Design and Early History
Burgess's creation was intended to promote a class of fast boats that were identical for racing and could be daysailed as well. The original wooden hulls were built in production-line style at the German firm Abeking and Rasmussen in Lemwerder, theoretically planked with mahogany on oak ribs. The rumor mill had it that the design plans were destroyed when that yard was bombed during World War II. The class became one of the first one-design classes to convert to glass, and a third generation starting with hull #101 came out of a new mold that included the keel.
Construction and Materials
The Atlantic successfully shifted from wooden hulls to fiberglass, and today the boat is built with a solid fiberglass deck, teak trim, and aluminum spars. Cape Cod Shipbuilding used hull #27, Rumour, as a plug and attached the original keel, rudder, spars, and hardware to a new fiberglass hull; author John Hersey bought that revamped boat and raced her through the 1954 season. The modern spec shows a lead keel of 2,200 pounds in a 4,559-pound displacement, a 6-foot 6-inch beam, and a 4-foot 9-inch draft on a 21-foot 6-inch waterline.
Rig and Handling
The Atlantic is a fractional sloop, and the class requires the mast and boom to be built by Dwyer, with standing and running rigging included as standard. Owners who sailed the glass boat reported she sails well in all weather and takes chop in a seaway particularly well without pounding. The boat is a superbly balanced racing boat, and her setup allows folks of all ages to sail her without difficulty. Most teams race with three or four crew, though she can be day sailed with two. Her open cockpit creates plenty of space for sail handling and racing, and strong fleets continue to race along Long Island Sound.
Accommodations and Deck Layout
This is fundamentally a racing daysailer rather than a cruiser, and the open cockpit dominates the deck plan to give room for crew movement and spinnaker work. Teak trim and coamings dress the weather decks, while the cabin is entered for basic shelter rather than liveaboard comfort. The emphasis in every dimension is on a light, balanced one-design that a small crew can manage on the windward-leeward circuit.
Known Issues
By the early 1950s, many of the original wooden Atlantics required a good deal of bailing while racing, a reflection of age in the mahogany-on-oak hulls before the fiberglass conversion took hold. The later glass boats, by contrast, avoided that complaint, and the class's strict one-design protection has kept hull form and rig consistent across generations.
Refits and Ownership
The fiberglass version was developed using Rumour as the plug, and the class has governed its own evolution through measured rule changes rather than free modification. A new spinnaker with higher shoulders and greater area appeared in 1965; aluminum spars were permitted in 1969; the jib became a deck-sweeper in 1973; and adjustable backstays were allowed in 1984. Because the class protects one-design features, an owner's refit choices are bounded by class rules, and fleet racing continues today in the northeast United States.
The Verdict
The Burgess Atlantic is a rare survivor: a nearly century-old one-design that converted early to fiberglass without losing its racing soul. Balanced, light on the helm, and forgiving in a chop, she rewards small crews and still draws competitive fleets. The trade-off is a spartan, race-first layout with little concession to cruising, and the early wooden boats demand vigilance for leakage.
Pros
- Superbly balanced and easy for two to day sail, yet competitive with three or four crew
- Early and successful wood-to-fiberglass conversion preserving one-design integrity
- Active class organization protecting identity and promoting fleets on Long Island Sound
Cons
- Original wooden hulls were prone to significant bailing needs by the early 1950s
- Open, spartan cockpit layout prioritizes racing over cruising comfort
- Strict one-design rules limit owner freedom in rig and sailplan changes
