Epoxycraft
Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Epoxy Basics
  • How To
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
  • Trade Secrets
  • Projects
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
    • Motorsport
    • Aviation
    • Architecture
  • Meet The Maker
  • News
  • Contribute
  • Contact

Projects: Spirit 54: a Bond girl with a difference
31st May 2016

Spirit 54: a Bond girl with a difference

When Daniel Craig cruised the Spirit 54 along Venice’s Grand Canal in the 2006 James Bond movie Casino Royale, it was the first time a sailing boat had entered those waters for 300 years. We spoke to the Spirit Yachts team about this breathtaking wooden beauty and discovered how WEST SYSTEM® epoxy resin had more than just a bit-part to play in her construction.

“The filming schedule was extremely intense, and the multiple changes of location involved taking her mast in and out a total of ten times” says Nigel Stuart, Managing Director of Spirit Yachts. “To film on the Grand Canal, the mast needed dropping, re-stepping and taking down again once filming was complete; she was the first sailing yacht in that part of the canal for 300 years.”

When the Casino Royale team approached Spirit, they knew the Suffolk-based classic yacht builder could create a boat to stand out from the crowd. “Bond is obviously famous for his taste in classic cars like the Aston Martin, so the production team were looking for a quality build. That’s why they came to Spirit,” says Nigel. “Every yacht in the Spirit portfolio is entirely crafted in wood, so they ooze quality and classic elegance. It was a great opportunity to showcase British craftsmanship.”

“Every yacht in the Spirit portfolio is entirely crafted in wood, so they ooze quality and classic elegance.”

Speed and sophistication

Like every other Spirit yacht, the Spirit 54 (actually named ‘Soufrière’, after a dormant volcano on the French island of Guadeloupe) is the pinnacle of elegance. A scaled-up version of the Spirit 52, she is built entirely in wood and epoxy, featuring the company’s iconic mahogany topsides and teak deck, as well as two double cabins with en-suite facilities. There’s also a spacious living area, complete with mahogany dining table and a well-equipped galley.

Spirit 54

However, just like every Spirit yacht, looks are only part of the package; behind Soufrière’s glossy wooden exterior beats the heart of a racing boat. At just 8.1 tons, with 40% of that weight in the keel, she’s light for her size. Plus she has a carbon mast, jacked rig and racing sails. “We treat wood as an engineering product. With the right construction techniques, wood and epoxy can build very lightweight, stiff boats. In comparison to our own production methods, fibreglass is heavy,” says Nigel.

Building the Bond boat

Construction of the iconic 007 boat followed the same process as every Spirit yacht, beginning with the hull. The Spirit team laminated Sapele ring frames in epoxy over full-size, computer-generated patterns. They then positioned the ring frames and bulkheads onto a ‘strongback’ – a lengthwise bracing beam, designed to add strength – before the hull planks were glued into position.

“We then meticulously bevelled everything, ready for the first layers of Douglas fir planking to be glued into place with epoxy,” says Nigel. Next, the whole assembly was faired, before the team covered the hull with 3mm Khaya veneers. “We applied the veneer strips in a double-diagonal formation, at 90° to the first layer of planking. They were bonded with epoxy, using vacuum bagging techniques. This creates a super-strong structure,” explains Nigel.

SY2 mid res

The final stages of the Spirit 54 build saw the hull sheathed with biaxial fibreglass cloth and epoxy. “This created an almost totally waterproof barrier,” says Nigel. “The process also makes the hull even stronger, while providing an excellent base for the topside paintwork.” Spirit Yachts also used epoxy for teak deck bonding and interior carpentry.

“We use WEST SYSTEM products across our whole portfolio and for absolutely everything; we don’t use any other glue or epoxy products at all”

Clearly, epoxy had a critical role to play throughout this build. WEST SYSTEM Epoxy Products were the only ones used, namely 105 Epoxy Resin®, 205 Fast Hardener® and 206 Slow Hardener®. “We use WEST SYSTEM products across our whole portfolio and for absolutely everything; we don’t use any other glue or epoxy products at all,” says Nigel. “WEST SYSTEM products are consistent, industry-standard products that we can trust to deliver the strength and durability we need on every one of our builds.”

A sought-after style

Not long after Soufrière’s debut in the 2006 movie, Spirit Yachts had enquiries coming in thick and fast. “We had about four times our normal yearly enquiries that year. This continued for about 18 months,” says Nigel. “Even today, we still get enquiries from people that have found us via Casino Royale.”

In the decade since the movie hit our screens, Soufrière has been showing her prowess on the international racing circuit. Just last year she placed second in Class 1 Modern Classics, won the ladies’ race and took line honours in the Round the Island race at the British Classic Yacht Club Panerai regatta on the Isle of Wight.

At the end of 2015 Soufrière came back into the Spirit Yachts fold for a freshen up. “We varnished the hull and generally took care of any wear and tear. She’s held up really well over ten years,” says Nigel. “That’s all thanks to her robust construction.”

Today, the Spirit Yachts team can be found preparing to launch two new additions to their portfolio: the Spirit 47CR and 55CR, which focus on luxurious leisure sailing with the performance for racing when needed. “We’re really excited about the new cruising range,” says Nigel. “It will be ready to launch this autumn.”

Find out more about Spirit Yachts’ 007 yacht via their website.

You can also learn more about Spirit Yachts’ brand new 47CR and 55CR here.

To see how WEST SYSTEM Epoxy Products can help you build a boat that’s licenced to thrill, visit the West System International website.

Images: Casino Royale© 2006 Danjaq, LLC & United Artists Corporation.

 


Share on


Back to projects

Subscribe to our newsletter
Our unique epoxy knowledge and experience, delivered straight to you

Events

Southampton Boat Show 16th -25th September 2022
METSTRADE 15th - 17th November 2022

What is epoxy?

Epoxy Projects

Hydroplane Part 2

  • 20th July 2022
Read More

Working With Epoxy In Warm Weather

  • 15th July 2022
Read More

Multi-Mission M-Class by Ultimate Boats

  • 15th June 2022
Read More
1234567
1234567
  • Home
  • Epoxy Basics
  • Projects
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Woodworking
    • Boat Building
    • Motorsport
    • Architecture
    • Aviation
  • Trade Secrets
  • How To
    • DIY
    • Artists
    • Board Sports
    • Boat Building
    • Woodworking
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contribute
  • Contact
West System
Pro-Set
Entropy Resins
Subscribe to our newsletter
Copyright © 2022 Epoxycraft | Website by MAA
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
bcookie2 yearsLinkedIn sets this cookie from LinkedIn share buttons and ad tags to recognize browser ID.
langsessionThis cookie is used to store the language preferences of a user to serve up content in that stored language the next time user visit the website.
lidc1 dayLinkedIn sets the lidc cookie to facilitate data center selection.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_91ZH5F88XM2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
_gat_gtag_UA_103456315_31 minuteThis cookie is set by Google and is used to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT16 years 3 months 20 days 13 hours 3 minutesThese cookies are set via embedded youtube-videos. They register anonymous statistical data on for example how many times the video is displayed and what settings are used for playback.No sensitive data is collected unless you log in to your google account, in that case your choices are linked with your account, for example if you click “like” on a video.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
_fbp3 monthsThis cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website.
bscookie2 yearsThis cookie is a browser ID cookie set by Linked share Buttons and ad tags.
fr3 monthsFacebook sets this cookie to show relevant advertisements to users by tracking user behaviour across the web, on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin.
IDE1 year 24 daysGoogle DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile.
test_cookie15 minutesThe test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
AnalyticsSyncHistory1 monthNo description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
li_gc2 yearsNo description
pvc_visits_11[0]1 dayNo description
UserMatchHistory1 monthLinkedin - Used to track visitors on multiple websites, in order to present relevant advertisement based on the visitor's preferences.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo