For much of the last 40 years, Chuck Paine has been recognized as among the world’s most prolific and sought-after yacht designers. Numerous Paine-designed yachts have sailed around the world and more than a few have been termed masterpieces, winning the American yachting press’s “Boat of the Year” award more often than any other living designer. Yacht design isn’t just a business for Chuck Paine; it’s a calling. It has not escaped Chuck’s notice that the majority of large sailboats today spend their lives unused in marinas, incurring slip fees and maintenance expenses without providing any enjoyment to their owners.
So in the past few years, Chuck has devoted his talents to a new era in yacht design: designing and building small, elegant, easily usable, classic sailboats with eternal appeal, affordable in view of their gemstone quality; but like all of his oeuvre to date, devoid of any pretense of being cheap. This site provides access to Chuck’s sizable archive of yacht designs and highlights the growing portfolio of small, easily maintained and easily gotten going designs he is focusing on these days. Enjoy.