Pushing the Shipman to the limits of the CE rule of 24 m gave birth to the Shipman 80. It remains the largest Shipman built to date, after the 2008 crisis chased away all the perspective buyers of larger Shipmans (100, 130 and 150). 

The Shipman 80’s naval architecture was based on a series of extensive tank testing which enabled the over thirty-ton yacht to be sailed by a couple as easily as a small boat. It was well-behaved, easily controlled, and faster than any earlier cruising boat. 

 The design of the deck and interior, and of the communication between deck and interior, was perfected and optimized as never before. The cockpit layout strictly separated the two steering and maneuvering posts from the guest area, and the salon allowed for a generous 360 degree view with comfortable owner’s quarters just a step away. At anchor, with generator and air conditioning running, noise levels were 45 dB in the owner’s cabin and 48 dB in salon. 

First sea trials astonished the first owner—and us. At 6 knots wind speed the Shipman 80 moved smoothly at 9 knots, and at 14 knots wind speed we were sailing at 14 knots… At engine trials the speedometer showed a max of 13 knots, with a 240 HP Yanmar, and the 3-blade Gori prop.

In 2010, the Shipman 80 “Bambochip” won the ARC transatlantic race with a well-seasoned crew where the youngest member had five decades of sailing experience…