Tweed goes nautical in this new collaboration between Savile Row and the world of boatbuilding. Huntsman, one of London’s oldest tailoring concerns on Savile Row, has teamed up with American boatbuilder Fitzke Boatworks to create a contemporary update of the ‘Gentleman’s Racer’.
Miss Moonshine is upholstered in Huntsman tweed
This self-consciously archaic category dates back over a century to the early days of powerboating, and a new breed of wealthy owners who would only race at weekends. Limited in power, with a stowaway passenger bench on board for more leisurely trips during the week, it was a water-borne version of the upper-class hijinks being played out on the period’s racetracks.
Formed from mahogany and cedar, Miss Moonshine is an homage to the Gentleman's Racer boats of the 1920s
Fitzke Boatworks has partnered with Huntsman to create this vessel, Miss Moonshine, the first in a series of hand-built racing boats designed to evoke the form and craftsmanship of this bygone but brilliant era. Founded by Kevin Fitzke and based in Minnesota, the shipyard combines handcrafted components with modern methods.
The tweed was specially developed for the marine environment
The Moonshine series boat combines a mahogany hull, with Spanish Cedar decks and stainless steel and aluminium trim, with details going right down to the turned aluminium dashboard and bespoke dials. Working with Huntsman added another layer of heritage – the tailors have been around for 175 years and also work in shirtmaking as well as bespoke cloth design.
Miss Moonshine has been meticulously crafted in Minnesota
In order to upholster the seats with the new tweed, the manufacturer sourced vintage sewing machines to replicate the workmanship and style of 1920s design
It’s the latter that graces the Moonshine Series. Fitzke specified a special marine-grade tweed for the interiors, and Huntsman has delivered. The seats and protective fenders are finished with this all-new material, developed by Huntsman as a hybrid of tweed’s rugged, hard-wearing nature with added water resistance and durability. In addition, there’s also set of luggage made from the same material. In order to upholster the seats with the new tweed, the manufacturer sourced vintage sewing machines to replicate the workmanship and style of 1920s design.
Powered by a V8, the boat is fast and beautiful
As the name suggests, Miss Moonshine also harks back to the custom rum-running boats created during prohibition. Power comes from a hand-built 5.7-litre V8, and the hull is 23 feet in length with a beam of just 6-foot. Compact and manoeuvrable, yet finished with meticulous attention to detail and quality, Fitzke expects to build just two hulls a year, each tailored to a precise customer specification.
Miss Moonshine, by Huntsman x Fitzke Boatworks
HuntsmanSavileRow.com, @HuntsmanSavileRow, FitzkeBoatworks.com
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