Hinckley Yachts Returns to Their Sailing Roots with the Launch of the Elegantly Modern Bermuda 50

Hinckley Yachts has always built boats with graceful lines and exquisite craftsmanship that have come to define what classic American cruising boats should look like. But as you’d expect, that look has changed over the course of the nearly 90 years this American company has been building boats.

Back in 1960, the Hinckley Bermuda 40 was one of the first sailing yachts to take advantage of fiberglass construction. And later, Hinckley created a whole new genre of classically styled, jet-propelled powerboats that are as elegant as they are practical. In fact, Hinckley jet boats (ranging from 29- to 55-feet) have been so successful that the company hasn’t focused on building a new sailboat model for years. Until now.

I caught a first glimpse of Hinckley’s new Bermuda 50 only a few days ago at the start of Block Island Race Week’s Round the Island Race. And my first impressions (from another boat a short distance away as we maneuvered at the start of the race) was that Hinckley’s first new sailboat model to be launched in over 10 years seems to strike the delicate balance of being respectful of tradition while embracing modern design.

My guess is that’s exactly what the company was hoping for when the Bermuda 50 was launched from Hinckley’s boatyard in Southwest Harbor, Maine, recently. Granted the 50’s plumb bow, flush deck, and long bowsprit represent a significant design departure from previous Hinckley sailboat models, but then again, the Bermuda 40 was the modern trendsetter of its day. And since the Bermuda 50 is designed by Bill Tripp III, whose father, Bill Tripp Jr., designed the Bermuda 40, this new model mixes tradition and more-than-a-little superyacht style and mystique in a pretty cool way.

It’s easy to see that the Bermuda 50 was inspired Bill Tripp III’s considerable knowledge and experience designing high-performance superyachts like Saudade, Sarissa, and others.

The hull, deck, and spars are all built of high-tech carbon fiber to ensure the boat is light, stiff, strong, and incredibly fast. It’s also equipped with the latest sail handling systems so it can be well suited for competitive racing and excel in a broad range of events from regatta race weeks (like Block Island Race Week) to the roughly 600-mile-long Newport to Bermuda Race.

The 50 has almost the same design brief as the original Bermuda 40—to be a fast and luxurious yacht that can be both raced and cruised in comfort and luxury. But it has a much more spacious interior than the narrow Bermuda 40 could ever have had. And the 50’s hydraulic lifting keel that allows for superior sailing performance, but can also be easily retracted to allow access to shallow anchorages as well, is a marvel of engineering and a direct offshoot of Tripp’s recent work with superyachts.

So, if you're sailing in New England this summer, keep an eye out for a stylish new modern rocket that’s powered by sails instead of jets from Hinckley Yachts. My guess is that its appearence at Block Island Race Week was only the beginning.