The Story of the Westsail 32

The Westsail 32 traces its roots to the heavy double-ended rescue boats designed by Norwegian naval architect Colin Archer in the late 1800s. American designer William Atkin adapted that type of hull into cruising yachts such as Eric and Thistle, and in the late 1960s builders in California turned the concept into the fiberglass Kendall 32. After Kendall ran into financial trouble, the molds were acquired in 1971 by the newly formed Westsail Corporation, which developed the design into the Westsail 32. With its full keel, cutter rig, high bulwarks, massive bowsprit, heavy fiberglass construction and roughly 19,500-pound displacement, the boat looked and felt more like a small traditional ocean-going vessel than the lighter production sailboats becoming common at the time. What made the Westsail 32 famous, though, was not just the design but the way it was marketed. Westsail sold the dream of leaving ordinary life behind and sailing the world, using images of remote anchorages and tropical destinations under the slogan “Westsail the World.” The boat became especially popular during the cruising boom of the 1970s, with many sold as partially completed kits that owners could finish themselves. Its heavy displacement earned it the nickname “Westsnail,” but it also developed a reputation for extraordinary strength, load-carrying ability and offshore survivability. Around 800 were ultimately built, and many went on to cross oceans and circumnavigate. The Westsail 32 became more than a sailboat—it helped popularize the idea that an ordinary person could buy a relatively small yacht, move aboard, and sail away. #sailing #sailinglife #sailboat