Nautical

Briton races yacht he built himself

John Webb with members of the Joves Navegants group.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma20/08/2018 00:00

Briton John Webb set himself a challenge - to build a yacht of 79 tonnes with two masts capable of taking part in regattas. An experienced sailor with a professional background in fishing, he followed original plans by the designer Fenwick Williams that he found in the Peabody Museum in Massachusetts.

He built the boat in Kent, thirty miles away from the sea, and spent eight years dedicating his free time, whatever the weather. The result was the Freedonia. It had to be transported on a huge trailer, it is sixteen metres long, and on its successful maiden voyage it reached ten knots.

He brought the yacht to take part in last week's Balearic Islands Classics Regatta. He invited members of the Fundació Joves Navegants (young sailors) on board and provided a unique learning opportunity.

The boat is based in Almeria, but John Webb suggests that its characteristics would make it appropriate for the Caribbean.