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Hi

Just had an e.mail from Jack Van Ommen. He is looking for another Naja. Also, some sad news. Trilogy which was a beautiful example of a Naja, when I saw her in 1999, has been scrapped.

Very much look forward to all your comments and posts.

Rory (Mary Elspeth)

Featured

The Naja

Naja is a sailboat that was designed by Sylvestre Langevin, French naval architect who designed Elf Aquitaine, the winner of the the Route du Rhum in 1982, and built at the Whisstock yard in the 80’s. I own a Naja and would like to use this platform to gather information on the Najas that are sailing today around the world and display pictures of the boats.

Roger Simard

I believe there were about 40 Naja 30’s built. In addition to the ones on the website, I’m aware of Trilogy (recently scrapped!), Skua (Possibly the one on the brochure), Saturday Slow, Whishcatcher (Medway?), a half built one in Sussex, Acajou (last seen on the Blackwater), Platapus, One in Wales (Spirit of Woodbridge?) Jade (Belgium?), Mariah (John Horner?), Sole Fisher (North America?), Cervione (Corsica) and Pacero, which I believe is based in the West Coast of Scotland and finally Naja of Wessel.

Rory Sumerling

Betty Blue

Thanks to Martin Bence-Wilkins for his contribution to the site:

“I have had the boat about 5 years, maybe longer. I replaced the topsides and deck but didn’t replace the teak. I replaced the transom, enlarging the drainage holes to enable a person to put their feet in when getting aboard from a tender. You will notice the pushpits are fitted opposite way round. A ‘happy accident’. I needed them modifying slightly to fit the new transom and the welder somehow reduced the wrong legs, so it would only fit this way round. However, this provides a wider entry when getting aboard and easier for getting a MOB aboard as well. Two of the photos show it in its new colour of French Blue. Will send more photos when I can. I wanted a French theme to the name and and chose Betty Blue after the French film of the same name. The theme music to the film is called ‘C’est le vent’ – ‘This is the wind’, which I have emblazoned on the boat as well. If you go on Youtube and type in ‘Launch of Betty Blue’, you should see a short video with the music from the film – a video my friend made and put on-line.”

The original design didn’t strike me as being very practical, so I thought I would try this more traditional solution. I find it works very well. It also makes sitting in the boat much more comfortable with the winches etc., out of the way on the other side of the coamings.
Adding the coamings has made the boat much drier in a heavy sea with no water coming in from the deck.

Bonita’s restoration


Bonita is now back from Verchères where she was restored by Jean-Pierre Fournel of Vexcel Yachting . Jean-Pierre is a wooden boat lover, an artist and an exceptional ebenist. He has renovated/built several boats and was featured in L’Escale, a Quebec nautical magazine, for the lobster boat he built in the 90’s.

Bonita is getting a new teack deck, one coat of fiberglass on the hull and she will be ready for my trip to the Saguenay river next summer.  Progress of the work can be seen here.