A One Design from Devon

The Devon Yawl is as sturdy as she looks and there is plenty else to admire about this popular Salcombe Yawl evolution, says Peter Poland

- Peter Poland

A friend and I once decided that instead of sailing, an August hike might do us good. So we took the coastal path from Branscombe to Bigbury. This beautiful stretch covers around 100 miles of lung-bursting ascents and knee-jiggering descents, interspersed with overnight watering holes.

On the leg from Start Point to Salcombe we were hit by the tail end of Hurricane Charley. Sitting outside a Salcombe pub, huddled against driving rain and a rising gale, we watched yachts scurrying for cover. Yet, amazingly, several elegant yawl-rigged dinghies were still sailing. But these were no ordinary dinghies – they were Salcombe Yawls.

Salcombe Yawls (SY) trace their history back some 200 years to the days when they were used as fishing boats. The mizzen steadied them when working, and the mainsail and jib gave them ample oomph to get to and from their fishing grounds quickly and safely.

But when fishermen moved from sail to power, the yawl changed tack, evolving into the dayboat and sophisticated racer it is today.

Ian Howlett – famous for designing 12 and six-meter yachts – often stayed in Salcombe and told me: “Out of the blue in 1999 I was contacted by Jim Stone (third generation of 90-year-old family firm Stoneboat builders) who explained why he would like to set in motion a new design/build of Salcombe Yawl.”

Stone decided that Michael Atfield should build this Howlett-designed yawl, and several more followed. Howlett said: “The build quality of his traditional clinker planking was exceptional; we’ll probably never see such fine examples again.”