Yachts And Leisure Crafts

Yachts were originally defined as a light, fast sailing vessels that were used by the Dutch navy to hunt pirates off the coast of Holland and the Low Countries. Over time, wealthy individuals began to use their 'jachts' for pleasure trips. By the middle of the century large 'jacht' fleets were found around the Dutch coast and the Dutch states organised large 'reviews' of private and war yachts for special occasions, which laid the groundwork for the modern sport of yachting.

Yachts and leisure craft for sale in the UK

The popularity of yachts and leisure craft for sale in the UK stemmed from the time of Charles II. The monarch spent part of his time in exile in the Netherlands and became keen on sailing. He returned to England in 1660 aboard a Dutch yacht, and during his reign Charles commissioned 24 Royal Yachts on top of the two presented to him by Dutch states on his restoration. As the fashion for yachting spread throughout the English aristocracy yacht races began to become common. Other rich individuals in Europe built yachts as the sport spread.

Used yachts and leisure craft

Used sailing yachts and leisure craft can range in overall length from about 20 ft (6 m) to well over 100 ft (30 m). Most privately owned used yachts fall in the range of about 25–45 ft (7–14 m), as the cost of building and keeping a yacht rises quickly as length increases. In the U.S., sailors tend to refer to smaller yachts as sailboats, while referring to the general sport of sailing as yachting. Within the limited context of sailboat racing, a yacht is any sailing vessel taking part in a race, regardless of size.