william fife iii 94 ft bermudan ketch

Born into an aristocratic air of racy intrigue, and accordingly named, SUMURUN’s charms have wooed a select band of lovers since her launch at Fairlie in April 1914. A legend in many lifetimes, SUMURUN is quite simply one of the most exquisite of William Fife’s large ‘fast cruisers’. Bar two world wars, for almost 110 years this 94 ft ketch, formerly a gaff-rigged yawl, has been in commission, for many years ‘in class’ ✠100A1 with Lloyd's, and loved – most recently by her current French owner who treated SUMURUN to a major 2017 to 2019 restoration at Chantier du Guip, Brest. Her return to the classic racing circuit late in the 2019 season was triumphant, with victory at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, just as in her first season, truncated by the outbreak of the First World War, when she proved a winner despite being conceived mainly for cruising. Rigged as a Bermudan ketch since 1935, the decision was made during the Chantier du Guip refit to retain this handy configuration, but to bring it subtly up to date under direction from one of the most successful racing yacht designers of our time, Juan Kouyoumdjian. Under it, SUMURUN is perhaps more consistently faster than ever, yet retains the ability to cross oceans comfortably – something she has gained quite a reputation for. SUMURUN has been impeccably maintained by her full time skipper and is ready to go for the 2023 season.