SWORDSMAN 40

Does a classic have to be vintage to qualify? I don't think so, and this 2004 Swordsman 40 backs me up.

- 

It's based along the lines of the ultimate classics, the Fairey range of wooden cruisers from the 1960s that included the Huntsman, Spearfish and, of course, the original Swordsman, which started off life as a 33-footer but was later extended to 38 and 42ft versions.

Giving that name authenticity is a GRP hull designed by Alan Burnard, who penned those beautiful Fairey boats way back when. It was originally intended for a fibreglass offshore patrol boat called the Fairey Dagger and was based on a modified version of the original Fairey Swordsman hull.