SOVEREIGN, built in Germany in 1953 and sports a few modern upgrades yet she retains her original glamor and style. SOVEREIGN has recently completed an extensive yard period in Port Townsend Washington, under the care of the experienced and well known Port Townsend Shipwright’s Co-op where her masts were restored, her deck trim replaced, additional systems were attended to, and fresh varnish applied throughout. This owner, the seventh, is unable to sail this vessel befitting the vessel itself and the heritage, the history,
the stories, and the experience within the surviving Concordia fleet. Built in 1953 in Lemwerder Germany by Abeking and Rasmussen, SOVEREIGN is a classic wooden yacht the Concordia Yawl 39, Hull # 15. The Concordia Yawl is a special class of wooden yawls and was designed by naval architect Raymond Hunt with input from Llewellyn and Waldo Howland. The Concordia Yawl was designed to withstand heavy wind and choppy waters making her the perfect sailboat for both racing and comfortable cruising. As one of the most enduring yachts designs in sailing history, she has collected as many trophies as any class in oceans racing history while proving that a winning boat can be as beautiful as it is comfortable to sail. There were 103 Concordia yawls built, of which all are still afloat, making the Concordia Yawl class the largest class of large one-design wooden sailboats. The Concordia boasts an oak keel, steam bent laminated oak frames, African mahogany planking, bright mahogany deck trim, bronze plank fastenings and galvanized iron keel bolts. The rigging consists of hollow spars, including a carbon fiber spinnaker pole, multiple sails, stainless steel rigging, galvanized tangs, bronze fittings and winches. The Concordia Yawl
is recognized worldwide with a majority residing on the East Coast and Europe. As Waldo Howland said about Concordia Yawls, “The keynote of construction, finish and equipment is simplicity…economy of upkeep, and resistance to the
actions inherent on the elements of air and water.” A seaworthy boat, Sovereign assures comfort and stability for families without
compromising speed and agility for racing, a true gem in yacht design.”