Nathaniel G. Herreshoff

1848 - 1938

nathanael herreshoff

Known as the Wizard of Bristol, Nat Herreshoff was an innovative and brilliant designer, sailor, and boatbuilder. Features common on boats today—sail tracks and slides, bulb keels, fin keels, and hollow aluminum masts—were all developed by Herreshoff. He designed and built one of the earliest catamarans seen in the US.

Spanning a career of 70 years designing large and small sail and power boats, his influence on yacht design is unrivaled. As a designer, helmsman and engineer, he defended the America’s Cup six times: Vigilant, 1893; Defender, 1895; Columbia 1899 and 1901; Reliance, 1903; and Resolute, 1920.

For the more serious students of yacht design, most of the original Offset Books and plans are available for research at the Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum. (Nat Herreshoff worked mostly with models from which offsets were taken and rarely saw the lines of his creations on paper.)
Listed here are only a few of his 'series built' designs.

Sailboats Designed By Nathaniel G. Herreshoff

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29 Sailboats / Per Page: 50 / Page: 1

MODEL LOA FIRST BUILT FAVORITE COMPARE
ALERION 26.00 ft / 7.92 m 1912
ALERION 26 (CARROL MARINE) 25.33 ft / 7.72 m 2002
BAR HARBOR 31 49.00 ft / 14.94 m 1902
BISCAYNE BAY 14 14.42 ft / 4.40 m 1925
BULL'S EYE 15.71 ft / 4.79 m 1914
BUZZARDS BAY 15 24.50 ft / 7.47 m 1899
BUZZARDS BAY 18 29.00 ft / 8.84 m 1903
BUZZARDS BAY 25 32.58 ft / 9.93 m 1914
BUZZARDS BAY 30 46.50 ft / 14.17 m 1901
DOUGHDISH 15.83 ft / 4.82 m 1972
FISH (HERRESHOFF) 20.75 ft / 6.32 m 1916
FISHERS ISLAND 31 43.50 ft / 13.26 m 1928
FLATFISH 20.25 ft / 6.17 m 1960
GOLDENEYE (HERRESHOFF) 18.25 ft / 5.56 m 1959
HAVEN 12 1/2 15.92 ft / 4.85 m 1984
HERRESHOFF 12 1/2 15.83 ft / 4.82 m 1914
HERRESHOFF 15 24.50 ft / 7.47 m 1902
HERRESHOFF 20 19.83 ft / 6.04 m 2010
MARLIN (HERRESHOFF) 20.75 ft / 6.32 m 1937
MARLIN 23 (HERRESHOFF) 23.00 ft / 7.01 m 1958
NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 30 43.75 ft / 13.34 m 1904
NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 40 59.00 ft / 17.98 m 1916
NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 50 72.00 ft / 21.95 m 1912
NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 57 85.25 ft / 25.98 m 1906
NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 70 106.00 ft / 32.31 m 1899
NEWPORT 29 (HERRESHOFF) 35.58 ft / 10.84 m 1914
S-CLASS (HERRESHOFF) 27.50 ft / 8.38 m 1919
SEAWANHAKA ONE-DESIGN (HERRESHOFF) 20.00 ft / 6.10 m 1916
WATCH HILL 15 24.50 ft / 7.47 m 1922