Boat of the Month: Outlaw by Illingworth and Primrose.

 - 1963 Outlaw by I & P.

- I became acquainted with John Illingworth by sailing his boats.

- Eider 2, a transom stern Maica and Giraglia Race winner, Chin Blue, Maryka; Oryx; Monk of Malham and Merle of Malham. This variety of sailboats took me from the Med to England, to Holland, and to Denmark. Every summer was spent on the water and racing. I did not have the means to own and sail small boats but for a couple of exceptions, therefore I took ocean racing instead where you just have to show up and be willing to do anything and to learn fast in a competitive environment

- This started when I was 16 years old, enamored by yacht design, designers and to be on the water to race.

- Outlaw came out in 1963 and represented in my eyes to be the epitome of a racing machine. I never sailed the boat, just eye candy for me. This is why I dedicate this Boat of the Month to the I & P designed Outlaw.


-Thanks to Julian Everitt retrieved pictures, I can add to my basic Rhino rendering presentation.

- The Lines Plan shows a light displacement ocean racer, for the time; pretty much in lines with the much smaller and earlier designed Blue Charm. The keel represents a fair amount of surface and volume that I can be described as fin keel but without a separate spade or skeg hung rudder that you would find to be the norm in later years. The profile shows an ever so slightly reverse sheerline which adds to the aggressivity of this design. Sheerlines are hard to do well whatever shape you try to achieve and a definitive signature given to the whole boat. I think that this reverse line is a subtle success in the genre.

- Principal characteristics:
L.O.A 48'-6"; L.W.L 39'-9"; Max Beam 13 ft; Draft 8'-2 1/2"; Displacement 32,500 Lbs.; Total measured Sail Area: 992 sq/ft.

- The wooden construction is cold moulded with 8 glued layers of 3mm over a mold. Souters build the boat. In later years I had the pleasure, working for Dick Carter to have an Admiral's Cup winning boat; Frigate built in the same yard and with the same type of construction.

- The interior arrangement with the multiple partitions, fore and aft, and longitudinally further rigidify the structure. Details show the aft cabin with its access on the centreline between the two companionways; it is a feature often seen on I & P designs. The rest of the accommodation is self-explanatory by looking at the above drawing.

- Hanging low the lead ballast for stability explains the remarkable ability for this boat to go to weather. The originality of the sail plan also contributes to the drive to windward.   

- Outlaw was excellent going upwind as you can imagine but not remarkable going downwind. A narrow stern and to much dead rise where still the fashion in those days and reflect the emphasize to go fast to weather.


- You can also read on this Blog: Mentors.
- Other Boat of the Month April 2020, Oceanus, and another Boat of the Month August 2016, Black Soo.

- A successor to Outlaw is Oryx of similar size.  Build by Raymond Labbe in St Malo for Francis Bouygues (see Mentors above). I did a couple of seasons on her, including a Fastnet Race.