The History of the Corribee

Original Design

The Corribee was first built in 1965 to a design by Robert Tucker for a 21' clinker built yacht. I believe some of the earlier boats were built in Ireland, hence the shamrock on the sails of Newbridge's version. A short article in Yachting Monthly tells a little of the restoration of the first Corribee, along with a photo showing off the varnished wood construction.

Newbridge Yachts

The design was bought by Newbridge Yachts in the late 1960s and built in fibreglass as a fin or bilge keeled yacht, progressing through 3 incarnations. It was also sold with junk rig, as were several of Newbridge's boats, and called the Coromandel.

Mark 1

From 1970(?) to ~1975
The original had a significantly different shape coachroof to later boats with a generally rather more angular appearance. Available from the start with bilge or fin keels. The fin keeled version draws 3', the bilge keeled just 2'1". There was a separate rudder with no skeg.

Mark 2

From ~1975 to ~1982
The coachroof design was changed substantially, giving a distinctive two level appearance, the mast being stepped on the lower "forecabin" roof. After this initial change the mark 2 continued to evolve throughout its lifetime, with an increase in headroom, a skeg being added to the rudder and the bilge keels becoming assymetric aerofoils to improve windward performance.

Mark 3

From ~1982 to ~1986?
The mark 3 had many of the features of the late mark 2, but with a few almost cosmetic changes on the outside - including an anchor locker - and a significantly different interior, giving a two berth layout with a separate forecabin for heads and stowage. I've not seen this layout "in the flesh", but I fear it would make an already small interior unreasonably poky, plus removing the more comfortable "V" berth from the bows. The quarter berths can be a bit like sleeping in a plastic coffin!

End of Production

I'm not exactly sure when production ceased, but I believe Newbridge boats went out of business in the late 1980s and the Corribee was I think built right up until the end.

Dimensions

LOA	20'9"
LWL	16'3"
Beam	7'2"
Draft	3' (fin), 2'2" (bilge)
Displacement	2000lbs
Sail Area	154 sq ft (standard), 175 sq ft (tall)

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