Niñita: World’s coolest yachts

Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and Sam Davies nominated Niñita. Here’s the report:

“The coolest boat of all time is called Niñita, and is a Starling Burgess 60ft schooner,” says Sam Davies. “It’s a really amazing, beautiful boat.” The custom-built Niñita has been a familiar fixture on the offshore racing circuit for two decades, with Davies’ parents sailing to stopover ports around the world.

“She was my parents’ house for nearly 20 years. I never lived on board, but for me, that’s home. Wherever I’ve lived, they’ve come to look after my son. It’s like the grandmother ship.”

Niñita features a bath and woodburning stove. Her seakindly lines are drawn from W Starling Burgess’s long-keeled schooner Niña, which won the 1928 Transatlantic Race and the 1962 Newport Bermuda Race.

“The original boat was designed as a racing yacht and fully stripped out. It was totally different from the interior of my parents’ boat,” explains Davies. “They’ve had some cool adventures: the Baltic Sea, the Azores, Madeira, and Lanzarote. But now it needs to find a new family so they can take it on new adventures.” (Niñita is listed with Sandeman.)

Niñita stats rating
Top speed: 15 knots
LOA: 17.9m/59ft
Launched: 2004
Berths: 4-6
Price: £450,000
Adrenalin factor: 50%

For Yachting World’s list of cool boats, click here.