Builder Spirit

The history of the company

The most famous shipyard in the wood or classic yachting industry today was founded by designer and yachtsman Sean McMillan in 1993. This was his second attempt to go into business. A year earlier, the bank had taken over the McMillan Yachts start-up and Sean's home.

In an old farmhouse in Suffolk, Sean and his partner Mick Newman assembled the first Spirit 37. It amazed connoisseurs with its elegance and speed.

The founders of Spirit Yachts drew inspiration from classic 1930s boats, using modern woodworking and hull forming techniques.

Even with orders, Macmillan and Nymen did not leave the farm until life forced them to. In 2003, Spirit Yachts began building a 70-foot hull that simply couldn't fit into an old hangar. According to another version, the police asked the masters to find another place because of the noise. The Old Wet Dock in downtown Ipswich is the new home of the shipyard.

Spirit Yachts became world famous in 2006 with the release of Casino «Royale, where»James Bond walked the Grand Canal of Venice at the elegant Spirit 54. After the filming, the yacht was immediately sold out and Spirit Yachts was able to prove that the classics never go out of fashion.

In 2007, Spirit Yachts built the first fully wooden 100-foot Gaia. The yacht was so beautiful and fast that an enlarged 111-foot version has now been built.

Company status

The crisis of 2008 was a test for Spirit Yachts. But the company managed to survive and even won the British award for success in entrepreneurship.

Produced by .

Spirit Yachts is located in Ipswich Haven Marina. The shipyard has an area of 1500 sqm. The yard employs about 60 people.

Model range

Spirit Yachts builds exclusive sailing yachts from 11m to 30m lengths exclusively in wood. The range is divided into the Classic, Deckhouse and Cruising ranges. Spirit superyachts from 100 feet and over are also available separately. Each boat, more than 60 in total, is a work of art, with a corresponding value.

Spirit motor boats are a veneration for fans. Spirit boats are even rarer than sailboats, so they are a real hunt for the secondary market. An exclusive offering from Spirit Yachts is their designs The Royale and Spirit P70, both of which are motor yachts of the highest quality.

In 2018, Spirit Yachts celebrated its 25th anniversary with victories at regattas and the laying of the first hybrid powerboat. The Spirit 111 is equipped with 4 BMWi batteries, which are charged while sailing.

Features

The names of the woods that make up Spirit Yachts cases sound like music. These are Oregon pine, cylindrical entandrophragm, Cuban mahogany, Nutcan cypress. Teak is used in the interior decoration. The boats are light and fast, for example, Spirit 46 reaches speeds of up to 20 knots.

A passionate yachtsman Sean McMillan sees sailing racing as a philosophy of Spirit Yachts, so his own Spirit 52' Flight of Ufford is constantly at the start of another classic «regatta. Here, MacMillan draws inspiration and ideas for projects, as Spirit Yachts does not attract outside designers.