Washington Winter Show 2015

A Personal Reminiscence HINCKLEY YACHTS 50 This page is sponsored by Mrs. William G. Curtin, Mrs. Dynes L. Leitch, and Mrs. Malcolm Matheson III T here’s an aura about a Hinckley that’s not easily put into words. Whenever I see one my breathing slows, and I swear my heart skips a beat. Whatever the source of this mystique — it may be the design, the heritage, or the incomparable way they handle. Over the years the name has embedded itself into the hearts and minds of yachtsmen and aspiring sailors alike. It’s little wonder then that the name instantly commands attention and respect, be it on the docks of a yacht club in France, or at the bar of a Manhattan restaurant. It is this draw that led me to purchase and restore a vintage Hinckley Bermuda 40 Yawl, and recently write the new coffee table book titled Hinckley Yachts: An American Icon. I can still remember as a child my father pointing out every Hinckley that came into the harbor. “That’s a Hinckley,” he would say, with an immense sense of pride — as if trying to teach me about their legacy and place in yachting history. And what is interesting is that my father wasn’t a Hinckley owner, yet the world would always be sure to recognize the presence and beautiful lines of this iconic yacht builder. Those early childhood experiences began my love affair with Hinckley Yachts. I’d search them out in every harbor I visited, always getting as close as possible to admire their beauty. I can remember being around 11 or 12 years old, having just returned from a sailing lesson at the Huntington by Nick Voulgaris III Courtship, a Talaria 48 cruising off of Martha’s Vineyard, MA.