Golden Oldies Multihulls

The Association

The life of racing multihulls is a paradox! After once being the object of every desire and the focus of extreme sacrifices, they are abandoned, forgotten, or awkwardly converted into sightseeing “buses.” Their fate is often destruction or shipwreck.

They wrote some of the wildest chapters in offshore racing. The grace and balance of these machines created a lasting bond with the public and elevated their skippers to the status of social legends. These restless boats built their legacy in less than forty years, forged through courage, daring and human ingenuity — yet these ephemeral creations remain fragile.

The future solution for these ocean birds is not the museum but a “conservatory spirit.” They must sail. Lovers of multihulls know that these veterans are in danger. Their sporting and architectural legacy is invaluable.

For over a decade, preservation initiatives have been undertaken in France, England, Spain and the United States. In 2005 and 2006, a small group of enthusiasts decided to gather around demonstration regattas. The first two events were genuine spontaneous and popular successes. The presence of VSD, Moxie, Umupro Jardin and Région de Picardie created a magical atmosphere, from which the Golden Oldies Multihulls movement was born — supporting and bringing together individual efforts to preserve the heritage of offshore multihull racing.

Dick Newick, Derek Kelsall, Kenneth Beken and James Wharram agreed to become patrons of this association of stubborn enthusiasts — lovers of boats that refuse to die.