New Moon

New Moon et son équipage de jeunes Antiguais en régate
New Moon and its crew of young Antiguans in a regatta — characteristic orange deck and fittings. Photo: West Indies Sail Heritage Foundation
  • Boat type — Carriacou sloop, traditional rigging
  • Launching — July 11, 2010, in Windward
  • Length — 32 feet, approximately 9.75 m
  • Designed and built by — Bernard Compton called «Bonsai», from the Compton family
  • Ordered by — Dave Goldhill
  • Current owner — West Indies Sail Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization
  • Home port — Antigua

A sloop within everyone's reach

On July 11, 2010, a new 32-foot sloop glided into the water at Windward. Bernard Compton designed and built it for Dave Goldhill, who lives in the hills above the village.

Dave Goldhill explains his idea to Caribbean Compass. Since the launch of Genesis In 2005, Carriacou sloops became increasingly larger and more expensive. Large Class A boats are well represented in Antigua, but there is a lack of a boat that a simple amateur can afford: a Class B sloop, 32 feet or less.

The boats were getting bigger and bigger and dearer and dearer.

Dave Goldhill, Caribbean Compass, August 2010

Built to last

He wants a boat with a traditional shape, but built to stand the test of time: not the usual ten-year plan, but a boat that lasts, thanks to epoxy resins, bronze fittings and power tools.

This will not be a workboat. Everything is designed for simplicity, without relying on six burly men to hoist and trim the sails. The rigging will be as traditional as possible, even if the word "hybrid," he acknowledges, is increasingly finding its way into the vocabulary. Its name: New Moon.

A few weeks later, Frank Pearce discovered it in Windward, the mast having just been put in place. He described it as a fast and beautiful boat, of an ideal size, easy to sail with two people outside of races.

The orange deck of the fishing boats

Its deck and gunwales are painted a bright orange, like on fishing boats of yesteryear. The color had a practical reason: to be seen from afar at sea in case of rescue, and to heat up in the sun to dry the fish.

A sailing school for young people in Antigua

After a refit in Carriacou, New Moon embarked on a new chapter. In 2019, Charlotte Hooijdonk and Billy Gernertt, who spent a generation sailing on tall ships, founded the West Indies Sail Heritage Foundation in Antigua. The sloop became their training vessel.

Young people embark from the age of twelve. They are taught sailing, but above all, teamwork, independence, and discipline. The rigging remains deliberately traditional, without modern amenities.

In 2024, at the Antigua Classic, 17-year-old Nevin, trained on board since the foundation's inception, will be at the helm for the entire inaugural race, including the start. The foundation also conducts cultural exchanges, notably with the Swedish three-masted ship Gunilla.

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Contact — New Moon

Sources

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