The custom sailing yacht Ouzel, built by Maine-based yard Rockport Marine, has completed sea trials, according to project management firm MCM Newport.
The 29-metre new build undertook several days of sailing in Penobscot Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Maine, where she demonstrated her performance as a "sailing thoroughbred", the firm stated, ready for exploration at a "good pace" with her owners. She reached cruising speeds of 12-plus knots in a modest breeze.
The update comes after the yacht was launched in November 2025 as the largest vessel constructed by the shipyard. Delivery is expected imminently.
Built in cold-moulded Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar, with a carbon-fibre hull and a foam-cored, plywood-fibreglass deck, Ouzel benefits from reduced weight and internal volume, which necessitates less framing than a traditional plank-on-frame wooden yacht. Her "powerful" sailplan from Doyle Sails (more than 4,500 square feet of sail upwind) comprises a mainsail, Yankee (a high-cut jib) and staysail, plus a Code Zero headsail for off-wind sailing.
Ouzel’s owners are experienced sailors and previous owners of a 20-metre Baltic Yachts build. The brief was for a “modern interpretation of a classic pilothouse cutter”, which was assigned to Langan Design.
“First impressions are very positive,” Tom Degrémont, partner of Langan Design, said of the trials. “The boat responded and behaved in the ways we expected. The impression of power, the speeds we reached, the feeling of control at the helm, the balance of the boat - everything felt exactly like I’d hoped it would feel. I couldn’t be happier [and] I'm delighted we matched all the performance goals we had.”
MCM president Peter Wilson added: "After years of design debate, discussion, inspections and testing, to hoist the main and headsails and heel the yacht over for the first time was a profoundly rewarding milestone. It came as no surprise to me that Ouzel performed excellently. A short punch list of items to address as usual, but a resounding success on every level. Steering the yacht was effortless and super responsive. Simply put - Ouzel ticks all the boxes.”
According to Wilson, the design is "a wolf in sheep’s clothing". Ouzel touts a classic sheer line, low-profile deckhouse and generous overhangs while also benefitting from a performance-oriented rig and "modern underbody", including a high-aspect rudder and contemporary keel.
British studio Mark Whiteley is behind the interiors, with the designer's work on the 56-metre Aquarius and 36.4-metre Audrey the First first appealing to the owners. Renderings reveal a simple, airy and functional layout with a blend of contemporary and traditional yachting styles in the white-wood panelling, ample portholes and mahogany cabinetry.
Powered by an EPA Tier-3-compliant engine and a "state-of-the-art" hydraulic power pack, Ouzel is expected to deliver more than 1,000 nautical miles under power at speeds over 10 knots.
President of Rockport Marine, Sam Temple, added: "At the helm, feeling the rig drive the hull and later, sitting in the upper saloon with the group of partners, I thought of the early mockups we made and the conversations about sheet leads, sight lines, and systems. In Ouzel, I see the product of so many well-considered choices. It's a joy to see that the best of our combined abilities has delivered a balanced yacht where each of our disciplines finds full expression."
Once delivered, the owners plan to use the yacht for exploration and coastal cruising, as well as potentially competing in a regatta at some point in the future.