The Unique DNA of the Sailing Yacht Ouzel

It’s commonly said that nobody builds big yachts in the USA anymore—except a team just did. The 95-foot (29-meter) sailing yacht Ouzel, launched this spring, is a collaboration among three New England companies: Marine Construction Management (MCM) as the owners’ representative, Langan Design Partners for naval architecture, and Rockport Marine for construction. The only outlier is a British interior designer, Mark Whiteley.

Peter Wilson, owner of MCM, says it all started with what the clients called a “crazy idea.” Specifically, they wanted to design and build a bluewater cruiser that looked good, sailed well, and could be self-sufficient at high latitudes. Wilson reached out to Tom Degrémont, partner at the Langan studio. Notably, the late Bill Langan had designed the owners’ previous boat. Additionally, the company he founded in Newport continues to design “proper seagoing bluewater yachts,” Wilson asserts.

sailing yacht Ouzel in Maine, Penobscott Bay — PHOTO: Billy Black

Degrémont says Ouzel’s owners set a collaborative tone right from the beginning. When preliminary drawings for an LOA of 93 feet (28.3 meters) proved a bit short on cockpit and technical space, he suggested adding two more feet. “The client took about 10 minutes to okay the change, which gives you an idea of how everything went,” Degrémont remembers. “Decisions were made for the good of the project, not for arbitrary reasons.”

Since Langan Design Partners’ specialty is engineering and naval architecture, Wilson recommended adding an interior designer to the team. Whiteley’s proposal matched the clients’ wish for a modern-but-traditional aesthetic. From there, “It was a pretty quick process to zero in on the details,” Wilson explains.

With the design team established, Wilson’s next challenge was finding a builder. Despite being 95 feet, the sailing yacht Ouzel was too small to attract what Wilson calls “the big boys” of custom boatbuilding. Similarly, she didn’t justify a production line’s interruption. So, he called up Sam Temple at Rockport Marine to gauge interest. A third-generation boatbuilder, Temple is co-owner and president of the shipyard. “Sam was quiet for about 15 seconds,” Wilson remembers, “which seemed like an eternity. And then he said, ‘Yep.’ That was good enough for me! I trust him implicitly; if he had any reservations, he would have said so.”

The owners liked the idea of working with a small boatyard. Just as importantly, they liked that three-quarters of the partnership was in New England. Team in place, several years of weekly conference calls subsequently began. “The collective goal was delivering an outstanding result,” Degrémont says. “I was well aware that we couldn’t do that without Sam, Peter, and Mark’s expertise.”

sailing yacht Ouzel stateroom — PHOTO: Russell Kaye

As construction progressed, in-person meetings took place inside Rockport Marine’s longest shed. “We would look at the boat and chit chat,” Wilson explains. “At the end of the day, we’d walk out to the end of the dock and have a cold beer, and I’d pull the agenda out of my pocket and say, ‘Yeah, we touched on everything.’ It wasn’t about ‘Do it my way’; really, there were no battles like that. It was really about what’s right for the client.” Degrémont agrees, adding that “building at Rockport Marine is fun! Talented and dedicated craftspeople, a warm atmosphere, and a spectacular location. And of course, outstanding clients, who demanded the best and supported their design and build team along the way.”

Throughout the build, keeping the yacht quite practical was especially important to Rockport Marine. “The owners’ directive was to try to spend more time on the water and less time in the shop,” Temple says. “This is not a St. Tropez and St. Barths boat; they like more remote destinations.” That emphasis on practicality paid off during sailing trials. According to Temple, sailing trials produced 13 knots of boat speed in 15 knots of breeze. They also came with a surprisingly short punch list of what Wilson calls “nonconformities.” Even on the press sailing day, a few gremlins needed sorting out. However, those were forgotten as soon as the sails were set and Ouzel turned a few knots of wind into well-balanced power.

I took the opportunity to feel that balance at the helm. Even in light air, the yacht Ouzel showed impressive performance. Only a few puffs rippled across a Penobscot Bay pocked by rain. Yet, the sailing superyacht quickly achieved 4 knots once mainsail, Genoa, and staysail were set and the 400-hp engine shut down. One crewmember deployed each headsail, using foot buttons to operate the hydraulic furler while simultaneously trimming the sheet on its dedicated winch.

Now, the yacht’s first bluewater passages will take her to Canada and then across the Atlantic. She’ll carry with her the DNA of a custom New England collaboration. “This boat is going to show the world that you really can build a world-class superyacht in the U.S.,” Wilson says. In fact, he adds, “I don’t think anybody thought we were going to be able to do it.” Perhaps the ultimate compliment is his offer to join the clients for some high-latitude cruising. “I’ll be happy to come onboard and wash the dishes, or whatever is required.”

Langan Design Partners langandesign.com

Mark Whiteley Design markwhiteleydesign.com

MCM mcmnewport.com

Rockport Marine rockportmarine.com