The sale of the Challenge 72 fleet

— 09 Nov 2006

“Here at Humphreys Yacht Design we are very sorry indeed to see the end of Challenge Business after all that Sir Chay Blyth and his team did to bring competitive ocean racing to within the reach of many hundreds of ordinary men and women,” writes Rob Humphreys. “It was a unique venture that made a massive contribution to our sport and it will be missed, although its legacy will continue in the guise of the top sailors it has brought to the fore, sailors who would not now be household names were it not for Chay’s vision.”

“One result of the break up of the company is the offering for sale of the thirteen boats that made up the Challenge 72 fleet. We designed these yachts here at Humphreys Yacht Design originally for the BT Global Challenge 2000 – 2001, to a brief that they should be safe, seaworthy and reliable. While these boats have completed many thousands of miles since they were launched they remain the highly capable vessels that they have always been, and have many years of life ahead of them.”

“While the 72s have a great future as offshore racing boats, at HYD we have often been asked about the scope for converting individual boats into fast, comfortable, cruising yachts. The current interiors are designed around accommodating eighteen racing sailors, but the spacious hulls present no barriers to the straightforward installation of new interiors more suited to leisure cruising, with saloons, en-suite owner and guest cabins, and all the modern equipment and luxuries that modern yacht owners have come to expect. And of course there is potential in the deck layout to simplify and optimise towards a small crew.”

“It’ll be extremely sad to see the fleet break up, but with it comes great opportunity for many people, and at Humphreys Yacht Design we welcome any enquiries regarding how these most capable of ocean going yachts can continue to bring pleasure to sailors of all kinds for many years to come.”