Obsessions are often enduring, and my fascination with the Sonny Levi-designed Corsair started back in 1998. As the Will in Will Squibb Boatbuilders, I was first introduced to the design back in 1998, when Martin Levi, son of Sonny, approached me to undertake a refit of a classic 1965 Corsair called LouLou. He reckoned there was demand for a reinterpretation of the Corsair and wanted to test the water using a refitted original.
We carried out the refit in a matter of months, adding a new fiddleback maple interior, teak exterior trim and an Awlgrip paint system with the engine bay prepared for a pair of modern Volvo KAD42 engines on sterndrives. It was completed in time to take centre stage at the 1999 Earl's Court Boat Show.
LouLou proved to be a hit with showgoers and kickstarted the production of a whole new generation of Levi Corsairs in Italy. She also featured in the BBC drama Harbour Lights and in the opening credits of the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. During the sign-off trials, I spent several hours at sea in LouLou experiencing the legendary Corsair seakeeping firsthand. I was smitten, the seed of owning one had been sown, and one day I knew I had to have one for myself.
PATIENCE PAYS
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Esta historia es de la edición February 2024 de Motor Boat & Yachting UK.
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Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
