Designed and build by William Fife in 1903, Moonbeam had a major restoration in the late 1980s. That work has allowed her to be one of the most prominent yachts on the classic yacht circuit in the Mediterranean and more recently on the Channel.
Such is her fame today that few realise that the cutter rig she has now carried for over 40 years was invented in the 1980 and bares little relation to the yawl rig that Fife originally designed and for which she was so admired when new.
Aware of this, her current owner commissioned G. L. Watson & Co. to produce a complete design package to allow Moonbeam to be restored to her original rig. The work was carried out faithfully using the original Fife drawings held by Scottish Yachting Archives and if implemented will allow 21st century sailors to appreciate the beauty of the large gaff yawl rig of which no examples are currently sailing.
