In the mid-1970s, Gordon Fisher, a respected Canadian sailor, commissioned designer Mark Ellis to create a design for a cruising sailboat which would have decent accommodations, but still be easy for a singlehander to manage.[2] Ellis designed a Ljungström rig, modified with a wishbone boom, on a 30-foot modern hull with a plumb bow, fin keel and balanced rudder. A beam of nearly 12 feet and cambered house-top created a large interior with accommodation equal to a standard yacht several feet longer.[3]George Hinterhoeller, after some initial reservations about the design, agreed to build the boats, and the first Nonsuch 30 rolled out of his shop in the summer of 1978.[4]
Additional models were created in 22, 26, 32, 33, 36 and 45 foot lengths, with the 26 and 30 both available in "Classic" and "Ultra" configurations. The original boats were built with an unstayed, two-piece aluminum mast and wishbone boom.[citation needed] In later years, under new ownership, the factory produced new versions of 3 of its models, all with shoal draft keels one-piece carbon fiber masts. By the time Hinterhoeller closed its doors in January 1996, a total of 975 Nonsuch boats had been built.[2]
Reviewer Steve Killing noted, "The Nonsuch series of cat-rigged sailboats was one of the success stories of the 1980s. The hulls that many thought to be "funny-looking" have now found acceptance".[5]
The Nonsuch series of boats are generally considered to be very sturdily built boats. In his review, Paul Howard states that two Nonsuches, David Philpott's "Serenity IV" and Brian Shelley's "Saci IV", were abandoned at sea, found floating months later, and were refurbished and are sailing today.[6]
As of January, 2007, Wiggers Custom Yachts, a Canadian yacht builder located in Bowmanville, Ontario has acquired the molds for the Nonsuch line. Operating under licensing agreements with designer, Wiggers states they will build boats to order. As of October 2009, five Nonsuch 33s have been delivered, with work on another underway.[citation needed]
Regional chapters of the International Nonsuch association (INA) are organized in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe; with the largest fleets on Lake Ontario, and the Eastern U.S. seacoast.[citation needed]
The Nonsuch starts its own class, usually 12-15 boats, in the Spring and Fall Off Soundings race series.[citation needed]
Rendezvous are held every two years, alternating between Canada and the United States. The 2012 Rendezvous was held in Greenport, New York.[citation needed]
↑ Cornell, Sue (April 2019). "Interview with Mark Ellis"(PDF). Points East. Archived(PDF) from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture.
A catboat is a sailboat with a single sail on a single mast set well forward in the bow of a very beamy and (usually) shallow draft hull. Typically they are gaff rigged, though Bermuda rig is also used. Most are fitted with a centreboard, although some have a keel. The hull can be 12 to 40 feet long with a beam half as wide as the hull length at the waterline. The type is mainly found on that part of the Eastern seaboard of the USA from New Jersey to Massachusetts.
The Shark 24 is a Canadian-designed 24 ft sailing yacht which has earned itself a reputation of extraordinary reliability and longevity among sailors both in North America and Central Europe. Having been designed by George Hinterhoeller back in 1959 to cope well even with the harshest conditions found in the Great Lakes region, the vessel has proven to be well suited for extended leisure trips as well as for tough racing.
George Anton Hinterhoeller (1928–1999) was a Canadian boat designer and builder, a significant contributor to the Canadian sailboat industry for almost forty years.
Ljungström sailboats were created by the Swedish engineer Fredrik Ljungström, who was interested in sailing since childhood. A "Ljungström sailboat" typically has a "circular arc" hull and a "Ljungström rig". A Ljungström rig mast has no mast stays. The mast rotates on two ball bearings often flying double mainsails, with no foresails. In their time the Ljungström sailboats were a minor revolution as they were fast, safe and easy to sail as well as relatively easy and affordable to produce.
The Nonsuch 26 is a Canadian sailboat, that was designed by Mark Ellis and first built in 1982. It is one of the series of Nonsuch sailboats.
The Naiad 18 is a Canadian trailerable sailboat, that was designed by Mark Ellis, first built from 1984 to 1986, and named for the mythological water sprites.
The Douglas 31 and Douglas 32 are a series of Canadian sailboats, that were designed by Ted Brewer and first built in 1967. The last boats of this design were built in 1982 and delivered as kits.
The Ontario 32 is a Canadian sailboat, that was designed by C&C Design and first built in 1974.
The Nonsuch 22 is a Canadian trailerable sailboat, the smallest of the series of Nonsuch sailboats. It was designed by Mark Ellis Design and first built in 1984.
The Nonsuch 30 is a Canadian sailboat that was designed by Mark Ellis and first built in 1978. It was the first the series of Nonsuch sailboats and was scaled upwards and down, to form a complete line of boats, from the Nonsuch 22 to the Nonsuch 40.
The Nonsuch 324 is a Canadian sailboat, that was designed by Mark Ellis Design and first built in 1994. It was the last of the series of Nonsuch sailboats built.
The Nonsuch 33 is a Canadian sailboat, that was designed by Mark Ellis Design and first built in 1988.
The Nonsuch 36 is a Canadian sailboat, that was designed by Mark Ellis Design and first built in 1983. The Nonsuch 36 is a development of the Nonsuch 30, which was the first design in the series of Nonsuch sailboats.
The Nonsuch 40 is a Taiwanese sailboat, that was designed by Mark Ellis Design and first built in 1988.
The Niagara 35 is a Canadian sailboat that was designed by Mark Ellis as a cruiser and first built in 1978.
Hinterhoeller Yachts was a Canadian boat builder based in St. Catharines, Ontario. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of fiberglass sailboats.
Mark Ellis is an American-Canadian naval architect, who has designed sixteen production sailboats, along with many custom sailboats and powerboats. He is best known for his Nonsuch series of catboats, the Limestone series of powerboats and Niagara sailboats. In 2003, Dan Spurr described Ellis as "one of Canada's premier yacht designers".
The Mark 25 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Canadian George Harding Cuthbertson, as one of the first works under his new design firm Motion Designs Limited after he left C&C Design. The boat was intended as a racer-cruiser and first built in 1984.
The Pearson 23C is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by William Shaw as a cruiser and first built in 1983.
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