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Westerly Marine Construction marked the history of sailing in the second half of the 20th century. The yard was one of Britain's largest builders of fiberglass and polyester yachts and a leader in the family cruiser sector. Westerly Marine Construction of Hampshire, England, was one of Europe's leading production builder of fiberglass composite sailboats from the mid 1960's through the 1970's. Captain Denys Rayner founded Westerly Marine in 1964, three years before his death, and designed the first boats himself. He was a great man who distinguished himself during the 2nd World War by fighting as an officer in the Royal Navy, notably during the Battle of the Atlantic. Passionate about sailboats, like his father who participated in yacht races, Denis Rayner prefers the cruise sector. The first sailboat to leave the yard was the famous Westerly 22, produced in 332 units until 1967. In 1964, production also began on one of the biggest successes in the yachting sector: the Westerly 25. This twin-keel family cruiser is distinguished by a shallow draft which makes it easily beachable. At the end of the 1990s, Westerly Marine Construction joined the Bowman group. Particularly efficient cruising sailboats, Westerly boats are still as popular as ever. Horizon Sails sailmakers is at your service to build the best sails your Westerly sailboat !

BERWICK 31 (WESTERLY)     31.00 ft / 9.45 m     1973 CENTAUR 26 (WESTERLY)     26.00 ft / 7.92 m     1969 CHIEFTAIN 26 (WESTERLY)     26.00 ft / 7.92 m     1972 CIRRUS 22 (WESTERLY)     22.00 ft / 6.71 m     1968 CONWAY 36 (WESTERLY)     35.75 ft / 10.90 m     1975 CORSAIR 36 (WESTERLY)     35.66 ft / 10.87 m     1983 DISCUS 33 (WESTERLY)     33.27 ft / 10.14 m     1979 FALCON 34 (WESTERLY)     33.67 ft / 10.26 m     1985 FALCON 35 (WESTERLY)     34.58 ft / 10.54 m     1988 FULMAR 32 (WESTERLY)     31.92 ft / 9.73 m     1979 GALWAY 36 (WESTERLY)     35.75 ft / 10.90 m     1976 GK 24 (WESTERLY)     24.00 ft / 7.32 m     1976 GK 29 (WESTERLY)     29.00 ft / 8.84 m     1978 GRIFFON 26 (WESTERLY)     26.00 ft / 7.92 m     1979 GRIFFON 26 MK II (WESTERLY)      7.92 m     1982 JOUSTER 21 (WESTERLY)     21.00 ft / 6.40 m     1970 KENDAL 23 (WESTERLY)     23.67 ft / 7.21 m     1970 KESTREL 35 (WESTERLY)     34.58 ft / 10.54 m     1992 KONSORT 29 (WESTERLY)     28.83 ft / 8.79 m     1979 KONSORT 29 DUO (WESTERLY)      8.79 m     1984 LONGBOW 31 (WESTERLY)     31.00 ft / 9.45 m     1972 MEDWAY 36 (WESTERLY)     35.75 ft / 10.90 m     1976 MERLIN 28 (WESTERLY)     27.08 ft / 8.25 m     1984 MERLIN 29 (WESTERLY)     29.00 ft / 8.84 m     1990 NIMROD 18 (WESTERLY)     17.75 ft / 5.41 m     1968 NOMAD 22 (WESTERLY)     22.25 ft / 6.78 m     1967 OCEAN 33 (WESTERLY)     33.33 ft / 10.16 m     1997 OCEAN 43 (WESTERLY)     43.50 ft / 13.26 m     1997 OCEAN 49 (WESTERLY)     48.50 ft / 14.78 m     1993 OCEANDREAM 35 (WESTERLY)      10.54 m     1991 OCEANLORD 41 (WESTERLY)     12.34 m     1990 OCEANMASTER 48 (WESTERLY)     14.63 m     1989 OCEANQUEST 35 (WESTERLY)    10.81 m     1993 OCEANRANGER 38 (WESTERLY)     11.58 m     1989 PAGEANT 23 (WESTERLY)     23.00 ft / 7.01 m     1970 PEMBROKE 26 (WESTERLY)     26.00 ft / 7.92 m     1976 PENTLAND 32 (WESTERLY)     32.50 ft / 9.91 m     1973 REGATTA 370 (WESTERLY)     37.33 ft / 11.38 m     1994 REGATTA 260 (WESTERLY)     25.83 ft / 7.87 m     1993 REGATTA 290 (WESTERLY)     29.00 ft / 8.84 m     1993 REGATTA 310 (WESTERLY)     30.58 ft / 9.32 m     1993 REGATTA 330 (WESTERLY)     33.17 ft / 10.11 m     1993 RENOWN 32 (WESTERLY)     32.50 ft / 9.91 m     1972 RIVIERA 35 (WESTERLY)     34.58 ft / 10.54 m     1988 SEAHAWK 34 (WESTERLY)     33.66 ft / 10.26 m     1984 SEAHAWK 35 (WESTERLY)     34.58 ft / 10.54 m     1988 SEALORD 39 (WESTERLY)     38.50 ft / 11.73 m     1983 SOLWAY 36 (WESTERLY)     35.75 ft / 10.90 m     1975 SPIRIT 26 (WESTERLY)     25.83 ft / 7.87 m     1992 STORM 33 (WESTERLY)     33.17 ft / 10.11 m     1986 TEMPEST 31 (WESTERLY)     30.58 ft / 9.32 m     1987 TIGER 25 (WESTERLY)     25.08 ft / 7.64 m     1969 TYPHOON 37 (WESTERLY)      11.38 m     1990 VULCAN 34 (WESTERLY)      10.36 m     1980 WARWICK 21 (WESTERLY)      6.55 m     1970 WESTERLY 21     21.50 ft / 6.55 m     1977 WESTERLY 22     22.25 ft / 6.78 m     1963 WESTERLY 25     25.08 ft / 7.64 m     1964 WESTERLY 28     28.25 ft / 8.61 m     1967 WESTERLY 30     30.16 ft / 9.19 m     1966 WESTERLY 33     33.27 ft / 10.14 m     1977 WINDRUSH 25 (WESTERLY)      7.64 m  1966

Custom sails and accessories for Westerly sailboats

Centaur Sloop 1969 7.9 m25’ 11” Centaur Ketch 1969 7.9 m25’ 11” Fulmar 32 Quillard 1980 9.7 m31’ 10” Fulmar 32 Biquille 1980 9.7 m31’ 10” Fulmar 32 Dériveur lesté 1980 9.7 m31’ 10” Griffon 26 Quillard 1979 7.93 m26’ Griffon 26 Biquille 1979 7.93 m26’ Konsort Duo 29 1985 8.8 m28’ 11” Longbow Sloop 1971 9.5 m31’ 2” Longbow Ketch 1971 9.5 m31’ 2” Merlin 28 Quillard 1984 8.25 m27’ 1” Merlin 28 Biquille 1984 8.25 m27’ 1” Renown Sloop 1972 9.5 m31’ 2” Renown Ketch 1972 9.5 m31’ 2” Sealord 39 Sloop 1983 11.73 m38’ 6” Sealord 39 Ketch 1983 11.73 m38’ 6”

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Link Back to Westerly Owners Web site

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Request an Account?
• 3 What's New on the Wiki
• 4 The Westerly Companies
• 5 Westerly Classes
• 6 Maintenance, Repair and Upgrades
• 7 Westerly Brochures
• 8 Westerly Pricelists
• 9 Westerly Manuals
• 10 Yard Numbers, Sail Numbers, Hull Numbers, Official Number (ON), Small Ships Register (SSR) Number and Registered Tonnage
• 11 Buying and Selling a Westerly?
• 12 Racing a Westerly
• 13.1 Navigation and Pilotage
• 13.2 Guidance for Contributors

Introduction

Welcome to the Westerly Wiki sponsored by the Westerly Owners Association. Our aim is to make the Westerly Wiki the prime source of technical information about Westerly Yachts. The Wiki is continuously under construction so you will find many empty pages and as this is a Wiki you are invited to help to fill them. The Wiki is an open (public) resource and anyone may contribute material or correct existing entries (see Guidance for Contributors below). However you do need to register your email address (using real names please) and log in to contribute - anonymous access is not supported.

Request an Account?

You don't need an account to view the Wiki. Just browse through it like any other website. If you would like to edit or add to the Wiki you will need an account.

To request an account please email the sysops at [email protected]

Tell us the user name you would like to use and state briefly your interest/connection with Westerly yachts. We will create the account and email you back with your password. This is a manual process because our automated account creation option was repeatedly used in spamming attacks.

What's New on the Wiki

Dec 2023 Plan for early Konsort Fuel tank Konsort Fuel Tank

Oct 2022 Summary of RCD Yard Numbers, Sail Numbers, and Hull Numbers

Keel Bolt page Keel bolts

June 2021 Lip Seals for top of rudder shaft

March 2021 Removing and Replacing interior fittings Westerly Woodwork

Feb 2021 Roger Clark's ZOOM presentation on finishing interior woodwork File:Interior Woodwork Concerto PowerPoint.pdf

Feb 2021 Roger Clark's ZOOM presentation on vinyl headlining File:Vinyl Headling Concerto PowerPoint.pdf

December 2020 Steaming Ply

Ocean 49 pictures Ocean 49

June 2020 How to service a simple winch

May 2020 Roger Clark's presentation to ECG on hull finishing File:Gel coat renovation 19May2020.pdf

Jan 2020 Roger Clark's presentation to RYA London & South East Conference Concerto

Sept 2019 Rudder Bush Drawings and Images Rudder Bush Drawings

March 2019 Blisters on a Rudder

March 2019 Bi-fold doors on Pageant Bi-fold doors on Pageant

March 2019 Corsair Linear Drive AutoPilot Corsair_Maintenance_and_Repair#Linear_Drive_Autopilot

February 2019 Centaur Rudder Bearings Centaur Rudder bearings

January 2019 How much antifoul do you need Antifoul Quantities

November 2018 Fitting a Wind Generator on a Mizzen Mast Fitting a Wind Generator on a Solway

November 2018 Removing Keel son a Berwick Removing Keels on a Berwick

November 2018 Re-bedding keels article by Mike Crummy (now with pictures). Work done on a Renown but generally applicable Talk:Re bedding Keels

November 2018 What Varnish Did Westerly use Varnish

October 2018 Solway Rudder Bearing Replacement Replacing Solway Rudder Bearing

October 2018 Discus/W33 Updates and more pictures Rudder Bearing Replacement

August 2018 Electric boat Conversion Electric Boat

April 2018 W33 Screen Replacement W33 Screen Replacement

April 2018 Whitlock cable steering on Discus or W33 Steering_Quadrant,_conduit_and_cable_replacement

March 2018 Cheap Exhaust Manifold DV10/20 Exhaust Elbow

January 2018 3D printing 3D Printing - Various Parts

January 2016 Griffon repairs / cutless bearing / Chain plate repair. [1]

January 2016 Westerly Yahoo Group contribution on removing Fulmar Fuel Tank Fulmar_Maintenance_and_Repair

January 2016 Make your Hatch slide easily without messy black grease Hatch Slides

The Westerly Companies

Around the start of 1963 Commander Denys Rayner , an established yacht designer (see Before Westerly ), was approached by Hilary Scott, a man of some means, to design a GRP yacht to be built by a new company he wanted set up. Rayner designed the Westerly™ - a 22ft yacht similar in some respects to a wooden yacht he had designed earlier; the boat was subsequently renamed the Westerly 22™. After some discussion, Rayner became MD of the new company, whilst Scott and a solicitor called Michael Hurd became its non-executive directors. That company, founded in March 1963, was called "Westerly Marine Construction Ltd"™, the first of several companies to own the Westerly brand name, and usually referred to as just "Westerly" see A Brief Corporate History of Westerly Over the decades that Westerly in it's various incarnations dominated the UK leisure yachting industry they employed the best designers of the day including John Butler , Ian Proctor , Jack Laurent Giles , Chris Hawkins, Mike Pocock, Ed Dubois , and Ron Holland ; and from beginning to end, Westerly established and maintained a reputation for their excellent GRP layup and strength of build.

Read a comprehensive history of the company here: A Brief Corporate History of Westerly

Pictures and Stories about life and times at Westerly Marine Construction Ltd here Westerly Yard "Scrapbook"

Westerly Classes

F - Fin Keel

B - Bilge or Twin Fin

L - Lifting Keel

T - Triple Keel

Original Westerly Brochures for many classes can be found here: Westerly Brochures

Maintenance, Repair and Upgrades

General boat maintenance topics-

Headlining, Varnish, Deck Paint, Hatch Slides.....

Westerly Brochures

Westerly produced many brochures during the time they were in business. On this Wiki you will find most of the brochures Westerly have ever made but, very likely, not all. The good news is that there is at least one brochure for every model ever build.

Sometimes a model (for example the Chieftan) had different brochures that on first view look similar. The only difference could be as small as another printing date. It is not always possible to find the date that the brochure was produced. In those cases "19xx" is been used.To make this Wiki as complete as possible these brochures have also been uploaded. If you have a brochure or an advertisement that is not on this Wiki please send it to us. We will make it available on the Wiki.

Westerly Pricelists

Here you find the price lists of the past. If you have a price list that is not on this WIKI please sent it to use. We will make it available on the Wiki.

Westerly Manuals

PDF copies of the original Westerly handbooks.

File:WesterlyManual.pdf

File:Owners manual.pdf

Yard Numbers, Sail Numbers, Hull Numbers, Official Number (ON), Small Ships Register (SSR) Number and Registered Tonnage

Yard_Numbers,_Sail_Numbers,_and_Hull_Numbers

Buying and Selling a Westerly?

The best maintained Westerlys are sailed by members of The Westerly Owners Association:

Westerly Owners Association "For Sale" pages here

File:CENTAUR PURCHASE ADVICE.pdf Paul Shave's Article Buying a Centaur. The most comprehensive and informed discussion of what to look for!

Racing a Westerly

Some information about handicaps.

Useful Resources

• Westerly Owners Association Web Site
• The WOA Forum great for posting questions for anything not covered here
• Westerly's Today. Join The Westerly Owners Association here: and become a member of the Westerly Owners Association fleet.
• Westerly Owners' Association Facebook Page
• The Westerly Story Get a copy of "The Westerly Story" here
• Westerly Club Nederland
• World Cruising and Sailing Wiki - An On-Line Free Cruising Guide with useful links
• The merits of twin keels
• Animated knots

Navigation and Pilotage

• Nav Info for Channel Isles and Northern France

Guidance for Contributors

This is an open Wiki so anyone can contribute. Please open an account and log in using your real name. The basic syntax is simple so with a little reading through the Help under Navigation and/or the FAQ link below any one can enter material and edit text. For more complex layout editing some knowledge of a language such as HTML will help or you can email the Sysops and leave a request for support at [email protected]. Contributors should endeavour to review the best available information on a topic and submit a digest of that information to the Wiki. Prime sources of information will include personal experience (preferred), magazines, the WOA Web site and discussion groups such as WOA and Yahoo. Material should not be lifted verbatim rather a digested version should be presented in the Wiki. There are generally several alternative approaches or opinions about any task and Wiki contributors should endeavour to identify these alternatives and provide hooks (follow on pages) to the alternatives. Even if the information is not available to the original contributor someone else can later add that information. Reprints of chatty Practical Boat Owner type articles are not recommended because this is not Wiki style. The "How I did it" article which is suitable for a magazine is generally just one view and the Wiki needs to recognise alternates. You should also add a Resources section where applicable providing links to suppliers web sites and a References section listing sources of material used in the compilation of the section.

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Westerly Kits

Popular sewn linings for many of the Westerly range of models. If your model is not listed, we can usually help by duplicating your existing lining so please call us for details and advice.

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Westerly Griffon Forehatch Replacement

• Thread starter Andrew_Trayfoot
• Start date 11 Oct 2007
• 11 Oct 2007

Andrew_Trayfoot

Active member.

Does anyone know who made the original Griffon forehatch and if there if a direct replacement currently available. Many thanks Andrew  

try http://www.westerly-yachts.co.uk/ they will probably know....  

Trafalgar Yacht Services specialise in Westerly spares and the folk there have a deep knowledge of who made what ( a tough task bearing in mind the number of suppliers involved as the company jumped in and out of solvency).  

Well-known member

Caroline Hardy at Trafalgar Yachts will probably be able to advise (see the link Spike57 has given for a phone number) Failing that try either the WOA forum , normally at http://westerly-owners.co.uk/woabb/index.php but off line at the moment or the WOA Yahoo discussion group . See thw WOA website http://westerly-owners.co.uk/ for the link  

• 12 Oct 2007

I think a member whose site is saltyjohn?? on here does hatches at greatly reduced prices  

I just wanted to welcome another Griffon owner to the forums. I don't have an answer for you question, as I have decided tour forehatch can last at least another season or so. What's up with yours? Our has crazed perpex, and part of the hinge is damaged, but I fixed the leak (fingers crossed) last winter.  

I too have a Mk1 Griffon where the forehatch is leaking and needs replacing/resealing. Trafalgar Yacht Services do have suitable replacements ( My original was made by Campa) but I believe that there may be problems in removing the hatch as Westerly glassed over the nuts on the fastening bolts under the deckhead. Advice from anyone who has actually done this job would be great!  

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Boats for Sale

Westerly sailboats.

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Westerly Sailboats Information

Westerly sailboats were built by Westerly Marine Construction, Ltd., a company that was founded by Commander Denys Rayner in the early 1960's. Rayner was a sailboat designer at heart with a passion for rugged little boats that could be taken to sea and brought home with little fuss. In fact, he wrote several books on sailing small crafts, and although technology has transformed sailing in the years since, his books and guides still manage to impart a timeless wisdom on the subject. in the late 1950's Rayner collaborated with a local manufacturer of plywood caravans to design plywood dinghies to be offered along with them. This turn of events led to the founding of the Beacon Boat Company, where Rayner also began building and selling small sailboats with very distinctive designs which eventually led to the first Westcoaster. Rayner built and sold about 60 of his Westcoaster sailboats, and along the way began experimenting with a new process of building hulls with glass reinforced plastic, or GRP. In 1963 he moved his expanding enterprise of GRP family sailing boats to a new location as the firm of Westerly Marine Construction, Ltd. Westerly Marine grew to become Britain's largest yacht building company and during the 1970's was considered a leader in family yachts. The Westerly 22 was the first sailboat produced by Westerly Marine and was based largely on Rayner's original Westcoaster design. The Westerly 25, 28, 21, and 33 followed as new models emerged, sometimes several per year, until Westerly Sailboats ceased operations in 2000 .  

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Westerly Ocean 37 review: from the archive

• Matthew Sheahan
• June 2, 2021

Matthew Sheahan gets behind the wheel of the Westerly Ocean 37 to find out what she's made of and see how she stacks up against her closest rival from Jeanneau

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

Matthew Sheahan investigates a new mid-range cruiser, the Westerly Ocean 37, to find out what you get for your money

There’s one thing that needs clearing up from the start. Whether Westerly intended her parentage to be common knowledge or not, the cat’s now out of the bag.

The new Westerly Ocean 37 has the hull of the early 1990s Dubois-designed Westerly Typhoon.

I’ve a hunch that some may criticise her for this, but not me. Typhoons were popular boats, with the kind of good manners and reputation that gets them into all the best households.

And makes them difficult to find on the second-hand market.

Most are snatched up quickly for the same money as when they were new, something that certainly can’t be said for many of today’s plastic fantasties.

In my book, the Westerly Ocean 37 starts on even points for looks when set against the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 .

She may have a more mature appearance in parts, with her slightly more pronounced overhangs and the square section teak rubbing strake.

But the bottom line is that she’s one of those boats that just looks right and for some buyers that could be all that’s required to tip the balance.

Elsewhere she’s been tweaked to improve her performance, with a larger mainsail and taller mast, along with new keel and rudder foils.

When you compare her with the Jeanneau she sets more sail (33 per cent upwind) and is stiffer which makes her a more potent yacht all round.

But despite turning up the power, she doesn’t feel over­powered. In fact, quite the opposite, thanks partly to the ease with which you can handle her.

A big factor here is the conventional block and tackle mainsheet system in the cockpit which allows quick, simple and safe control by the crew or the helmsman.

Her deep narrow cockpit is good news. It feels very secure when you’re moving about or trimming, especially when heeled.

Under these conditions, and especially when you go to put in a reef, the long trough-like companionway, (a popular detail on the 33 and deliberately included aboard this boat), provides a very safe area from which to operate the reef lines.

Elsewhere her deck layout is similar to the Jeanneau’s although I’d give the Westerly Ocean 37 the edge when it comes to overall quality.

Where she might lose out, however, is in her on-deck stowage-she lacks an anchor locker in the foredeck and a few smaller rope lockers would be useful.

Accommodation and construction

You’d be hard pushed to find a bigger difference between two similar-sized production boats than there is between these two clown below.

Where the Jeanncau is open, spacious and seems more living room than saloon, the Westerly feels small, narrow and traditional.

Rich, deep-coloured teak joinery emphasises the cramped feeling and the steep companionway doesn’t help.

There is no getting away from it, this is a boat with old fashioned values – but don’t write her off just yet.

Within minutes my attention had been drawn away from her chunky looks and solid feel. Lift a few cushions, open a few lockers and you’ll find everywhere behind the scenes has been finished to a high standard.

There’s not a hint or Velcro, nor a single plastic retaining catch to wrestle with at the bottom of a door. Instead, simple pop studs hold cushions in place and brass hooks stop the doors from swinging at sea.

This is a boat that has been built to last, whatever you do with her.

The layout is pretty conventional and broadly mirrors the Jeanncau’s with two double cabins, U-shaped saloon seating with a bench type saloon seat opposite and a galley and navigation station either side of the companionway.

When it comes to the basic construction of hull and deck, she’s built with a solid laminate hull with the additional stiffening laminated into the structure in the normal way.

Even though the Westerly is undoubtedly better finished, there is little to choose between the two if you were looking to base your decision on layout and construction alone. But where they do differ is in their proportions.

The Westerly’s wider side decks make it very much easier to move about on deck but this does cramp her style down below.

In addition to this, more space is given to the dedicated navigation station, where decent provision is made for instruments, charts and general stowage.

The Westerly Ocean 37 has two heads, further reducing available space and, although she has similar saloon seating to the Jeanneau, the Westerly’s feels tighter, more up­right and awkward to access.

Add to this the smaller galley worktop space, a considerably smaller fridge and fewer deck hatches, making her interior darker, the overall feel is one of a much smaller boat.

Westerly Ocean 37 under way

The Westerly has a simple bottlescrew on the backstay and pin stop genoa cars. The Westerly strains at the leash to show you just what she can do. But don’t get me wrong; she’s not a handful – quite the opposite.

The Westerly Ocean 37 is silky smooth, easily driven and quicker on all points of sail, easily slipping along at 6 to 6.2 knots in the same breeze.

There are some boats that just feel like they want to sail all day and night for as long as you like and the Ocean 37 is one of them. Present her with a few waves or a steep wash and she’ll simply slice through them.

She may only be 37ft but the Westerly Ocean 37 is a competent go-anywhere cruiser which is as happy pottering around sheltered waters as she is driving on when the going gets messy offshore.

It is at this point that her tighter-fitting accommoda­tion comes into its own-she’s a far easier boat to move about in underway when pushed than its rival the more spacious Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37.

But not everyone wants to pay for a boat with the kind of off-road capabilities that come as standard with the Westerly.

Indeed, many production builders have seen the opportunity to produce a cruiser that reflects the popular kind of cruising where overnight passages are an exception rather than the rule.

First published in the June 2000 issue of YW.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Westerly Konsort review: a re-purchase 40 years on

• Rachael Sprot
• June 9, 2023

As families grow up they inevitably grow out of their boats. Rachael Sprot joins one family who’ve re-purchased the Westerly Konsort they commissioned more than 40 years ago. Has the Westerly Konsort had its day, or is it a boat for all seasons?

Product Overview

When fellow sailing instructor Liz Le Mare invited me aboard her recently acquired boat, I didn’t need much persuading. She’d recently married a fiercely competitive dinghy sailor, Richard, and their wedding had included a mini-regatta in Portland harbour. So I was a little surprised to learn that the boat in question was a Westerly Konsort. It didn’t seem like the natural choice for a couple who’d crossed the start line of their marriage in a Kestrel racing dinghy.

Having never sailed a Westerly Konsort before though, my curiosity was piqued. The British boat builder left an indelible mark on the cruising sailor’s psyche and my lack of experience was an omission I was particularly keen to remedy.

The name Westerly evokes a strong reaction from some. The Marmite of the boat world, their distinctive lines are unapologetically practical and uniquely British. For many, the name is synonymous with some of the most successful yacht designs of the 20th century. To others, they’re an acquired taste and, like the flared jeans or cheese and pineapple sticks of the same decade, very much of their time.

The Westerly Konsort was the last of the Laurent Giles designs before the switch to Ed Dubois. With their trademark knuckle bows and bulky coachroofs, the earlier Laurent Giles models now look very dated. With the Westerly Konsort, though, these features are softened. In boat design evolutionary terms, she represents the missing link between the two subspecies.

At first glance the Westerly Konsort is a fairly conventional design, but in one dimension she was unusual: her beam. At 3.3m, it’s equal to that of a Sadler 34 and considerably out-girths her peers. Not only this, but she also carries it well aft and well forward. It was a bold move that paid off: the voluminous interior was a hit and over 700 Konsorts were made between 1979 and 1991.

All lines are led aft. Genoa car tracks have a good range. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

A family affair

The day before the test sail Liz announced that her mother, Juliet, would be coming along, and that Bifrost was actually Juliet’s boat. It turned out that Liz’s parents, Juliet and Anthony Austin, had commissioned her at the 1979 Earls Court Boatshow.

After several years cruising the English Channel during school holidays, life became busier. By 1984 they’d relocated to Kent and reluctantly, Bifrost was sold. The boat had been a wonderful part of their lives, but everything has its season.

Thirty-eight years later, Anthony had just walked Liz up the aisle before his health dramatically deteriorated. He was ill in hospital and Juliet and Liz were on their way to visit him when they received a phone call out of the blue. It was Juliet’s cousin. ‘I’ve got this boat called Bifrost and your name’s on the papers,’ she said. ‘We can’t cope with her any more, I don’t suppose you want her back?’ They agreed immediately.

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That was June 2022. Liz collected the boat which had been lying in Chichester Marina partially abandoned and started restoring her. By now Juliet was caring for Anthony full time and hadn’t managed to visit the boat. Almost a year later, with her 79th birthday approaching, Liz asked Juliet what she’d like. ‘I just want to sail Bifrost again,’ she replied. The photoshoot for this article coincided perfectly, and almost 40 years since the boat was sold, they were reunited.

There’s a generous cockpit. The mainsheet traveller was on the transom as standard. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Built to last

It was an emotional moment as Juliet walked down the pontoon towards her new old boat. ‘Well darling,’ she remarked to Liz, ‘I know you said she was a bit battered, but she’s considerably less battered than me.’ The hulls were built to Lloyd’s approval and they’re generally acknowledged to have very substantial layups.

The decks are balsa-cored, although plywood pads beneath deck fittings and a hardwood kingplank on the centreline should give some protection against water ingress and flexing. We put the foredeck to the test by hoisting and gybing spinnaker that afternoon, and there didn’t appear to be any areas of softness. It helps that they’re unlikely to have been stressed by racing or major offshore passages.

The hull-to-deck join is disguised under the teak rubbing streak which gives the hull extra protection and Bifrost ’s topsides were in good condition for a 43-year-old boat.

There are plenty of clutches for lines to the coachroof winches. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

The mast is deck-stepped with cap shrouds and lowers terminating on separate chain plates with chunky tie rods in the saloon. On an old boat it’s reassuring that things weren’t whittled down in pursuit of pace or profit.

The Konsort came with a choice of keel configurations: bilge keel being the most popular, some fin keels and a handful of lifting keels. Bifrost has a fin keel with a 1.6m draught. The early boats had a plywood stiffening matrix around the keel, but this proved to be inadequate and Westerly soon swapped to a top-hat style foam-cored matrix, which was much more substantial. Bifrost , like many of the boats with the original design, has been upgraded.

A transom hung rudder feels well balanced. The rig is a typical masthead and overlapping genoa configuration. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Broad shoulders

Stepping on board there’s an immediate sense of security. Her beam provides plenty of form stability, the stanchions are a decent height and the side decks are wide enough to move along with ease. The shrouds are set in board allowing safe passage along the side decks. The high coachroof means that the teak grab rail on top is within easy reach.

You might not buy a Westerly Konsort with spinnaker work in mind, but the foredeck is an excellent platform for sail handling if you feel the urge. Not only is it wide, but the volume copes well with the weight forwards. Two of us set up the pole without worrying about trim. A lesser boat would have protested at such flagrant disregard for gravity.

Side decks are wide and clear and there’s space to work on deck. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

The cockpit is one of my favourite features. The coamings are deep and it feels safe and enclosed with the forward end protected by the high coachroof. ‘Once the sprayhood’s up,’ remarked Richard, ‘you can hunker down behind it and stay totally dry.’

There’s plenty of room for four when sailing. In harbour, lift the tiller to the transom hung rudder and you’ll accommodate eight for sundowners (don’t forget the cheese and pineapple). Originally mounted on a moulding across the transom the previous owners had moved the traveller to the middle of the cockpit. ‘I think it’s a mistake,’ Juliet rued, ‘it was so nice to have it out of the way.’ A deep cockpit locker on the starboard side swallows up liferaft, dinghy and fenders, as well as giving access to the engine and stern gear.

There was a light south-easterly breeze as we motored out of Portsmouth Harbour. Juliet took the helm looking as though she and Bifrost had never been apart. Liz hoisted the main from the cockpit: almost all the lines run aft making her easy to sail short-handed.

With more than 700 built, the Konsort makes a good family cruising boat on a budget. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Easy sailing

We unfurled an enormous genoa and set off upwind, making 3-4 knots in 6-9 knots true wind. She wasn’t particularly close winded but we made 50° apparent despite the old sails. ‘ Bifrost has always been a quick boat,’ remarked Liz. She won her class in the Round The Island race in the 1980s, surfing at 12.5kn round the back of the island.

She also took first place in the Westerly Konsort regatta last year, despite the handicap she gave to the bilge keelers.

She coped better with the light airs than I’d imagined, aided by the generous genoa which, though awkward to tack, it would be a shame to cut down. In Bifrost ’s case the lack of self-tailing winches could make long beats hard work but the rest of the time you need the sail area.

Cruising with the kite up was plenty easy. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Smooth kitework

‘You know,’ said Juliet wistfully, ‘I’ve never helmed this boat under spinnaker.’ Whisper the word to a dinghy sailor like Richard and consider it already flying.

We set up for a broad reach and in the light airs Bifrost ambled downwind sedately. Easing the pole forwards we came up to about 110° apparent before the guy needed re-rigging around a stanchion. With the pole aft she ran down wind comfortably. Unlike the fine-ended designs of the same era, which have a tendency to roll, she felt stable on the deeper angles.

We made a couple of end-for-end gybes and I was impressed that we could rig all the right lines to all the right places – it would have been harder on many modern boats with their minimalist cockpit layouts. With the spinnaker apprenticeship complete, and the Westerly Konsort’s docile temperament confirmed, we returned to Portsmouth Harbour.

The galley is small but functional, with extra work surface on the engine box. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Originally fitted with Volvo 25 or Bukh 20 engines, many have been upgraded, often with the Bukh 24, like Bifrost . Bukh engines have a reputation for being reliable and easy to maintain. We made 4.4 knots at 2200rpm with a dirty bottom and fixed, 3-bladed prop. ‘She’s a 5-knot passage boat under sail or power’, said Juliet.

It’s the interior that’s the major selling point though. You feel as though you’re in a boat which is 3-4ft longer. The layout is typical of its era with a large quarter berth on the port side and forward facing nav station. The quarter berth is enormous, almost a true double, or useful stowage.

The L-shaped galley to starboard is small but snug. It accommodates a proper cooker, cool box in the work surface and single sink. There’s stowage in the lockers behind the stove and cubby holes for crockery built into the aft bulkhead, with additional lockers in the saloon and behind the seats.

Admirals and admirals

Some people find the size of the engine box an encumbrance, but it does give good access for major repairs. It also creates an excellent platform to transition between above and below decks.

With room for two in the generous companionway, there’d be no fighting over who’s the admiral. The saloon feels light and spacious. Head room of around 6ft is impressive on a boat under 30ft. The table was originally bulkhead-mounted, though Bifrost had been upgraded with a fixed one mounted on the centreline.

Forwards of the saloon bulkhead there’s a heads compartment with sliding sink on rails and large wet locker opposite. The huge vee berth beyond is another major selling point and makes living aboard a realistic prospect.

Built to be rebuilt

Saggy headlining haunts boats of this era. Bifrost ’s wasn’t in bad condition but it’s a job that will certainly need doing every so often.

The joinery has withstood the test of time. There’s lots of solid teak which would respond to a rub back and varnish, and teak-faced plywood bulkheads were unblemished by blooms of damp. In places where the veneer had broken down, such as the galley, it would be easy enough to replace a panel. Liz commented that she hasn’t had to pump the bilges in almost a year of ownership.

Straight settee berths line the saloon, and the table has been upgraded to a fixed centreline unit. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

The Westerly Owners’ Association is a treasure trove of information. Forum topics include 3D printing obsolete hatch hinges. It tells you a lot about the people who buy these boats and also that these vessels will reward you if they are looked after properly. Because the underlying build quality is good, they can be given a new lease of life.

Back to the future

Coming back into Port Solent I noticed the full length chine of Sunsail’s modern Jeanneaus. Did that bulky bow have its genesis in the Westerly knuckle, I wondered? Perhaps Laurent Giles was more visionary than we give them credit for – flares are back in fashion after all. For everything there is a season, and the thing about seasons is that they come round again.

The Westerly Konsort will please all kinds of sailors. She’s forgiving on novice crew yet she’s also set up to be sailed properly. ‘She’s our Round Britain boat,’ Liz explained, though I couldn’t help thinking she might be Richard’s ‘Round the Cans’ boat too.

There’s a proper chart table ahead of a large quarter berth that often gets used for stowing bulky kit. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

At under £20,000, the Westerly Konsort makes cruising an achievable reality for many. Juliet, once a scholar of Norse mythology, chose the name Bifrost because it’s the bridge between the realm of humans and the realm of the gods. ‘In other words,’ she explained, ‘it’s the bridge to your dreams.’

Expert opinion

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, Marine Surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

From a surveyor’s point of view, the Westerly Konsort 29 is a well put together yacht, with good quality plywood bulkheads that were properly bonded in. Early versions featured a fold-down saloon table and a Volvo Penta engine, with later versions being fitted with a Bukh engine.

Making good progress upwind. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Look out for deck movement. All Konsort 29s have a balsa core, and I’ve witnessed problems when owners have fitted extra deck fittings for boathooks and cleats, and haven’t thought to remove the core and fit a proper backing pad. When it comes to mast steps, look closely for any potential slumping of the deck moulding. It’s a common issue on many yachts when the builder uses a section of plywood and it gets wet over a long period of time. Rudders are transom hung, so look out for wear and movement of the gudgeon and pintles and tea-staining of both rudder and transom fastenings from hidden corrosion.

The craft came with three versions of keel – lift, fin and the popular twin keel arrangement. Inspection of the fastenings and the condition of the reinforcement around them is important. If you have any concerns, then the keel/s should come off. When doing a survey I like to do a tip test on the keels and see if the laminate around the keel root has any movement. While keel root failures are rare, I’ve had a few in recent years where they have taken the ground with every tide over many years. Many of the craft do suffer from damp hull laminate that can be dealt with.

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All Westerly Boats For Sale

Westerly yachts.

Westerly yachts are still are extremely popular, despite Westerly closing its doors for the last time in the late 1980s. You will still find many westerly yachts in most British marinas and boatyards, and they are a familiar brand name among all sailors. 

Commander D Rainer was the founding owner of Westerly yachts, which was back in 1963. Since then, they peaked in the late ’70s and early ’80s and dominated the UK leisure yachting industry.   

Westerly yachts are best remembered for their well built and rugged construction. There is a superb selection of eye-catching and stylish Westerly boats in current circulation, including the Fulmar, Tempest, Oceanlord and Storm models.

If you are an owner, you can get involved with the Westerly Owners Association. Founded in 1966, the owners club has grown to become the largest yacht owners group globally and has over 3,000 members. 

There are many benefits to be enjoyed here with advice, information, camaraderie and great technical support available to each member. On top of this, regular functions are organised, and a free copy of ‘The Westerly Story’ is given to each member upon enrolling.

Manufacturers Contact Details

Westerly Yachts are no longer manufactured. Trafalgar Yachts were a fantastic source of historical information when I checked 

TRAFALGAR YACHT SERVICES

Specialise in yachts built by Westerly from 1963 until 2000. Trafalgar Yacht Services say, "having both worked for that company and run our own business since 1994." They specialise in the sale of Westerly Yacht spares supplied on-site or by mail order. Trafalgar Yacht Services

also provide free technical information to the best of our knowledge. Most impressive was the free service offered when searching for VAT status. As custodians of Westerly's documentation's remains can often help with a particular boat's history, including VAT status. Our general chandlery stocks a wide range of products for refurbishing all types of craft.

Trafalgar Yachts link to the  site for historical info 

Owners Association:     westerly-owners.co.uk

Update by  Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona  Jan 2121

Westerly boats previously for sale

Oceanlord 40' 5"

Westerly O... 38' 0"

Oceanlord 41 40' 6"

Westerly O... 34' 6"

Ocean Ranger 38' 0"

Westerly O... 40' 6"

Westerly O... 34' 7"

Oceanrange... 38' 0"

Westerly 3... 35' 5"

Oceanrange... 37' 9"

Westerly S... 33' 9"

Westerly R... 34' 7"

Oceanquest 35 34' 4"

Westerly S... 39' 0"

Westerly C... 35' 9"

Westerly D... 33' 3"

Westerly O... 35' 0"

Westerly F... 31' 11"

Westerly S... 33' "

Corsair 36 36' 0"

Westerly S... 34' 7"

Westerly C... 35' 8"

Westerly S... 33' 2"

Westerly F... 32' "

Conway CY 249 35' 10"

Conway 36' 0"

Westerly K... 28' 10"

Westerly 3... 33' 3"

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