On the water at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in the late 1960s, a slender kauri sloop was making the competition look ordinary. Narrower than her rivals, trimmer on displacement, and quicker than almost anyone cared to admit. Her name was Namu, and the racing reputation she carved out over the years that followed remains a talking point at RNZYS to this day.
She is currently listed for sale.
Jim Young built the Young 37 around a single conviction: narrow boats go fast. At 2.85 metres of beam, Namu sits roughly 25 percent slimmer than a contemporary production yacht of equivalent length. That gap is deliberate. Young was after minimum drag and light displacement — boats that would track upwind cleanly rather than bludgeon through chop. In 1968, as fibreglass was beginning to rewrite what production yachts could be, a well-constructed kauri Young 37 represented the sharp end of performance.
Her first owner knew precisely what he’d acquired. He’d previously raced a Lidgard with respectable results, but Namu changed the complexion of things immediately. The B Class Championships went his way by 29 minutes — against Santana, Southern Star, Susan Jane and Secret, none of them pushovers. He kept her competitive until around 1979/80, when the demands of campaigning her eventually outpaced his capacity, and she moved on.
Widely considered one of the most accomplished racing yachts ever to sail out of RNZYS. A bold statement — and by most reckonings, a justified one.
Step aboard today and the boat holds up. White topsides, deep blue canvas, uncluttered deck with moulded non-skid. Tiller steering. Stainless boarding ladder off the stern. The original dorade vents remain in service, moving air below and keeping water out. Rig is shipshape. There are a few scuffs in the timber — the sort of honest wear that accumulates over a well-used life — nothing to give a sensible buyer pause.
The past four years have seen a considered transition from thoroughbred racer to capable cruiser, and the conversion has been carried out with care.
The old engine is out, replaced by a second-hand Lombardini diesel that fires without complaint. Prop shaft upgraded to 25mm. New laminated sole boards in Kahikatea and Matai. Isotherm electric fridge and freezer, electric anchor winch, fixed and handheld VHF, certified gas installation, 240V shore power connection. The forward double has been re-lined and gained an additional mattress. Stack pack, cockpit Bimini, five berths. She cleared survey in December 2024, freshly sanded and antifouled at the same time. A marina berth comes with the deal — and may transfer to a new owner.
At $29,000, Namu is not a restoration proposition. The survey is current, the refit is behind her, and the provenance is genuine. What’s on offer is a 57-year-old kauri yacht — still slim, still quick — carrying a racing record that most boats built this decade will never match.
Contact Parker Marine Group for further details.
