Reverse-engineered from a found relic

Whirlwind II is the result of an intensive reverse engineering project, sprinkled with a healthy dose of creative license. She’s a near replica of a design by legendary US boatbuilder Gil Smith, circa 1898, and was largely created from a scan of a half model found buried in a closet at the Suffolk County Historical Society on Long Island, New York.

When catboats were de rigueur in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Gilbert M Smith (1830-1940) was one of the most prolific designers of the time. His early years were spent mostly designing catboats for shell fishers, who favored the shoal draft design for their speed in getting their valuable catch of oysters and clams back ashore as quickly as possible before they spoiled.

The unstayed catboat rig, which sits well forward, also allowed plenty of room for fishing gear in the cockpit. Later, as the catboat became more widely popular, Smith designed more pleasure and race boats. But they all shared one desirable characteristic: speed. – Full report