New “club” boat is versatile, affordable and fun
Bill Crane, Karl Ziegler and a group of influential marine industry experts and professionals launched the Storm Marine Group last year to take institutional boat building to the next level, and the Storm 18 is their first major product. Their 18-foot lifting keel sloop will be formally released soon, fulfilling the need for a new Ideal 18.
Institutional (or “club”) boats are typically acquired as fleets by yacht clubs, schools and public sailing centers for use by members, students and the public. Most are built to
accommodate 2-5 sailors. Many of the most historically popular classes are either no longer built at all, hard to replace and find parts for, or manufactured overseas at too high an expense for most US-based sailing organizations.
“As a potential all-use boat, it will be a great learning platform,” said Edward “Buttons” Padin, who is on the yachting committee of the Larchmont Yacht Club and tested the 18 last fall. “The first thing I noticed and appreciated stepping aboard was how stable the boat was; it is considerably wider than the Ideal (18) and much roomier.”
“I really like the boat,” says Bill Lynn, executive director of the Herreshoff Marine Museum and sailing committee chair at Eastern Yacht Club. “The layout’s clear, simple, and intuitive, and it has a nice weight — light enough to not be a chore to drive but heavy enough to feel like a solid boat. It accelerated nicely in puffs, and the soft deck’s nice, too!” Storm Snaith, Commodore of Cedar Point Yacht Club, said, “She moved well in light air and handled nicely in more air. “She’s simple, stable, sturdy and responsive.”
Britt Hall from Noroton Yacht Club was among the first women to sail the 18 last year and is thrilled with what it could offer both her program (she founded her NYC’s first women’s program) and newer sailors in general. “I loved the stability and easy handling,” said Hall, “which will be especially helpful for teaching women from ‘rookies’ to seasoned racers, and it’s also clearly a great family boat.”
Crane and Ziegler see the Storm 18 as an evolution of the Ideal 18 that’s modern, ergonomic, durable, and easy to maintain that helps clubs and sailing centers meet the growing demand from people who want to join organizations that provide a fleet of boats rather than starting off by buying their own. The baseline price of each boat will be $43,000. Visit stormmarinegroup.com to learn more. ■
