The W-Class Yacht Company is the brainchild of Boston based sailing enthusiast Donald Tofias. In 1997, he approached his friend and fellow conspirator the designer Joel White of Brooklin Boat Yard, Maine and together they hatched the W-Class project. Joel White, who sadly died just prior to the launch of "Wild Horses", was widely regarded for his expertise in traditional yacht design and construction. As an MIT-trained naval architect, he had designed and built boats and yachts on the coast of Maine for nearly forty years.

True to form, the Joel White design W76 reincarnated the long, low profiles and overhangs of traditional racing vessels while using the latest in construction techniques. The W-Class hull is cold-moulded, epoxy saturated strips of wood making it extremely light and very strong.

Half of the 52,900lbs displacement is accounted for by the lead ballast bulb alone. The result is a yacht with a very low centre of gravity, which, combined with heart-shaped sections, generates sufficient stability to stand up to the 2,239 sq.ft sail plan. These sleek classic looks, combined with the power of modern day deck gear, carbon spars and Kevlar sails provide a lucky owner and crew with some top class sailing and competitive racing.

Photo: Kip Brundage