The plan was simple: move away from a heavy, system-heavy cruising yacht down to something smaller, fast, and trailerable. A sportboat built for pure fun.

For a long time, classic lines like the Cape Henry 21 were on my radar. But after watching hours of the Volvo Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe, my focus shifted toward modern hull shapes. Then I saw a video of Michele Manconi sailing an IDEA19. It looked like pure fun. I choice finally came to the IDEA21.

Five years and 1,800 hours in an unheated barn culminated last summer when the hull finally tasted saltwater. I deliberately prioritized getting her into the water to evaluate the hull form, conduct sea trials, and test different hardware solutions under load. The trials were very fruitful - she is fast, responsive, and sharp on the helm.

Because the focus was entirely on testing her sailing characteristics, nothing was done to the interior. The cabin remains a completely blank canvas.

I am retrofitting my building archive here to document how we reached launch day, while using this log to track the upcoming interior work and refinements live from the shop. Welcome along.