Admirers of classic yacht shapes can't help but linger a little longer on "Anima II". Spirit's first 72 DH makes use of a clever trick: by dispensing with a railing, the 22-metre-long wooden construction makes the freeboard, deckhouse and deck step appear far more harmonious together than they already do. This is nothing unusual for Spirit yachts and is almost standard for formats under 80 feet.
But even the 30 metre long Spirit 100 "Gaia" and the almost four metre longer flagship "Geist" appeared after delivery and on regatta courses without the fencing, which provides security but is aesthetically annoying. And this is of course also the case on the boss's yacht, the Spirit 52 "Flight of Ufford" by Sean McMillan. The gusto of the shipyard co-founder and in-house designer prioritises the staging of the beautifully streamlined lines over much else, but not over the excellent sailing characteristics. Well, for long offshore passages or rough seas, railing feet have been worked into the high and already well-protected bulwark on "Anima II" like on the other Spirits - and thus unlike on J-Class jewellery.
Wood as the only material
McMillan founded Spirit Yachts in 1993 with friends in an old cowshed in Suffolk and now builds in modern halls in Ipswich on the east coast of the UK.
It never occurred to him to use a building material other than wood:
I love wood and have huge respect for the capabilities of the material and what you can create with it."
The foundations of the 72 DH were formed by moulded frames made of sapele mahogany, on which planks of Douglas spruce were laid in tongue-and-groove joints. Two layers of khaya mahogany, each three millimetres thick, were used as veneer, laid at an angle of 45 degrees and glued using vacuum infusion.
Only the high-quality and universal epoxy resin is used for laminating. After the lettering "Anima II" as well as the snake and dragon were applied to the transom in gold leaf and by brush, Spirit encased the entire hull in two layers of biaxial glass. When turned, the keel suspension was reinforced with carbon fibre and the interior was fitted with bulkheads made of twelve and 18 millimetre thick marine plywood.
Features of the Spirit 72 DH
The 4.80 metre narrow wooden construction displaces 26 tonnes, which is as little as a much more voluminous Baltic 67 made of carbon. The carbon fibre mast and boom from Hall Spars and the standing rigging from Nitronic Rod contribute to this. Electric winches from Lewmar move a sail wardrobe from OneSails consisting of a main, self-tacking jib, conventional jib, code zero and an asymmetric spinnaker. As is customary with Spirit, "Anima II" is adorned with modern appendages: a narrow composite rudder and a ten-tonne L-keel that reaches 3.10 metres deep and is held to the hull by 14 bolts.
The deck is formed by Douglas fir poles that run out into a narrow stern, where the shipyard can install solar panels on request. The tender garage and crane are located underneath. One disadvantage of the ranken Riss: the dinghy needs to be inflated before use, which can of course be done electrically.
Striking and flowing lines at the same time
As the deckhouse made of Sipo mahogany slopes noticeably towards the bulwark, the superstructure also blends smoothly into the lines when viewed from aft. The top view reveals seven hatches in different orientations and two striking skylights with diagonal struts that resemble cockleshells from above and cast long shadows below. As if that were not enough, light enters in front of them via a classic skylight. Sean McMillan points out an important detail: "The 72 DH is the first Spirit with a deckhouse without a seating and navigation area on the centre level, which connects the cockpit with the main interior."
Instead, the galley with its airy ceiling height and a central kitchen block that takes up a lot of space invites you to lean back, join in the cooking or grab a quick snack. With an induction hob, dishwasher, fridge with freezer compartment and microwave, the equipment is convenient for private and charter guests.
Spirit can be chartered for 25,000 euros per week
The latter book their Mediterranean cruise on "Anima II" via Ocean Independence from 25,000 euros a week. Two steps lead down past the navigation system on the starboard side into the saloon with a rectangular seating area, which Spirit also produces in a round shape at the customer's request, based on the curved interior of "Geist". The mahogany table can be pulled out and lowered to form an additional bed. The in-house design studio realised the owner's wish for a light-coloured interior. Naturally, there is dark mahogany with a high-gloss finish, but this is contrasted by the wall panelling, the narrow ceiling panelling in white and the dragon and snake inlay directly below the companionway. The master suite is located in front of the saloon, but still leaves room for the cabin of the crew of two in the foredeck, which is air-conditioned throughout and accessible via a large hatch. Two double guest cabins are located aft.
Sean McMillan describes the design as follows: "The owners wanted a more modern style, so we opened up the interior to let in more natural light and maximise the entertainment area. White satin-finish panels and LEDs complement natural woods but stay true to the contemporary brief."
Spirit Yachts currently has two more 72 DHs under construction. It always follows the same pattern, reveals the shipyard boss: "Every new project starts with a pot of coffee and a blank sheet of paper." The spiritus rector draws exclusively by hand and then forwards these scribbles to his designers, who translate the initial ideas into technically usable plans. The result of this special attention: no matter from which perspective, the lines of a Spirit are always one thing - coherent.
Spirit meets James Bond and whiskey
Spirit Yachts is the only manufacturer that regularly builds large wooden yachts. However, the shipyard programme also includes more manageable units. In the classic range, the English company builds yachts from 30 to 75 feet. The latest addition is a 30-foot daysailer that is highly ambitious in terms of style, technology and price.
The models in the Cruiser-Racer line with the abbreviation CR offer slightly more width, interior height and space. Like most of the manufacturer's yachts, they are also offered with electric drives and hydrogen generation, whereby each Spirit is more or less a customised construction, meaning that sensible solutions can be realised according to the owner's wishes. The third series consists of a trio of deckhouse yachts in sizes 63, 65 and 72 feet like the "Anima II". Superyachts in sizes 100 and 111 as well as motorboats complete the large range.
The English shipyard became famous through two James Bond films starring Daniel Craig: in "Casino Royale" (2006) a Spirit 54 plays a supporting role in Venice, in "No Time to Die" ("No Time to Die", 2021) a Spirit 46 in Jamaica.
The shipyard name was derived from the name of the first 37-foot-long delivery and was in no way intended to refer to spirits or express spirituality, says Sean Mc-Millan: "It was purely to do with the amount of whiskey I felt we needed to drink to see the project through. Hence the logo, which is modelled on a still." In English, spirit stands for high-proof alcohol.
Technical data
- Design: Spirit Yachts
- Construction method:Moulding construction veneered
- Hull length/waterline length: 22,10/15,90 m
- Width: 4,80 m
- Depth: 3,10 m
- Displacement/ballast: 26/10 t
- Sail area on the wind: 206 m²
- Sail area on the centreboard:450 m²
