At the front a finely sculpted spoon bow, at the stern a moulding of delicate shapes underlined by a low freeboard. Above this, a carbon rig and fittings like those found on modern IRC racers. This apparent contradiction is the first new Q7 "Victoria", which was launched in April 2026 - exactly 100 years after the original. The driving force behind the project is Briton Peter Silvester, who lives in California. The founder of Q7 Yacht Designs bought the original "Falcon" and developed a new construction project from it. The concept is based on the philosophy of restomods from companies such as Singer Vehicle Design or Eagle E-Types, which reissue classic cars with modern technology. However, Peter Silvester's intention is to build something new - in a carefully considered blend of preservation and modernisation.
A unique story
Ten years before the majestic J-Class yachts made famous by the America's Cup, smaller boats dominated the regatta fields on the east coast of the USA in the 1920s. Designed according to the same "Universal Rules", the Q-Class boats had the characteristic overhangs and powerful sail plan of their larger siblings, but at 13.5 to 15 metres in length, they were more manoeuvrable and more accessible. Fast, robust and beautiful: 20 to 30 of these so-called "Mini-Js" were designed by the best designers and boat builders of their time, including Burgess, Herreshoff, Anker and Alden. There is evidence that at least six of the original boats are still in use today.
Major goal class structure
Silvester sees himself as a preservationist all along the line, his recipe for revitalising the Q-Class: preserve and promote original boats, encourage restorations of remaining original hulls and revitalise the class with high-quality new builds - for another 100 years of sailing history. "Our Falcon Study represents a new and exciting niche in modern sailboat manufacturing - bringing classic designs back to life by reimagining them for a new century," says Peter Silvester, founder of Q7 Yacht Designs.
The three metre taller P-Class-sisters. The gaff-rigged yachts experienced an unprecedented renaissance on the initiative of "Mr America's Cup" Bruno Troublé. However, the four P representatives, which sailed extensively in the Mediterranean, are originals that have been restored and in some cases not one moulding has been left on the other. Silvester's original "Falcon" also emerged from such a total refit at John Anderson in Maine.
Careful new construction instead of complete renovation
Under the label "Q7 Falcon", further units are to be created according to plans that show great respect for tradition. Peter Silvester used thousands of hours of practical experience in sailing and maintaining his old "Falcon" to design the new Q7. He was assisted by the Dutch designers from Dykstra, who accompanied the resurgence of the J-Class in the early 1990s, and who revitalised the original Q-line cracks from Starling Burgess and adapted them for today's production.
The team discussed all the parameters and weighed them up individually. And tackled the question of all questions: Stay with the long keel? The answer was yes, because the original ballast carrier provided stability, a large rudder area and a relatively shallow draught. In addition, a cabin with full headroom below the superstructure could be realised so as not to deter interested parties with cruising ambitions. And finally, they wanted to act in the spirit of the "Universal Rule", which emerged as a reaction to designs that had become light and fast, but also fragile and expensive, with their singular focus on regattas.
Construction and material
The first new Q-Class was built at Spirit Yachts. It was no coincidence that they ended up on the British east coast in Ipswich, where modern reinterpretations of classics have been created since 1993. Handcrafted from wood, of course, but in combination with modern resins, materials and technologies. As a result, the hull weighs less than the original and requires less maintenance. The dimensions remain identical: 14.2 metres overall length, 9.45 metres waterline, 2.75 metres width and two metres draught. The displacement is 9.97 tonnes.
Adrian Gooderham, shipyard manager at Spirit Yachts, highlights the differences between the Q7 and a Spirit project such as the 111-footer "Ghost""Initially, the owner opted for more ring frames than we would normally install for a similar size, as he wanted to see more frames in the interior - as an aesthetic reference to the original Q-Class yachts. The originals had 85 to 90 closely spaced frames, the Q7 has 20, and on a Spirit we would normally fit about half of that."
Long keel as a change for Spirit
The ring frames made of Sipo mahogany were manufactured using a tried and tested method: Veneers are laminated together and stretched into shape over true-to-scale drawings. Applying the horizontal Douglas fir hull panelling was more challenging than usual: "We had to ensure a precise fit at the transition to the long keel - Spirit yachts have modern keels with fins and bombs." This was followed by the usual hull construction: Khaya double diagonal veneers and a thin layer of glass fibre were applied, cured with epoxy resin and then carefully filled and sanded to achieve a smooth hull surface.
Interior fittings at their finest
Commenting on the Q7 interior, Adrian Gooderham says: "Working closely with our in-house design team, the owner specified a luxurious interior for the yacht: the exterior had to retain a traditional aesthetic that was true to the original plans, while the interior had to have the wow factor. Custom-made pieces of furniture such as the "whisky cabinet" and specially designed armchairs as well as the "capsule", which houses the galley and sanitary facilities, had to be equally beautiful, seaworthy and suitable for racing, while harmonising with the entire ship's technology - technology that would not have been present in an original Q."
At the owner's request, the Q7 was finished to a very high standard: For example, the inside of all the storage compartments and the undersides of the floorboards are not painted, but varnished - as if they were on show. Of course, this takes time: the construction time for a comparable yacht of this size would be 18,000 hours, but the Q7 took 30,000 hours.
Rig and drive
Hall Spars supplied the mast and boom made of high-modulus carbon fibres. Future Fibers contributed the ECthree rigging, also made of carbon fibre. The stiffer material saves over 50 per cent weight in height and makes running backstays superfluous. The fabric from Quantum Sails combines white Dyneema, Technora and carbon fibres in a proprietary membrane. From a distance they look like traditional white sails, but against the light the modern construction is revealed. Many of the original classics, including "Falcon", have evolved over time and now use a shorter boom, allowing a backstay to be added.
Harken supplied fittings and electric Performa winches. Peter Silvester and his team opted for headsail furlers, modern navigation electronics and autopilot. In addition, an electric drive from Elco provides propulsion in calm conditions, which is fed by a lithium solid-state battery from Solid State Marine with a capacity of 40 kilowatt hours if required. A retractable electric bow thruster facilitates manoeuvring in narrow marinas. The boat can be sailed by one or two people and can take six crew members on board for regattas.
Availability and price
Q7 Yacht Designs is planning seven units, the first of which has already been reserved. The construction time is 18 to 24 months and the price is between 3.2 and 3.6 million euros, depending on the furnishings. Each build number will have a bespoke "whisky table" for the customer's favourite tipple or other drink of choice, complemented by two luxurious, hand-crafted and upholstered armchairs (port) and a matching three-seater sofa (starboard).
Owners choose from a variety of finishes for personalisation, including sustainably sourced wood veneers and a selection of thousands of fabrics and leathers for upholstery and accent panels - including the option to design your own leather 'weave'. Bespoke mattresses and bed linen are provided and can be personalised with hand embroidery. In addition, each owner will receive their own set of Q7 luggage - a customised collection of suitcases and storage boxes, exclusively designed and handmade by Globe-Trotter.
Technical data Q7 Falcon:
- Overall length: 14.2 metres
- Waterline length: 9.45 metres
- Width: 2.75 metres
- Draught: 2 metres
- Displacement: 9.97 tonnes
- Hull material: cold-glued wood
- Deck: Teak, sustainably sourced
- Mast and boom: high-modulus carbon (Hall Spars)
- Rigging: ECthree Carbon (Future Fibers)
- Sail: Dyneema/Technora/Carbon membrane (Quantum Sails)
- Winches: Electric Performa with self-tailing (rakes)
- Propulsion: Electric motor (Elco Motor Yachts)
- Battery: Lithium solid state up to 40 kWh (Solid State Marine)
- Bow thruster: Electric, retractable
- Berths: 2+2
- Crew: 1-6 persons
- Construction time: 18-24 months
- Price: 3.2-3.6 million euros
- Limitation: 7 units
- Shipyard: Spirit Yachts, Ipswich
- Construction: Dykstra Naval Architects after Burgess, Swasey & Paine (1926)
- Concept: Q7 Yacht Designs
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