her from fellow sailing yachts of her size in that era. That therefore benefits the four staterooms below decks and the social spaces. Owners over the decades additionally have had her undergo refits, most recently a 12-month period concluding in 2021 for modern systems. For example, sail handling became fully automated, and new gensests, a watermaker, and nav gear further came aboard. Simultaneously, the yard period preserved the character of her Art Deco interior. Her saloon, surprisingly on the main deck vs. being below, is your introduction to the oak paneling throughout. It even has a fireplace and a piano that becomes a coffee table when the top closes.

As period-authentic as she is, however, the yacht Weatherbird is famous for her original owners and high-profile guests. Gerald and Sara Murphy, an American couple, commissioned the sailing yacht as an integral part of their active social life. The Murphys had relocated to the French Riviera in the 1920s and became close friends with a remarkable assortment of high-profile individuals. The authors F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway plus the poet and writer Dorothy Parker were among them. So, too, were the designer Coco Chanel, the painter Pablo Picasso, and the composer Cole Porter. All were guests aboard Weatherbird. In fact, legend has it that Fitzgerald based the yacht in his novel Tender Is the Night on Weatherbird, and its characters Nicole and Dick Diver on the Murphys. Furthermore, Picasso reportedly designed her burgee. An undisputed fact: a turntable record of Louis Armstrong’s “Weatherbird” is fused in the keel.

According to Northrop & Johnson, which represents the current owner offering her for auction, the sailing superyacht performs well under sail. Expect a comfortable cruise of 8 knots. Twin Cummins engines useful for repositioning, meanwhile, permit speeds to 11 knots.

The auction is a joint effort between Boathouse Auctions and Northrop & Johnson. Viewing in person is available now, by appointment. Live online bidding opens on February 20, with bids starting at €1 million and concluding February 25. The reserve remains undisclosed.
Boathouse Auctions boathouseauctions.com
Northrop & Johnson northropandjohnson.com

More About the Yacht Weatherbird
LOA: 101’8” (31 meters)
Beam: 21’3” (6.5 meters)
Draft: 11’15” (3.48 meters)
Guests: 8 guests in 4 staterooms
Sailplan: gaff-rig schooner
Sail area: not specified
Builder: Chantelot & Lemaistre
Stylist: Victor Orloff, Henri Rambaud
Naval Architect: Chantelot & Lemaistre
Interior Designer: not specified
Leave a Reply