Cuthbertson & Cassian 66ft Sloop 1973

Could the 66ft sloop PHANTOM be the sexiest mid-century yacht in the Mediterranean? In 1973 she was the hippest sailboat anywhere: built from the most modern of materials to achieve strength and speed; devised by a team in the absolute van of light, and fast, and cool in sailboat design: Cuthbertson and Cassian, of Ontario, Canada. Their work stood the test of time, and their largest - PHANTOM - still wows. Under recent ownership, this fast and safe cruiser-racer with a storied past as a line-honours race winner has enjoyed not inconsiderable expenditure in respectfully undertaken structural and cosmetic updates with homage paid to provenance. Resulting in one of the most exciting prospects imaginable on the neo-classic regatta circuit - and for enjoying ‘la dolce vita’ exactly as you might imagine…

PHANTOM is an ocean sloop built by the Canadian shipyard Cuthbertson & Cassian in 1973. Established in 1969 by designers George Cuthbertson and George Cassian, the yard was distinguished by a series of design and construction techniques, many of which were innovative at the time of the company’s formation.

PHANTOM was built with the sandwich technique - a thickness of balsa between two layers of fiberglass – a technique that allows the builder to decrease the weight and increase the rigidity of the construction. Some previous examples, such as HELISARA (Herbert Von Karajan) and GRAMPUS (Angelo Rizzoli), were already famous for good results using the same technique.

PHANTOM represents the first example of a custom made product from Cuthbertson & Cassian. Production had previously stopped at 61 feet, so measuring in at 66 feet, PHANTOM’s length was considered unusual at the time of her build – in fact she was then the largest sandwich construction sailing yacht yet built.

Based on her first owner Ralph B. Ryder Jr’s requirements - some presumably from experience with his previous C&C 50, also PHANTOM - she had some bold design choices: twin wheels, rails for adjusting forestay, four winches for simultaneous trimming of genoa and spinnaker, masthead rig with very high aspect sail plan and shaft position moved far forward.

Out the box, the then bright red PHANTOM built on her 61ft cousins’ reputation for first to finish performances. The New York Times reporting on the first, 175-mile Oyster Bay to Newport race of the 1974 "Onion Patch" series at Newport, RI, wrote:

"Ralph Ryder's PHANTOM... blazed out of Long Island Sound on the last of an ebb tide to arrive at the finish off Castle Hill Light less than 24 hours later. She won both line honors and the Astor Trophy for best corrected time." Also in 1974, she set a record for the Fort Lauderdale to Charleston Race which wasn’t beaten until 2009.

More than ten years after launching, PHANTOM was still placing at top events on the US east coast and the Caribbean, including the 1984, 1985 and 1986 editions of Key West Race Week.

She later moved to the Mediterranean and became one of the earliest yachts owned by Luca Bassani, later the founder of Wally Yachts.

Her current owner bought her in 1996, and between 2004 and 2006 Cantiere del Carlo at Viareggio carried out complete restoration of her interior and deck in order to make her the most liveable boat for cruising, and easier to sail with a small crew. She has a much cleaner deck layout and the primary winches are now powered, making maneuvering much simpler.

PHANTOM takes part in Mediterranean Regattas, racing on the water with her contemporary Maxis, BENBOW, HELISARA and GRAMPUS. She has taken part in ten races on the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea and some Viareggio-Bastia-Livorno regattas where she is frequently recognised for great performance, and successfully taking on some of the most modern yachts.

GRP hull – balsa sandwich construction

Berths for 7 in 4 cabins
- Central dinette
- 3 x Double cabins
- Galley
- 2 x WCs
- 1 x Independent shower
- Independent en suite cabin for skipper

Rig:
- Rod Navtech (2008)

Sails (Cruising):
- Mainsail
- Jib
- 2 x Gennakers

Sails (Racing) (2010):
- Mainsail
- Jib
- 2 x Gennakers

Winches:
- Barient and Lewmar

MECHANICAL
- Volvo D3 130hp turbo (2006 - 900hrs)

ELECTRICAL
- 12v system
- 600amp battery bank
- Battery chargers
- Alternators
- 6.5kW Generator
- Shore Power

WATER
- Plumbing Systems
- Fresh Water & Water Heating System
- Pump and water heater installed

TANKAGE
- Fuel - total capacity 600 L
- Fresh water total capacity 1,000 L
- Grey/Black water

Navigation Equipment:
- Windstation (2008)
- VHF

PHANTOM is routinely maintained and updated where relevant

2 x Bilge pumps