Wisp: Where Classic Elegance Meets Modern Sailing Ease

In the world of yachting, few sailing yachts manage to bridge the divide between the romance of the past and the demands of today. Wisp, designed by Stephens Waring Design and built by Artisan Boatworks, is one of those rare creations: a modern classic sailboat that doesn’t just look the part but delivers on performance, comfort, and craftsmanship.

At 12 metres in length, Wisp is more than just a beautiful silhouette. She is the physical expression of the Spirit of Tradition philosophy, a design language that merges early 20th-century aesthetics with 21st-century engineering. With her clean lines, finely balanced proportions, and handcrafted finishes, Wisp offers a sailing experience that is at once nostalgic and contemporary.

A Modern Classic Born from Purpose

Like many Stephens Waring designs, Wisp started not from a blank page, but from an evolving conversation between designer and owner. The brief was clear: a boat with classic character, comfortable enough for day sailing, but elegant enough to turn heads in any anchorage.

Bob Stephens recalls the moment the concept began to take shape. “When the owners explained their needs and wants to us,” begins Bob Stephens, “we quickly found they needed a smaller, easier-to-handle, and less expensive boat to accommodate their wishes for a comfortable daysailer. We began by exploring an idea of shrinking our 65-foot Anna design, which was launched from Lyman-Morse in 2018 – she features a bold deckhouse set well aft with a flush deck, and moderate classic overhanging ends.”

Yet Wisp is not a retro pastiche. Her hull lines are informed by modern naval architecture, her systems are designed for shorthanded ease, and her construction embraces advanced composite techniques. It is a modern classic sailboat not by imitation, but by intelligent reinterpretation.

Tradition Reimagined

One glance at Wisp’s transom reveals the depth of her heritage. Inspired by elliptical sterns found on schooners like America and the Friendship sloops of Down East Maine, the stern pays homage to maritime tradition. But beneath the varnished wood and clean lines lies a structure born of contemporary thinking.

Mid-century influences guide the overall design, with slightly shorter overhangs and greater freeboard than typical Spirit of Tradition racers, resulting in a more voluminous cockpit and interior, without sacrificing elegance. Ergonomics play a central role in every design decision. As Stephens notes, “We work hard to study the needs of the human body, and design cockpits and accommodations around those dimensions, while retaining the aesthetic appeal of classic lines.”

The result is a yacht that looks timeless but feels current, especially when underway.

Sailing Made Simple, Sailing Made Beautiful

Wisp is a joy to helm, not just for her handling but for the clarity of thought behind her deck layout and sail plan. Her fractional sloop rig is paired with modern electric and hydraulic systems that make even solo sailing a relaxed, confident affair. The mainsail is managed via an electric roller-furling boom, while a hydraulically operated below-deck sheet system and foot-button controls allow for hands-free sail trim.

Her small working jib is designed with limited overlap, simplifying tacking and ensuring smooth operation. For light wind conditions or downwind legs, a large electric-furling reacher adds power without complication. “The limited overlap of the jib makes tacking smooth and easy,” explains Paul Waring. “Everything is designed to be intuitive.”

It’s this seamless integration of modern sailing technology into a classic aesthetic that defines Wisp. Lines and hardware are carefully integrated or concealed, preserving visual purity while enhancing functionality. Even the helm response was fine-tuned for fingertip sensitivity — a crucial factor in delivering that immediate connection between sailor and sea.

A Cockpit Built for Both Sailing and Leisure

Wisp’s cockpit deserves special mention. It is not only functional but generous, divided into dedicated zones for sailing and lounging. The wrap-around seating, upholstered in deep cushions, creates a true sense of luxury at sea. It’s easy to imagine spending an entire afternoon underway or at anchor, moving effortlessly between the tiller and a shaded seat with a cold drink in hand.

And the attention to comfort continues below.

Interior Charm and Weekend Potential

Though Wisp was conceived as a dayboat, the owners’ wish for standing headroom opened the door to weekender functionality. Below deck, the space is modest but inviting. A queen-size berth provides overnight capability, while two well-proportioned settees, styled more like living room sofas than saloon benches, make the interior feel refined and comfortable.

One particular request exemplifies the project’s user-focused design philosophy: a dedicated drawer to house the owners’ favourite coffee machine. “One key feature for the owners was the ability to gracefully make a cup of hot coffee aboard while on a long daysail,” Waring says.

It’s these kinds of details, personal, thoughtful, beautifully integrated, that elevate Wisp from a capable sailboat to a genuinely satisfying yacht.

A Modern Hull with Wooden Soul

While Wisp celebrates the look of wood, her build quality is anything but old-fashioned. The hull is constructed using strip-composite construction: light cedar planks formed into the desired shape and reinforced with E-glass sheathinginside and out. The result is a lightweight, strong and remarkably solid-feeling structure that combines the best aspects of traditional wooden boats and modern composites.

Artisan Boatworks in Maine was a natural choice for the build, given their deep experience in this method. Their craftsmanship adds the final layer of authenticity, the kind that comes not just from materials, but from time-honored boatbuilding knowledge.

A Yacht That Looks Back and Moves Forward

Wisp is not just a modern classic sailboat by appearance; she’s a sailing yacht designed for real-life enjoyment. Whether gliding through flat summer seas or dancing in a fresh afternoon breeze, she offers balance, performance, and peace of mind. And she does so with an effortless beauty that never shouts for attention, though she inevitably draws it.

“If I owned her,” Stephens muses, “I’d look forward to slipping away nearly every weekend… a brisk sail, a quiet anchorage, the table set in the cockpit, a cold drink, and the sun going down. Then in the morning, let the breeze build and sail home.”

In that simple scene lies the essence of Wisp, a yacht that connects us to the best of sailing’s past, while offering everything we need for today.