The Storm 18 18ft keelboat is the first major project from the Storm Marine Group, launched as a new generation of club boat.
Co-founders Bill Crane and Karl Ziegle wanted to produce a boat that is modern, ergonomic, durable, and easy to maintain and settled on the Storm 18, an evolution of the Ideal 18.
The aim of the company has been to produce a boat that is suitable for use as a club boat with organisations such as yacht clubs, schools or public sailing centers for use by their members, students and the public.
The prototype was introduced at the Newport Boat Show late last summer with the boat due to be launched in Spring 2025.
“We’ve spent the last six months field testing our prototype all over the country,” explained Bill Crane, Storm Marine co-founder and former chairman of LaserPerformance Group.
“Our development and design team is fully committed to a longer and more exhaustive process in order to build the best and most versatile club boat ever produced.”
We want this boat to appeal to women and persons with disabilities in terms of being able to move easily around the boat.
Karl Ziegle
As a result of the prototype’s tour, Storm Marine has carried out adjustments and changes to the craft, including raising the boom 6in, adjusting the size of the mainsheet sail, redesigning spinnaker bags and sail covers, and moving essential controls away from the center console to reduce a ‘spaghetti factory’ of lines and instruments.
The Storm 18 design and build team includes builder David Clark from Fulcrum Speedworks, sailor and sailmaker Robbie Doyle, as well as naval architects Bob Ames and Casey Brown who wanted to create what they call a more versatile, affordable and adaptable watercraft in this general size category.
“We want this boat to appeal to women and persons with disabilities in terms of being able to move easily around the boat,” explained Karl.
And he added: “We’ve all been the beneficiaries of institutional sailing all of our lives.
“All of us see this as a mission and a passion and have a genuine desire to give back to the sport we love and help literally build its future.”
