In 1961, when two Canadian sailors—George Cuthbertson, a mechanical engineer, and George Cassian, an aircraft designer—formed the design group Cuthbertson and Cassian, they could not have foreseen the legacy their partnership would create. The two started out by designing a few steel and wood boats, Cuthbertson drafting the preliminary lines, and Cassian working on the interior plans and details. When they joined forces with yacht builder George Hinterhoeller and Ian Morch of Belleville Marine, however, they moved up to the big leagues of sailboat production.
In 1965, Canadian yachtsman Peter Connolly commissioned Cuthbertson and Cassian to design a custom 40-foot racing sloop that would be “the meanest, hungriest 40-footer afloat.” Bruckmann Manufacturing was commissioned to build the boat, and the result was just what Connolly had in mind. Utilizing ultralight balsa core in her hull and deck—considered to be the first sailboat built this way—Red Jacket was launched in May 1966 and took 11 of 13 starts that summer. READ MORE
We got a racer/cruiser/racer, a great all-around boat. The boat is extremely easy to sail, especially off the wind, very forgiving of operator error. This boat is so much fun to sail that it should be illegal!
