24-YEAR ITCH

It took 14 years to find one, and another 10 to rebuild, but when boatbuilder Will Squibb first fell in love with a Levi Corsair, he knew he had to have one

- Will and David Squibb

Obsessions are often enduring, and my fascination with the Sonny Levi-designed Corsair started back in 1998. As the Will in Will Squibb Boatbuilders, I was first introduced to the design back in 1998, when Martin Levi, son of Sonny, approached me to undertake a refit of a classic 1965 Corsair called LouLou. He reckoned there was demand for a reinterpretation of the Corsair and wanted to test the water using a refitted original.

We carried out the refit in a matter of months, adding a new fiddleback maple interior, teak exterior trim and an Awlgrip paint system with the engine bay prepared for a pair of modern Volvo KAD42 engines on sterndrives. It was completed in time to take centre stage at the 1999 Earl's Court Boat Show.

LouLou proved to be a hit with showgoers and kickstarted the production of a whole new generation of Levi Corsairs in Italy. She also featured in the BBC drama Harbour Lights and in the opening credits of the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. During the sign-off trials, I spent several hours at sea in LouLou experiencing the legendary Corsair seakeeping firsthand. I was smitten, the seed of owning one had been sown, and one day I knew I had to have one for myself.

PATIENCE PAYS