If you were to step inside the Spirit yard, you would be met with the warm, natural smell of timber and a cacophony of boat-building sounds ranging from buzzing sanders to the tapping of chisels. Once your eyes take in the craftsmen and women busy at work, you would then begin to notice the details of the projects they are creating.

Upon entering the yard, the 72ft silhouette of the new Spirit 72DH (Deckhouse) looms from up high. Peering into the hull, you would see the interior carcassing (plywood phase) is complete with the final trims, panels and cupboard doors to follow. The deck beams are being fitted to allow the sub-deck to be added by the end of the year. In January, the team will lay the Lignia decking and fit the hand-crafted Sipo Mahogany cap rail.

Designed for Mediterranean family cruising and occasional racing, the Spirit 72DH is a deckhouse with a difference. Spirit has focused on weight reduction throughout the build to deliver performance on the water. In the interior, the 72DH is the first Spirit deckhouse without a ‘mid-level’ seating and navigation area linking the cockpit and the main interior space. Instead, the companionway steps lead straight down into the open plan galley.

In front of the 72DH, is the smaller but equally pretty form of the Spirit 30. She is a lightweight day sailor designed for cruising and racing in coastal or lake locations. Having overlaid the timber hull with a flax fabric and bio resin barrier, the yacht was rolled over to allow fit out to begin. The bow and stern internal areas have now been varnished, the plywood is down on the deck and the team is working on the cockpit.

Watch a timelapse video of the Spirit 30 hull build here.

The Spirit 30 was due to be revealed at the Düsseldorf boat show, which has been postponed to 17th – 25th April 2021. To register interest in viewing the yacht (either at an event or at Spirit’s Suffolk headquarters) email enquiries@spirityachts.com.