George H. Cuthbertson Archives

Name

C&C 67 Custom

DWG #

79-4

MMOTGL Accession Number

2001.0066.0067 ( 1-10 )

Designer / Draughtsman

C&C Design Group, 

Ball, Robert Wilson
 

Year of Design

1979

Builder

C&C Yachts Limited, 

Hull Gilbert Model

1

Notes

Archangel (1980) 

This custom 67-foot schooner, commissioned by Michael Davies, publisher of the Kingston Whig-Standard, was launched in September, 1980. 

She is notable for several reasons. She remains the largest pleasure boat commission ever received by C&C, and as such was an enormous project -- six months in design and 14 months in construction. Most important, she epitomized a trend within C&C that has mostly been overlooked -- a move toward more cruising-oriented designs under George Cuthbertson's direction, best illustrated by the development of the Landfall series. 

The transition into a cruising-driven company was never made. The Plaxton-led takeover the year after Archangel's launching resulted in Cuthbertson's departure and an aggressive return to the race course.

__________

In 1978, I was pleased to receive a call from Michael Davies suggesting that we meet. I knew Michael as an owner of one of our “Corvette”s and more importantly, the famous “TRAMP ROYAL” which I understand is still active and in good order.

We met, and the result was that Michael commissioned us to design and build “ARCHANGEL” which, at almost 100,000 lbs. displacement, turned out to be the largest yacht that C&C ever built.

In 1973 I had become President of C&C and, believing that if I continued as Chief Designer I would probably screw up both jobs, I had turned over management of the design office to Rob Ball. So, Rob became C&C’s Chief Designer and “ARCHANGEL”s design should therefore be credited to him and his staff  --  which included Ruth Smith.  “ARCHANGEL” was built in our Custom Shop, managed by Erik Bruckmann, and was launched in Bronte in 1980.

I don’t recall that circumnavigation was in Michael’s mind at the time but that’s the way his years with “ARCHANGEL” evolved.  Over 11 years he made 66 different passages, including 3 transAtlantics and totaling ‘round the world.  Many different sailors joined him on various stages of the journey, several here this afternoon including Ed Botterel who, with  Garlene, was aboard for 5 weeks from Dartmouth in England to Madeira, then to Virgin Gorda in the Caribbean. 

GHC  Remarks @ M.M.O.G.L.,  Kingston, Oct. 18, 2011

Web Link

https://c-c-37-40.blogspot.com/p/c-67.html

For more information and images view in Airtable