J M Soper/Philip & Son 62 ft Cutter 1929/2019

Joseph Soper is probably best remembered for the 'Big Class' cutter SATANITA, legendary for her speed, and “a fair turn of speed” is one of the properties noted by the yachting press of 1929 for this creation by Philip & Son of Dartmouth from another of his designs. ZEPHYR was moreover conceived as an able seagoing cruiser, and at 62 feet (20m) on deck she’s the perfect size for a family yacht of this vintage. In impressive condition and a considerable beauty, her forte is nevertheless in the sheer practicality of her layout, rig and accommodation, to which ownership by the same family for almost 50 years is testament enough. In 2019 ZEPHYR relaunched at a youthful 90-years-old after a major centreline restoration, and sporting a new mast.

2018 - 2019 Cantiere Navale Francesco del Carlo, Viareggio - New hollow mast
- Building a replica of the original in Sika CF glued, 10-year-seasoned Douglas fir
- New stainless steel mast hardware

2018 - 2019 Cantiere Navale Francesco del Carlo, Viareggio - Major structural refit
- Removal old garboard planks, then dropping and setting aside of lead keel
- Replacement of wood keel in mahogany
- Careful reconnection to stainless steel floors
- Sealing wood keel with Sika CF System
- Re-fastening and re-bedding of lead ballast keel with new silicone bronze keelbolts
- New deadwoods
- Reinstatement of removed planking in teak
- Removal and refitting of rudder

1994 Pineto & La Riccia, Pescara - Misc restoration
- New teak deck: 15mm. teak over 8mm marine ply over existing 25mm teak deck
- New deck house and cabins

1985 - 1990 Navaltecnica in S.Benedetto del Tronto
- Most original steel frames replaced in 306 stainless steel
- 7 Original frames found to be in impeccable condition and retained
- Original teak planking removed to facilitate above was reinstated

1984 Cantieri Carlini, Rimini
- New boom

Philip & Son build no: 754

This magnificent yacht, designed by Joseph M. Soper in 1928 for railway civil engineer Haines B. Ede of New Milton, Hampshire, was built in Dartmouth at the famous Philip & Son Noss Shipyard of stout composite construction - teak and pitch pine planking on galvanised steel frames - and launched in July 1929. In her early days ZEPHYR carried two boats on deck, a 12 ft cedar planked motor launch and a 12 ft sailing dinghy with centre board, for which the davits, which survive to this day were provided. It is believed that she started life as a Marconi-rigged gaff cutter and was converted c1936 to the bermudan cutter rig she still sails under.

Apparently ZEPHYR had arrived in Italy in the early 1950s owned by Marquis Giacomo De Santis of Rome. In 1957 she became the property of the Marquis Giacomo Dusmet and in 1963 of Doctor Bracci-Torsi of Rome. In 1965 she was at the Versilia Boat Club of Viareggio and in 1969 she went under the Panama flag of Yen Bay Enterprise Inc. and although the owner Renè Paolanc of Milan was President of the company, in the Lloyd Register of 1966 she was registered to Club Nautico Versilia and home port Viareggio.

Dr Carlo De Carlo bought her in 1972 and replaced the cotton sails with Dacron, along with the electric wiring and the propeller. In 1985 he replaced original frames with stainless steel, installed a generator, a fridge, and brought all the electronic equipment up to date. At that time the original 12 ft wooden tender (Philip & Son build no: 755) was replaced with an inflatable dinghy with Evinrude 15HP engine. Over the years he maintained her making renovations, restyling and installing new systems and equipment as needed.

From the original plans it is clear that the original main access to the cabins has been changed and access to the main deck is now by a ten step companionway staircase, designed with the clear intent to separate the master accommodation aft with two double cabins and en suite head, from the crew in the bow area with three hammocks and a separate head. After 1960 the relationship between owners and crew changed very much, leading to a complete transformation in the bow, where now there is a cabin with two berths and a proper galley.

In 1984, during the Veteran Boat Rally in at Porto Cervo, Sardinia, strong winds snapped the boom, which it transpired had been made in 1937 (the year was branded on the inside). What is on the boat today has been remade identically to the original by Cantieri Carlini of Rimini.

- Originally built to Lloyds 16A1 Classification under their special supervision
- Composite construction
- 306 Stainless steel frames and floors
- Carvel 5cm teak topsides and pitch pine bottom planking
- Teak deck planking laid over a ply and older teak subdeck
- Teak deck structures

The deck has all round high bulwarks of raw teak with varnished teak handrails. From the generous after deck with teak grated seating, the cockpit lies for’ard the chromed anti shock mainsheet horse and teak deck box containing the original worm gear direct steering and engine instruments.

The deck level cockpit with high coamings, helm wheel and original compass binnacle, has seating forward and to the sides with lifting seat hatches to access the lazarette stowage for sails, ropes, water and provisions. The teak cockpit table can seat 9. Deck features and equipment include:
- Original mooring metal springs
- Bronze Panama eye mooring fairleads to chromed cleats both sides
- 2 x 3 speed Barbarossa large winches mounted on mahogany and pitch pine plinths
- 4 separate deck fittings for jib sheet leads
- Davits port and stbd (pole for radar scanner attached to stbd for deployment when needed)
- Steel pin rack by shrouds
- Teak gas locker abaft mast before butterfly hatch
- Marinelli ship’s bell
- 3 x original bronze halyard winches at base of mast above deck level
- Raised hatchway to galley forward of mast
- Lofrans Titan 2 KW anchor windlass
- Fishermans anchor on deck and davit for deployment
- 100 m 12 mm galvanised chain 50 m warp
- Deck prism and chromed mushroom vent over foc’sle
- Teak pasarelle
- Douglas fir boarding ladder
- Stainless steel boom gallows

Access to the accommodation below is via the deckhouse and teak companionway stairs over the engine room - as well as by hatchway for’ard. The deckhouse itself has enough space to sit six people or rest two, very useful during night watches at the helm, leaving the sleeping guests undisturbed. The wide windows provide excellent all round visibility and very much light inside.

Headroom below is generous at 6 ft 3 inches under the deck beams. The deckhead is as the original white painted and the cabin sole is of teak and holly. The saloon is fitted in the original polished mahogany with birch upper panelling. Ventilation is by a combination of sliding and butterfly hatches as well as some opening ports. From the foot of the companionway steps a turn to port and aft along the passage leads to:

Aft cabin
- 2 x single berths – one each side with joinery stowage locker and panelling
- 2 x opening ports
- Butterfly hatch above
- 2 x reading lights
- Access to engine room
- En suite head with Baby Blake WC and basin

Returning by doorway fwd port side of engine access to passage fwd
- Guest head with manual WC and shower port side of corridor

Guest cabin to starboard, access by foot of companionway
- 2 berths up and under
- Full size hanging locker
- Shoe stowage under lower berth
- Foul weather gear locker

Saloon / Chart room
- Seating with wide leeboard
- Drop leaf dining / chart table
- Sofas and chairs
- Closets
- Cupboard
- Drawers

Guest cabin forward
- Opening ports, vent by mushroom on deck
- 2 x berths
- Stowage under
- Lockers

Galley – also accessible from deck by hatch and stairway
- Alpes 4 burner hob & oven
- Sink, draining board/ worktop
- Portable electric heater
- Ample stowage above outboard and below
- Bow cabin with workshop, refrigerator, electric panel, generator and anchor chain locker
- Large custom fridge charged by generator – 2 hrs for 1 day cooling

Linen / upholstery
- Two sets of sheets
- One set of blankets
- One set of bed covers
- Three sets of cushion covers

BERMUDAN CUTTER RIG
- Douglas fir 2-spreader hollow mast (2019)
- Douglas fir boom
- Douglas fir bowsprit to original dimensions
- Forestay to stem
- Stay from tip of bowsprit to top spreader height
- Stay from tip of bowsprit to mast head
- Running backstays to Highfield levers

SAILS
Cream Dacron classic cut by Zaoli (2008)
- Mainsail 110 sq m 8.5 oz double modern Dracon; two reef points
- Genoa 110 sq m for light winds 3 oz, hanked from bow sprit to mast head
- Jib 80 sq m 8 oz, tacked from bow sprit to ¾ height and secured by two running backstays

Older sails
- Mainsail 110 sq m 10 oz
- Genoa 100 sq m 8 oz, ¾ mast height
- Jib 80 sq m 6 oz, ¾ of mast height
- Jib 30 sq m 5 oz, hanked on the fore stay to mast head
- Boomed foresail 30 sq m tacked at the bow
- Multi purpose foresail 120 sq m 2 oz, for winds up to 12 knots, hanked forestay bow sprit to masthead

Suggested configurations are for
- Light winds: mainsail 110 sq m and jib 110 sq m
- 12 to 25 knot winds: mainsail 110 sq m and jib 80 sq m
- 30 to 40 knot winds: mainsail 110 sq m reduced to 1st row of reef points and jib 80 sq m

- Volvo Penta 120CV
- Vebel electronic Marine 4 generator
- Dynamica marine genset
- 24 V, 12 V and 220 V electric power circuits
- 4 x Domestic 24 V batteries 240 AH 2010 under saloon cabin sole
- 2 x Engine 12 V start batteries 155 AH
- 1 x 12 V generator start battery 78 AH
- Pump for domestic water pressure
- Compressor pump for fridge
- Workshop
- Isolator panel
- Diesel tank for genset
- 242 gallons 1,100 litres fuel
- 450 gallons / 2,000 Litres fresh water

- CAIM steering compass
- Koden MD-3404 Radar 10 mile (scanner kept in cabinet in aft cabin when not in use)
- Techmarine T-50-08 cartographic GPS; (8 inch screen)
- Lowrance x-60 sonar
- Yaesu VXM-100 VHF radio
- Cobra Marine MRHH 400 EU portable radio

- Equipment as current legislation including
- 8 person Plastimo life raft
- Auto immersion electric bilge pump
- Electric bilge pump operable from deckhead
- Electric pump for bilge and grey water
- Hand bilge pump

- James Robinson Taylor
- Forvel Spezia