Bruce King 90 ft Spirit of Tradition Sloop 1984

Spirit of Tradtion pioneer WHITEFIN's Bruce King-designed mix of agility, lightness and grace is so exquisitely proportioned that it makes you forget her 90-foot size and gives her one of her greatest qualities: speed. A tank-tested wing keel design and large sail plan have allowed her to be a winner - in recent years of the most prestigious trophies at the most important regattas for her category, including: the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo; Vele d’Epoca di Imperia; and at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. If the exterior is - still - state-of-the-art technology combined with traditional style, Joseph Artese's groundbreaking interior design, his unique take on 19th Century elegance - from the magnificent decagonal saloon skylight and swept stairway, to the fireplace in the main saloon and wooden bath in the owner’s suite - every part of this boat is a modern twist on the glorious years of the 'Gilded Era'. In recent ownerships WHITEFIN has alternated between a popular charter yacht with much repeat business and a family cruiser. And she remains a potent and famous foe on the classic regatta circuit.

- Provisional yacht details for a new listing
- More specs and photos to follow in coming days

"We decided to build the fastest boat we knew how, with no compromise on rules - the most aesthetically appealing and the most seaworthy. You have a philosophy of a yacht. I wanted a flush deck, a clear deck. I don't like portholes. I wanted a sensible yacht, a boat with classic looks, and still a modern yacht. The most important line is the sheerline. You have to get that right. Bruce [King] and I were dedicated to getting the proper sheer. A boat is an art form; the design is an artistic endeavor. We argued over one inch of height on the cockpit coaming."
[First owner, Phil Long, to Jim Brown, WoodenBoat No.57, March/April 1984]

WHITEFIN was built 1983-1984 at Camden, Maine, USA, by owner/ builder Phil Long who, for the project, reassembled the team he had created a few years before to build WHITEHAWK, eventually formalised as 'Renaissance Yachts'. In April 1984 WHITEFIN was trucked from Camden to Rockport, Maine, where she was launched on the 27th and immediately became a yachting celebrity; one of the first, and for meany years the longest - and fastest - 'Spirit of Tradition', wood epoxy built yachts.

At the 1984 edition of Nantucket's Opera House Cup regatta there was the inevitable sail-off in which honours were satisfactorily shared: WHITEFIN taking line-honours, and WHITEHAWK winning on corrected time.

Both boats were designed by Californian designer Bruce King, who, after having established a reputation creating many successful, innovative ocean racing and cruising boats, moved from Newport Harbor, California, to Maine, to work on the WHITEHAWK project and later on WHITEFIN. These, for King, were just the beginning of a series of successful large sailing yachts like SIGNE (1990 – again with Renaissance Yachts), HETARIOS (1993), ALEJANDRA (1993), SOPHIE (1994 Renaissance Yachts), ANTONISA (1999), MARIA CATTIVA (2002) and SCHEHERAZADE (2003).

WHITEFIN became a major catalyst in this succession; two subsequent owners commissioning beautiful, longer evolutions from Bruce King: 2nd owner, Spanish businessman Mario Conde with ALEJANDRA (Mefasa, Spain, 1993), and 3rd owner, Italian upholstered furniture manufacturer, Pasquale Natuzzi with ANTONISA (Hodgdon Yachts, Maine, 1999).

After Pasquale Natuzzi commissioned ANTONISA, ownership in WHITEFIN transferred to Alfredo Canessa who refitted her over 18 months, since when she has been a popular charter yacht with much repeat business. In present ownership since 2022, WHITEFIN has alternated between a charter yacht and the family's fast and famous cruiser-racer.

2024 - CLASSIC WORKS, LA CIOTAT, FRANCE
- Following some storm damage sustained at Marseille during a storm
- Repairing port bow topsides, stem and bulwarks following the original build process
- All new ground tackle and overhaul of windlass
- Complete overhaul of chain locker
- Overhaul of all deck hardware including winches

2022-2023 IN ITALY BY ERIC COCHET/ IROISE RIGGING
- Rig (out) refit
- Replaced the running rigging
- Replaced the genoa and staysail stays
- Replaced the hydraulic furlers for the staysail and genoa
- Installed a stop spacer for the staysail ram
- Reduction in the length of the lower staysail universal joint
- Removed and cleaned the spreaders, rod heads,
- lower shackle fittings, lower shroud eyes, diagonal eyes,
- forestay universal joint, and the diamond.
- Ultrasonic thickness testing of the aluminium mast tube
- Repainting of mast and boom

2014-2015
- Major refit, preparing her for a new regatta season

2000-2001
- Refitted over 18 months by then new owner, Alfredo Canessa

THE TROPHIES
- 2002, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: 2nd
- 2002, Vele d’Epoca di Imperia, Trofeo Prada: 1st
- 2003, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: 1st
- 2004, Vele d’Epoca di Imperia, Trofeo Prada: 1st
- 2005, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: 2nd
- 2006, Vele d’Epoca di Imperia, Trofeo Panerai: 3rd
- 2016, TAG Heuer VELA Cup:
- 2017, TAG Heuer VELA Cup:

- Black locust backbone
- Fin keel (with winglets) and skeg-hung rudder hull design
- Constructed according to the "WEST SYSTEM" in six layers
- Innermost layer: 3/4 in / 19 mm longitudinal cedar
- 4 x Subsequent layers: diagonal 1/4 in / 6.3 mm) Maine white cedar
- Outermost layer: longitudinal 1/2 in / 12.7 mm Port Orford cedar
- Some iroko used in 2024 topsides repair port bow
- Black locust laminated ring frames at mast
- Teak laid deck over a composite marine plywood and cedar epoxy sub-deck
- Ballast weight 27.215 tonnes

GENERAL
- Teak laid deck on marine plywood/ epoxy substrate

FROM AFT
- 2 x Seats on rail at pushpit

CIRCULAR STEERING COCKPIT
- Deep; protected
- Ship's wheel
- Binnacle with Danforth magnetic steering compass
- 4 x B&G repeaters
- B&G Plotter
- Cummins engine panel
- 2 x Navtec control consoles
- Teak benches fore and aft
- Steering compasses port & starboard forward

- 2 x Harken 980.2 electric backstay winches port & starboard
- 2 x Teak and stainless steel mooring cleats port & starboard
- Stainless steel Panama mooring fairlead
- Hatch to lazarette
- Butterfly skylight
- Boom gallows
- 2 x Harken 980.2 electric mainsheet winches
- 2 x Barient 36 traveller winches
- 2 x Deck lights
- Headsail tracks with customs sheave blocks port & starboard

OVAL CENTRE COCKPIT
- Large table on centreline
- 4 x Hatches outboard port & starboard
- 4 x Deck lights
- Companionway with granny bars
- Jib tracks outboard port & starboard
- 2 x Deck lights

MAST POSITION
- 4 x Barient 36 halyard winches
- 4 x Line clutches
- 12 x Harken halyard pulleys

FOREDECK
- Custom WHITEFIN decagonal skylight over saloon
- 2 x Dorade boxes with chromed vent cowls
- Deck hatch/ light
- 2 x Deck lights
- Large (for sail handling) forehatch
- Teak and Stainless steel mooring cleats port & starboard
- Panama mooring fairleads port & starboard
- Reckmann hydraulic headsail furler

GROUND TACKLE
- Lewmar 4000 anchor windlass
- Gipsy and warping drum
- 75kg SPADE bower anchor (2024)
- DIN766 G40 galvanized chain, 14mm diameter + MEGA articulated joint (2024)

"I was given carte blanche to do as I wished within two significant parameters: the boat was to be the highest form of artistic expression; and have the grace of the nineteenth century traditional idiom. My approach was to treat it as a functional sculpture. One thing so typical of yacht interiors is the rigid compartmentalization. So I created a visual flow of events independent of the bulkheads, thus carrying the eye beyond the natural lines of demarcation of each area. In this way, while adding visual interest, the features 'wrap around' the occupants, creating sculpted comfort, while expanding the apparent space into the adjacent areas."
[WHITEFIN's accommodation designer, Joseph Artese, in 'The World's Most Extraordinary Yachts' by Jill Bobrow & Dana Jinkins, Concepts Publishing 1992]

ACCOMMODATION FOR 8 IN 4 X CABINS (2 X DOUBLE EN-SUITE)
- BULTEX HR52 foam mattresses + bedding (2024)

DOWN 6 x STEPS OF WHEELED STAIR TO MIDSHIPS LOBBY

GALLEY TO STARBOARD - SALOON FORWARD - CABINS AFT

'WRAP AROUND' GALLEY
- Pacific yew work surfaces
- 2 x Stainless steel sinks; mixer tap
- 3 x Top loading fridges/ freezers
- Access below in bulkhead to fridge
- Smeg oven
- Smeg 4 x burner hob
- Many food and pot lockers
- Fridge in bulkhead door
- Opening port in deckhead
- 3 x Deckhead lights

NAVIGATION STATION TO PORT
- Ship's isolator panel
- Flag locker
- Furuno GPS Navigator
- B&G GPS
- B&G Autopilot
- 2 x Vesper handsets

FORWARD TO SALOON
To port
- Bar/ drinks cabinet
- Fireplace
- Large saloon table and swept settee to port
- Buttoned leather upholstery
- Piano forward
- Lockers outboard and starboard

PASSAGE AFT TO PORT OF STAIR TO CABIN ACCOMMODATION

OWNER EN-SUITE CABIN AFT
- Large double berth to port; locker under
- Carpentry includes lockers and large banquette to starboard
- Writing desk
- Butterfly skylight in deckhead
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Reading lights
En-suite
- Wooden bathtub; mixer tap
- Wash basin with hot and cold taps
- Tecma auto toilet
- Vanity desk to port with sink and lockers
- 2 x deckhead lights

DOUBLE EN-SUITE GUEST CABIN TO STARBOARD
- Double berth; lockers under
- 2 x Reading lights
- 1 x Deckhead light
En-suite
- Tecma auto toilet
- Washbasin; mixer tap
- Shower compartment
- Hatch/ port in deckhead
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 1 x Decklight

MOVING FORWARD

AFTER GUEST CABIN TO PORT
- 2 x Bunks
- Locker
- Washbasin
- Hatch/ port in deckhead
- 2 x Reading lights
- 1 x Deckhead light

SHOWER/ WC/ DAY-HEAD COMPARTMENT
- Tecma auto toilet
- Washbasin; mixer tap
- Lockers
- Shower with teak grating
- Hatch/ port in deckhead
- 1 x Deckhead light
- 1 x Decklight

FORWARD GUEST CABIN TO PORT
- 2 x Bunks
- Lockers
- Washbasin
- Hatch/ port in deckhead
- 2 x Reading lights
- 1 x Deckhead light

ACCOMMODATION FOR 4 IN 2 X CABINS
- 2 x Bunks to port
WC & Shower Compartment to Starboard
- Washbasin; mixer tap
- Tecma auto toilet
- Shower compartment with teak grating
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 1 x Decklight
- 2 x Reading lights

FORWARD TO FO'C'SLE
- Berths port & starboard
- Lockers under
- Ladder to foredeck
- Large hatch in deckhead
- 2 x Deckhead lights
- 2 x Reading lights

RIG
- Fractional sloop/ cutter rig (7/8)
- Proctor alloy mast; 3 sets of spreaders (1983)
- 'Park Avenue'-style boom
- Air Draft believed 42 m excluding antennae

SAILS
- Upwind sail area 380 m² (mainsail and genoa)
- Mainsail, long battened with lazy jacks and 'stackpack'
- Roller genoa
- Staysail
- Asymmetric downwind sail

CANVASWORK
- TBC

MECHANICAL
- Cummins 6BTA59M3 6-cylinder 315 hp diesel (2001)
- 3-Bladed Max Prop 32 in feathering propeller
- Fuel consumption: 20 - 30 L/h depending on speed

MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL
- ONAN 22.5 MDKAF 22.5 kVA generator

ELECTRICAL
DC Systems
- 24 V DC house system
- DC 12 V DC (engine & generator starting, and radio/ electronics
Batteries
- 4 x Service, 200 Ah 12 V LiFePO4 connected to 24 V
- 4 x Lights, 200 Ah 12 V LiFePO4 connected to 24 V
- 1 x Engine starting, 12 V AGM
- 1 x Generator starting, 12 V AGM
- 1 x Radio/electronics battery 12 V
AC System
- 230V 50 Hz 16 kVA 80 A single-phase
- AC 230 V DC/AC Inverter, 230 V 2000 VA 50 Hz
- Shore power, 230V 50 Hz 16 kVA);
- Battery Chargers: 24 V/ 100 A; 12 V/ 20 A

TANKAGE
Fuel
- 1 x Stainless steel tank, 1950 L / 429 Gals
Water
- 2 x stainless steel tanks, total 1300 liters
- Water heater tank
- Watermaker, 180 L/h
Waste
- Black water and grey water tanks
- 24V Self-priming macerator (2024)

NAVIGATION
- B&G navigation system (2023) incl:
- autopilot
- radar
- communication system
- computer system
- CAN and serial network
- Furuno GPS Navigator
- 2 x Vesper handsets

COMMUNICATIONS
- ICOM IC M85E VHF radio; waterproof speaker (2024)

Lifesaving/ Medical
- 2 x Liferaft, next inspection in June 2026
- Restricted B medical equipment kit
- EPIRB
- Distress flares

Firefighting
- Automatic engineroom fire suppression system
- 11 x Fire extinguishers
- Installation of CO2/FM200 diffuser
- See also bilge and fire pump below

Navigation lights
- Mast lights replaced 2023

Bilge pumping
- 24 V Bilge and fire pump with a new 24V pump
- Max. flow rate 130 L/ min at 0.7 bar
- Automatic submersible bilge pump (2024)
- 12 V bilge pumps (2024)

- Custom stainless steel gangway ladder (2024)
- Fenders and mooring lines