Finne

Design 12 Brilliant

The schooner Brilliant was designed and built for Walter Barnum based on a notoriously rigorous design brief. Here are a couple of points from the brief:
1. Capable of being rolled over in a hurricane and coming up again with hull, and deck opening covers intact.
2. To lie to steadily in a full gale and in a heavy sea.
3. To have a rudder and steering gear as nearly unbreakable as possible including some kind of friction or spring at rudder head to take jars of seas when hove to.
4. To have lower masts stepped and stayed to stand any conceivable strain that might be placed upon them short only perhaps of a complete capsizing.
5. To be as heavily timbered, planked and decked as is reasonably possible.
6. Quality and number of fastenings to be maximum consistent with good practice.
7. Nothing left undone to eliminate possibility of rot anywhere.
8. Ventilation of bilges, lockers, etc. to be given full study to attain best and most certain possible system using natural ventilation rather than mechanical circulation.
9. Every piece of material, whether wood or metal, to be literally perfect for the use intended.
10. To be as fast and weatherly as possible, consistent with all of the above.
11. To be as handsome as possible consistent with all of above.
12. Hull and rig design to be in no way adversely affected by any accommodation requirement.

The boat was built in 1931 for a cost of $100,000 by Henry B. Nevins of City Island. Although Barnum strictly told Rod and Olin in no uncertain terms that he did not want a racing yacht, the boat has a long history of winning silver. It is well recorded that in 1933 Brilliant sailed across the Atlantic from the Nantucket Lightship to Bishop Rock in 15 days, 1 hour and 23 minutes.


The boat is now the flagship of the Mystic Seaport and used for sail training. She is well suited for the purpose and well loved. If you ever want to see a well preserved example of classic boat building I encourage you to stop and have a look at her.

Here are the plans.