bowman sailing yachts

• Yachting Monthly
• Digital edition

Bowman 40 – Yachting Monthly review

• July 24, 2014

Duncan Kent enjoys a relaxing sail aboard this comfortable ocean cruiser

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

What’s she like to sail? The Bowman 40 is a medium-to-heavy displacement yacht designed to sail across open oceans with ease. She is deep-bilged with an overhanging bow and narrowish shoulders, so her motion through the water is that of a powerful, but sea-kindly performer. This easy motion means life at sea on a long passage is not only possible, but positively enjoyable. On many boats, you can get utterly fed up with being thrown about down below for days on end, but that’s certainly not the case with the Bowman. There’s always a handhold within reach, both below and above decks, and there are very few sharp edges to hurt yourself on. Equally important is the general balance of the hull and sail plan. With her ample ballast, plus the engine weight over the keel and water tanks each side, she’s stiff and easily capable of standing up to her canvas. Her steering is light, but positive and she tracks well thanks to her longish keel and skeg. The cutter rig keeps the sails small and offers greater flexibility in a gale, and the quality of the deck gear and fitting gives you confidence that she won’t fall apart when confronted with stormy conditions. She’s no racer, but neither is she a slouch, with her momentum and ability to carve through heavy seas, often she’ll arrive at a far destination at the same time as a much lighter performance yacht might, only her crew will be far more relaxed! What’s she like in port and at anchor? Those more used to voluminous saloons and huge double berths might think the Bowman a little cramped, but to my mind and in the option of many long-distance blue water cruising yachtsmen, too much space can be undesirable under way. Her shoal draught is a boon upriver and at anchor, and she’ll dry out easily alongside a wall on her long keel base, but she does lack family living space and her cockpit isn’t exactly designed for easy Mediterranean lounging. You need a ladder to climb up her transom and there’s no platform for showering after a swim. On the entertaining stakes she easily matches a more modern design. With her massive and extensively equipped galley and large saloon table you can easily cook dinner for six adults. Sleeping is limited to two cabins and the saloon, but in return for the lack of a second aft cabin you get a much larger heads, a useful wet locker and a full-depth cockpit locker – far more important for blue water cruising unless you’re taking a large family with you. Would she suit you and your crew? The Bowman 40 was primarily designed for taking serious sailors offshore in all weather and sea conditions. Very few sacrifices in seaworthiness have been made to make her more inviting for a horde of guests, but to me this feels right. And to prove it, take a look at the Scandinavian blue water cruising yachts built today – most of them don’t look a lot different to this boat, do they? She is great for a couple who want to sail anywhere, anytime and still feel safe. There’s room for a guest couple, and even the kids, so long as they don’t expect to stay forever. I love the acres of lockers and the sensible use of any empty cavity for handy stowage, which is exactly what a cruising yacht needs. You really couldn’t go far wrong choosing a Bowman 40 for cruising, and being so solidly constructed and well equipped means she’ll hold her value in today’s second-hand market.

You really couldn't go far wrong choosing a Bowman 40 for cruising, and being so solidly constructed means she'll hold her value in today's second-hand market.

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History of Bowman Yachts

The heritage-rich Bowman Yachts, famed for the classic design and superior build in the world of sailing, was initially established in 1973. The British boatbuilding company was founded by the renowned shipwright, Eustace Bowman, in Emsworth, Hampshire. Bowman's founding principle entailed constructing high-performance cruisers that boast unparalleled craftsmanship, meticulous detailing and the ability to endure the most challenging sailing conditions. Over the decades, the Bowman name has become synonymous with quality and luxury in yachting circles.

In its early years, the company gained significant recognition for its line of long-distance blue-water cruisers. Bowman's sailing yachts, from the Bowman 26 to Bowman 57, are particularly admired for their robust construction and gracefully classic lines. Remarkably, many of these early models are still in service today, a testament to the brand's longevity and uncompromising quality.

At present, Bowman Yachts is owned by Northshore Yachts and operates from the same site in Itchenor, West Sussex. Northshore Yachts acquired Bowman in 1995 and has since continued to uphold the company's reputation for excellence and quality. Although the company does not actively produce new models under the Bowman name today, owners and enthusiasts worldwide continue to appreciate, restore and sail these iconic yachts, leaving an indelible mark on the history of British boat manufacturing.

Which models do Bowman produce?

Bowman produce a range of boats including the Bowman 57 and Bowman Starlight 39 MkII . For the full list of Bowman models currently listed on TheYachtMarket.com, see the model list in the search options on this page.

What types of boats do Bowman build?

Bowman manufactures a range of different types of boats. The ones listed on TheYachtMarket include Cruiser , Bluewater cruiser , Offshore cruiser , Coastal cruiser and Cruiser/racer .

How much does a boat from Bowman cost?

Used boats from Bowman on TheYachtMarket.com range in price from £63,400 GBP to £190,000 GBP with an average price of £117,000 GBP . A wide range of factors can affect the price of used boats from Bowman, for example the model, age and condition.

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• By Daria Blackwell
• Updated: May 4, 2007

My husband, Alex, and I intended to be cruising the world for some time, with no particular plan to circumnavigate, and we had a pretty reasonable set of criteria for the vessel that would help us get there. The boat had to be sturdy, capable of handling heavy seas and possible collisions with floating objects, and manageable for each of us alone. It had to be comfortable under way and at anchor, and it had to be pretty. We expected to sail doublehanded for the most part, so we wanted a split rig.

At the end of a long search, the boat that sang to us was a Bowman 57 ketch, which was designed by Holman & Pye, who later designed many Oysters, and built in 1976 by Bowman Yachts, located in Southampton, England. We named her Aleria.

She’s a “boat-shaped boat” with beautiful lines, a delicate transom, and a wave-splitting bow. Drawing more than 8 feet, she’s not about to go gunkholing, but she’ll certainly handle a sea well. Her skeg-hung rudder is protected behind a substantial fin keel onto which the mast is stepped. The hull is solid fiberglass-no balsa core to rot, no foam core to get soggy or crack. If she hits something solid, she’s likely to bounce.

With a beam of less than 15 feet, the Bowman 57 is svelte by current standards, and the design’s slenderness makes a difference belowdecks. It’s possible to traverse her length with handholds all the way.

As was usual with boats of this size and vintage, Bowman 57s were customized for individual owners. Aleria, formerly Grand Dame, had been originally commissioned by the pianist Andre Watts. The galley has custom-designed tile work, Corian countertops, double stainless-steel full-size sinks, a three-burner stove, cabinets galore, and double refrigeration compartments. In this long galley, on the starboard side under the cockpit, bracing yourself is easy: Cabinetry and bulkheads bind its entire length.

The navigation station, to port at the foot of the companionway, has a nicely sized chart table. Adjacent to it is an office, with full-size drawers for paper charts, a desk for a computer, an office chair, cabinets, and more. The aft cabin has a single berth to starboard and a double to port with cushions between, both good sea berths. It doesn’t have enough storage space, but it could be easily modified. An adjoining head has a shower, a full-size toilet, and a porcelain sink.

The well-ventilated saloon seats six around the table using only the U-shaped settee, eight with chairs added at the end, and three more on the port settee. Forward are two cabins with two bunk berths each and another head and shower. In the forepeak is a workshop complete with workbench, vise, and cabinets.

Ketch rigged and with double headsails, the 57 can take on sail in small enough doses for each of us to be able to handle them. Aleria behaves like the big boat she is, responding more slowly to the helm than what we were used to. My first turn at the wheel was intimidating, but I took comfort in the feeling from the center cockpit that following seas were a long way “back there.” Once under way, balanced and in the groove, she sails like a freight train.

Only a handful of Bowman 57s were built. All have differences in layout; prices range from $250,000 to $350,000.

Bowman 57 Specs

LOA: 57′ 0″ (17.37 m.) LWL: 44′ 7″ (13.59 m.) Beam: 14′ 8″ (4.47 m.) Draft: 8′ 4″ (2.54 m.) Sail Area (100%): 1,162 sq. ft. (107.9 sq. m.) Ballast:16,000 lb. (7,258 kg.) Displacement: 42,000 lb. (19,051 kg.) Ballast/D: .38 D/L: 212 SA/D: 15.4 Water: 350 gal. (1,327 l.) Fuel: 200 gal. (758 l.) Engine: Various Designer: Holman & Pye

Lifelong sailors Daria Blackwell and her husband, Alex, operate CoastalBoating.net on Long Island, New York.

• More: 2001 - 2010 , 50+ ft , Bluewater Cruising , bowman , keelboat , monohull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Bowman 57, ALERIA

Bowman, Bowman 57 Built 1976 / €225,000, Irish/EU VAT paid

Broker’s Comments

Holman & Pye’s sweet lines make for a silhouette that is immediately recognisable as a Bowman 57, built in the UK and the 1970s and 1980s, this yacht series have taken their owners across multiple oceans. Their practical split rig, safe centre cockpit and well-balanced hull form make them perfect for ocean sailing. These yachts can be seen in all our planet’s oceans and they are still putting in the miles and providing a safe and comfortable platform for successful bluewater cruising.

ALERIA is a well-travelled Bowman 57, and she is currently on her fifth change of name. She has been carefully updated and well maintained and has taken her current owners far. With her robust original build and practical and well thought out systems, she is perfect for further bluewater cruising with her new owners. At her current price level, she offers easy entry into large yacht, bluewater cruising, and she has the advantage that whatever your cruising programme, she probably already knows the way!

She is offered to her new owner in full cruising trim including the recent replacement of her standing rigging.

Owner’s Comments

ALERIA (formerly MANIC MOMENT, KESTREL, PAPAGAYO) is a classic Holman & Pye designed cutter-rigged ketch, built in 1976 in the United Kingdom for delivery to the US. She is the sistership to Roger Swanson’s CLOUD NINE, which was one of the first yachts to successfully traverse the NW Passage. She was featured in Cruising World (Quite the Ketch, May 2007: https://www.cruisingworld.com/sailboats/bowman-57-quite-ketch), on coastalboating.net, Bowman 57 Facebook page and on the covers of publications.

ALERIA is a very comfortable and fast cruiser for crossing oceans, coastal cruising and/or living aboard. Her classic lines and tumble-home hull never cease to draw other sailors to ask about her. Her balanced sail plan provides many options for maximizing speed and comfort while underway.

Recently she has received new standing rigging, as well as a thorough going over with many minor upgrades to make her ready for her next adventure.

She has been given “classics status” by Jauge Classique Handicap, JCH.

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Yacht Details

• Builder: Bowman
• Model: Bowman 57
• Yacht Name: ALERIA
• Hull Designer: Holman & Pye
• Year Built: 1976
• LOA: 57’1” / 17.4m
• Beam: 14’9” / 4.5m
• Min Draft / Max Draft: 8’2” / 2.5m
• Displacement: 30,481kg / 67,199lb
• Berths: 8 berths in 4 cabin(s) / 2 head/WC(s)
• Engine Count: 1 Yanmar (110hp) Diesel
• Country: Kilrush, Co. Clare, Ireland
• Asking Price: €225,000, Irish/EU VAT paid

Contact Details

Sue Grant Berthon UK Tel: 0044 (0)1590 679 222 E-Mail: [email protected] Click image for full broker profile.

Enquire about ALERIA

Related yachts.

PEREGRIN €2,100,000 / 2015 YYachts, Y8

SURPRISE €185,000 / 1973 Camper & Nicholsons, Nicholson 55

ALTARAMA £375,000 / 2002 Discovery Yachts Ltd., Discovery 55

ENFIN SEK2,395,000 / 2005 Najad, Najad 380

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

5 tips: bowman signals. Get a great start with clear signs to helmsman and trimmers

• February 10, 2015

Getting good starts is far from easy and the bowman’s role is crucial. Jonty Sherwill asked grand-prix bowman Matt Cornwell for his five best tips on giving the right signals

"Two boatlengths to the line and time to burn – slow down!" Photo: Daniel Forster/Rolex

Five seconds to the start and the row of bows is accelerating towards the line. A boat to windward is early and obscuring your view of the start boat. The bowman signals for ‘full speed’, then runs aft and hits the rail. We’re off, there’s clear air and space below . . .

Stepping up to do ‘bow’ is to take on a multi-role, multi-skilled task. Clear communication is at the heart of all good sailing teams and during the prestart visual hand signals from the bowman, plus verbal input from the tactician and other team members, can help inform the helmsman of the distance to the line, proximity to other boats and whether to hold course, slow down, speed up, etc. Agreeing and understanding the visual signals is vital for a safe start.

Read our complete list of expert racing tips here

Although the pre-start may demand the highest level of concentration and precision, for the bowman it can be just the beginning of a race-long job list of headsail changes, gybes, spinnaker peels and trips aloft. On bigger yachts a run to the bow may also be needed to call a port/starboard dip or mark overlap and here the same hand signal code can be used.

The common hand signals used are:

A Raised fingers – one for each boatlength from the start line

B A nearly pinched finger and thumb – we are inside a boatlength and close to the line

C Fanning a flat palm – there is time to burn, slow down

D A clenched fist – hold this course

E Winding the arm – speed up, let’s get going

F Pointing to weather or leeward – a change of course in that direction is required

G Hand on back of head – I don’t have a good visual of the line, revert to the GPS if possible

H Swinging an arm low – we are clear to swing on the boat ahead, we are not overlapped

I Arm raised high – we are not clear to swing on the boat ahead, we are overlapped

• Time on distance. ( Signals A, B, C, D) The bowman’s perspective of the start line can be a very useful tool to help your team hit the line on time and at pace. This becomes more relevant the closer you get to the start gun, particularly if the navigator is also feeding the helmsman with ‘time to burn’ from the GPS. Time on distance is purely a judgement and having a good feel for it means ‘getting your eye in’ and comes with practice. Encourage your team to do timed runs before racing starts whenever possible.
• Judgement. (Signals C, E, F, G) Conditions during the prestart can change quickly and have a large effect on the time it will take to get to the line. The bowman should have half an eye on the course ahead for any visible changes coming and try to have a good feel for the course conditions in general. For example, when starting on starboard tack, if the wind goes light or swings left it will take longer to get to the line; if the wind increases or swings right you will get there more quickly.
• Mid-line sag. (Signals A, B, C, D, H) The longer a start line is and the closer to the middle of it you are, the harder it is to judge your distance from the line. Usually a bowman will perceive the line to be closer than it actually is so identifying transits on land by looking along the start line before the start can be useful. That way the bowman can be more confident about distance from the line and the information he is giving to the back of the boat.Keep an eye on the committee vessel and pin end boat – if they adjust the line angle those transits will be lost.
• Signals. (All signals) The hand signals (left) are a generally accepted code, but each team may have its nuances and the bow and helmsman need to agree on these.But they can only provide so much information and often the vital communication needed comes from talking directly to the helm: how many seconds to burn (ie slow down), what’s happening with other boats, how close to the line you are, how many seconds before the gun can you ‘pull the trigger’ and: “We may have been over the line early, listen to the VHF”.
• Radio comms. (All signals) On boats of 50ft or less, the helmsman can usually hear you shouting, but bigger than that, particularly if you have a voice that doesn’t project well (like mine!) then radio communication can be very helpful. Wearing an earpiece and a mic can take some getting used to for the helmsman and the bowman, so the more time spent with the particular system you choose the better.I find it much better if I can’t hear the navigator relaying the GPS’s time to burn as it confuses my judgement more than it helps me, so I keep my earpiece volume low for the start.

This is an extract from a feature in Yachting World December 2014 issue

Timmerman Yachts is a Russian builder of quality luxury motor yachts. Based in Moscow, it is owned by a group of Dutch and Russian investors and operates out of Moscow Shipyard. Several noted naval architecture and yacht design firms are involved with Timmerman, including Vripack, Guido de Groot Design, Ginton Naval Architects, Jon Bannenberg Ltd., and Francis Design Ltd.

Founded in 2003, the company was named for 17th century Dutch boat builder Franz Timmerman who brought Dutch boat manufacturing techniques to Russia and co-founded the Russian navy. Timmerman Yachts has more than 1,000 employees working at the Moscow Shipyard.

Timmerman has delivered a number of semi-custom luxury yachts between 26-47 metres in length, including TM26 and Timmerman FD-51, designed by Francis Design Ltd. Other notable Timmerman yachts include Victoria M, Alexandra (now Latitude) and Olsten 125′.

One of the 10 largest yacht builders in the world, Timmerman is focused on building high-quality luxury yachts at more competitive prices. Its Russian-Dutch partnership provides great yacht-building capabilities. Timmerman builds yacht to the highest standards and holds DNV, MCA and Russian River Register certification. The company reportedly has more than a dozen yachts in some phase of construction.

Founded in 2003

Yachts built by Timmerman

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Sailing schools and courses (ISSA, RYA, IYT) in Russia

The possibilities for yachting in russia are unlimited, since this is a country with a long maritime history. you just need to choose where you want to sail. small and big lakes, full-flowing rivers, warm and cold seas — all this is available to those who want to try sailing in this country..

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You will be able to master the skills of sailing; learn to feel the boat, approach and leave the pier, learn about the safety measures on the water and much more.

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International Bareboat Skipper (IYT) Course

Having received the International Bareboat Skipper Certificate, you can independently charter a yacht on a charter and operate it in the waters of any country.

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ISSA Offshore Skipper course

The certificated confirms the skills sufficient to sail the yacht in light and dark hours at a distance from a sheltered port up to 100 sea miles.

IYT International Crew course

This is a certificate of excellence for those candidates who wish to train to become an active crew member on a power or sailing yacht. It includes Introduction to Boating for power and sail yachts.

IYT Introductory Sailing Skills course

This course is great for groups of friends or like-minded people to get together for a few days of fun sailing while learning skills to better help as crew onboard.

IYT Try Sailing Course

It’s a fun hands-on course to enjoy being on the water while learning basic sailing skills.

Yacht management training in the Moscow region

In three hours of training, you will learn the basic techniques of managing a yacht, learn some of the specifics of working with a yacht, a helm, sails.

RYA Coastal Skipper course

Advanced skippering techniques for yachtsmen with considerable knowledge of sailing and navigation, wanting to undertake coastal passages by day and night.

RYA Competent Crew course

This course is for beginners and those who would like to become active crew members rather than just passengers.

RYA Day Skipper course

A course for aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills.

RYA Start Yachting course

A short introduction to sailing for complete beginners.