THE FIBERGLASS HAMPTON
Design and construction of the first fiberglass Hampton One-Design was started in January 1962. The fiberglass development was pioneered by Dave Brown, Waldo Oehman, and Ed Williams, the founding fathers of BOW Marine. The first approved Hampton was completed in the summer of 1963. Since that time the hull design has remained essentially the same with only minor changes being made to the interior. The rig and equipment have steadily progressed until the present status of three-stay rig, aluminum spars, and midship traveler. Having reached that point in development, the fiberglass Hampton has been standardized at an acceptable level of modernization.
The Hampton One Design Class Racing Association and BOW Marine worked together to accomplish what most older wood construction one-design classes have attempted to accomplish: To build a modern fiberglass version which is on a par with the wooden boats in the class. The fiberglass Hampton is being built to stimulate growth of the class, and not to produce a "bomb" which will drive the older boats into obsolescence. There has not been, nor will there be any attempt made to alter lines, reduce weight, or change weight distribution to make the glass boats superior.
The advantages of the fiberglass Hampton are enough without going to these extremes. The fiberglass Hampton is a beautiful boat which equates performance to the skipper's ability and not to his pocketbook or engineering talent. The success of the fiberglass Hampton is a tribute to the builders, and to the genuine interest of the Hampton One Design Class Racing Association to retain the one-design aspect of the boat.
Construction of the fiberglass Hampton combines the traditional mahogany coming and trim of wooden boats with the colors, finishes, and rugged durability of fiberglass. These features, when combined with the inherent beauty of the Hampton, produces a sailboat equal
to the best available anywhere. The fiberglass hull is made using four major molded pieces; the deck, the innershell, the innerbottom stiffeners, and the hull. Unique design and construction features include: the centerboard well molded as an integral part of the hull; all fiberglass construction except for the exterior mahogany trim; foam flotation in the innerbottom; self bailing; sandwich construction for stiffness and light weight; completely molded cockpit interior for specified thickness, weights and strengths can be maintained. Each part is carefully weighed for quality control purposes and to insure that the completed boat approaches minimum weight. In addition, the all fiberglass construction assures that the weight will remain more or less constant for the life of the boat.Hampton One Designs are currently built by the Mathews Brothers in Denton, MD.
Mathews Bros
408 N 10th St.
Denton, MD 21629
410-479-9720
410-479-9722 (fax)
Pricing and sales information available through the Hampton One-Design Class.