1848 – 1938
Known as the Wizard of Bristol, Nat Herreshoff was an innovative and brilliant designer, sailor, and boatbuilder. Features common on boats today—sail tracks and slides, bulb keels, fin keels, and hollow aluminum masts—were all developed by Herreshoff. He designed and built one of the earliest catamarans seen in the US.
Spanning a career of 70 years designing large and small sail and power boats, his influence on yacht design is unrivaled. As a designer, helmsman and engineer, he defended the America’s Cup six times: Vigilant, 1893; Defender, 1895; Columbia 1899 and 1901; Reliance, 1903; and Resolute, 1920.
For the more serious students of yacht design, most of the original Offset Books and plans are available for research at the Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum. (Nat Herreshoff worked mostly with models from which offsets were taken and rarely saw the lines of his creations on paper.)
Listed here are only a few of his 'series built' designs.
| Name | LOA (ft) | First Built | Last Built | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALERION | 26 | 1912 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| ALERION 26 (CARROL MARINE) | 25.33 | 2002 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| BAR HARBOR 31 | 49 | 1902 | — | Gaff Head Cutter |
| BISCAYNE BAY 14 | 14.42 | 1925 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| BULL'S EYE | 15.71 | 1914 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| BUZZARDS BAY 15 | 24.5 | 1899 | 1928 | Gaffhead Sloop |
| BUZZARDS BAY 18 | 29 | 1903 | 1904 | Gaffhead Sloop |
| BUZZARDS BAY 25 | 32.58 | 1914 | — | Gaffhead Sloop |
| BUZZARDS BAY 30 | 46.5 | 1901 | 1902 | Gaff Head Cutter |
| DOUGHDISH | 15.83 | 1972 | — | Gaffhead Sloop |
| FISH (HERRESHOFF) | 20.75 | 1916 | 1930 | Gaffhead Sloop |
| FISHERS ISLAND 31 | 43.5 | 1928 | 1946 | Fractional Sloop |
| FLATFISH | 20.25 | 1960 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| GOLDENEYE (HERRESHOFF) | 18.25 | 1959 | — | Masthead Sloop |
| H-26 (HERRESHOFF) | 26.33 | 1964 | — | Masthead Sloop |
| HAVEN 12 1/2 | 15.92 | 1984 | — | Gaffhead Sloop |
| HERRESHOFF 12 1/2 | 15.83 | 1914 | 1948 | Gaffhead Sloop |
| HERRESHOFF 15 | 24.5 | 1902 | — | Gaffhead Sloop |
| HERRESHOFF 20 | 19.83 | 2010 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| MARLIN (HERRESHOFF) | 20.75 | 1937 | 1938 | Fractional Sloop |
| MARLIN HERITAGE 23 | 23 | 1958 | — | Masthead Sloop |
| NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 30 | 43.75 | 1904 | 1905 | Gaffhead Sloop |
| NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 40 | 59 | 1916 | 1926 | Gaffhead Sloop |
| NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 50 | 72 | 1912 | 1913 | Gaff Head Cutter |
| NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 57 | 85.25 | 1906 | 1908 | Cutter |
| NEW YORK YACHT CLUB 70 | 106 | 1899 | 1900 | Gaff Head Cutter |
| NEWPORT 29 (HERRESHOFF) | 35.58 | 1914 | 1926 | Gaffhead Sloop |
| PETREL | 20.75 | 1977 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| S-CLASS (HERRESHOFF) | 27.5 | 1919 | 1941 | Fractional Sloop |
| SEAWANHAKA ONE-DESIGN (HERRESHOFF) | 20 | 1916 | — | Fractional Sloop |
| WATCH HILL 15 | 24.5 | 1922 | — | Fractional Sloop |