If you recall, Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond in the 2006 blockbuster Casino Royale took him Venice – where he met a rather stunning character. The “double-oh” agent emailed his letter of resignation to MI6 while bobbing around in Spirit 54’ Soufrière. It was all for the sake of his live, which (spoiler alert) didn’t work out so well for Bond girl Vesper Lynd, at least the boat survived intact.
The vessel ended up enduring 10 subsequent years of cruising and competitive racing, so it was time for Spirit Yachts to spruce it up a little bit ahead of its next mission. Soufrière spent some time back at the Spirit yard in Suffolk, UK, where she was given a fresh coat of paint and had her cap rail repaired – where racing wear and tear had taken its toll.
Casino Royale © 2006 Danjaq, LLC & United Artists Corporation
“Soufrière is not only a stunning, UK built, modern classic yacht, she is also a part of British film history,” said Spirit CEO and head designer Sean McMillan. “With her proven racing pedigree and extra space down below, Soufrière is ideal for an owner looking for an elegant performance cruising yacht with true British style.”
The team at Spirit Yachts has said the boat is designed for an owner “looking for a balance of performance racing and relaxed, comfortable leisure sailing”. The elegant design of this modern classic yacht shares many of the characteristics of the Spirit 52’, according the description on the company website, with a full double owner’s cabin forward as well as a double cabin aft, both of which have en-suite facilities.
Sporting a slightly larger and more powerful rig than the Spirit 52’, Soufrière excels on longer journeys as well as regatta racing. The vessel placed second in Class 1 Modern Classics and took line honours in the Round the Island race at this year’s British Classic Yacht Club Panerai regatta.
Spirit 54’ Specifications: