Matt Austin

Exeter-based Mike Ludgrove has realised a lifelong dream by building a 60ft yacht, handcrafting every part of the incredible vessel.

It has taken him 12 years to complete. During this time he has pursued his dream with dogged determination, even downsizing his house and selling his business to help fund the project. He has enlisted the help of his son and son’s friends who have worked alongside him to make this dream a reality.

Mike hopes the yacht, Helena, will be used to help inspire young people who would not ordinarily get an opportunity to sail.

Mike’s vision for the yacht comes from a childhood experience of his own. As a boy Mike was given the chance to sail with the London Sailing Project, a charitable organisation which allows underprivileged young people the opportunity to experience an adventure at sea.

This was a hugely formative experience for Mike and has always remained with him. The vision is for the yacht to become self-funding through selling trips and then using this revenue to enable young people to set sail. Drawn up by Ed Burnett, designer of the Queen’s barge, this 60ft vessel is one of the worlds few true modern classic sailing yachts and is due for launch in spring 2018.

Mike is now crowdfunding to make the final step from workshop to water possible. In return he is offering supporters the opportunity to step aboard and set sail with the team on the maiden voyage. Mike and his team are offering a range of sailing experiences from one day coastal hops in the South West of England to charters in the French Riviera, the Mediterranean and even Christmas in the Caribbean.

Mike trained at Lyme Regis Boatbuilding Academy in 2000 and after completing several smaller projects, began working on his ultimate goal, Helena, inspired by the likes of William Fife and Alfred Mylne with design input from the highly acclaimed Ed Burnett.

Mike said: “The aim was always to build something of supreme beauty, in a manner not possible when working to commercial constraints. People simply do not make boats like this any more.”

 

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