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THE RETURN OF A TRUMPY CLASSIC
by Lisa Larsen
Yachts International
JOHAN TRUMPY DESCRIBES his grandfather, John Trumpy Sr., as an ambitious 23-year-old naval architect who arrived from Berlin, Germany, at the turn of the century. He began his U.S. career at the New York Shipyard in Camden, N.J. and eventually became a prolific designer at the Mathis Yacht Building Company. By the 1920s, the graceful Mathis-Trumpy line had an easily distinguishable styling with signature “T” scrollwork, plumb bow and counter stern, vertical Pullman windows and canvas awning. Trumpy solidified the company’s reputation by building yachts for many prominent politicians, industrialists and financiers. Johan Trumpy lists the Duponts, Firestones, and Kimberlys among the proud owners of Trumpy yachts, “real yachtsmen, who had yachting in the family for many years.” The 104’ Sequoia Presidential Yacht, built in 1925, is perhaps the most illustrious Trumpy built in the 1920s. Designated as a National Historic Landmark, the yacht served more than nine Presidents and even hosted President Clinton. GM executive DeWitt Page owned the 1929 112’ Maemar that featured elegantly arched topside windows. Steel and auto executive Truman Handy Newberry owned the 105’ Truant, built in 1926 and later commissioned the 121’ Truant II, the second largest Mathis-Trumpy build, launched in 1930. In Chicago during the 1920s, four colorful brothers built an empire manufacturing coin-operated slot and vending machines. They jointly owned the 108’ Minoco built in 1930, which provided their escape from the fierce Chicago winters.
Just before WWII John Trumpy Sr. became president of the Mathis Yacht Building Co. and renamed the company John Trumpy & Sons Inc. His sons joined him, and the family continued to produce its signature yachts until 1974, when the company launched its last vessel, hull No. 450. After manufacturing ceased, Trumpy enthusiasts helped preserve the brand by collecting and restoring authentic Trumpys and on occasion tried to duplicate the design. “Through the years people have come to me with various projects that they wanted to build,” Johan Trumpy said last winter onboard Showtime, a restored Trumpy that belongs to Jock West. “Nothing seemed very satisfactory in my opinion until late last fall when Jock West came to me with the concept of building a new Trumpy, with the appearance, style and comfort of a Trumpy, built by Vicem Yachts. They build beautiful boats and are very qualified to build boats in the manner that we built boats, which is to say they fulfill the owner’s desires.” Jock West gave the 1967 Trumpy Showtime, a popular exhibit at many boat shows, a new life as a showcase for industry products. Showtime now also serves as the model for the new Trumpy 63, which partners in the venture hope to start building soon for a new generation of Trumpy enthusiasts. To mark continuity the next Trumpy, to be built at Vicem shipyard in Turkey, will bear hull no. 451.
The Trumpy 63 original flush deck layout features a main deck with forward wheelhouse, large saloon amidships with free-standing sofa and chairs and traditional after deck with classic built-in settee and chairs. All cabins, including crew quarters, are on the lower deck. The new Trumpy Yachts company has developed three layouts that place the galley on the main or lower deck depending on the number of cabins owners’ need. Wherever possible interiors will be an exact replica of the original, right down to the hardware (to the extent it can found.) Contemporary alternatives will be available, but the builders hope that owners will choose the classic over the contemporary, including a traditional copper countertop in the U-shape galley. Designers of the next Trumpy have modified the original hull for added comfort but have tried to keep changes below the water line. The updated design has allowed slightly increasing the beam and features a deeper V-hull for better sea-keeping ability, modern plumbing, electronics and, of course, new engines. Vicem’s cold-molded construction is an important innovation, says Jim Ewing, president of New Trumpy Yachts. “The process was developed with the advent of epoxies about 20 years ago and enabled builders to get all the benefits of wood hull construction without the associated negatives, primarily rot from basic exposure to moisture. The epoxy encapsulates the wood from the moisture. That’s one aspect of the wood construction that Vicem is very expert in,” he says. Michael Landsberg, president of Vicem USA, adds that, “when it comes to construction we realized, after talking to Trumpy, that what we do now is an upgraded version of what they did back in the day. Now, we are actually using the same construction method but with the advantage of the new technology and advancement of chemicals.”
New materials and equipment allow the Trumpy 63 to meet modern expectations while retaining the aesthetic qualities of the beloved original. Landsberg sums up the strategy. “You have to be distinctive, you have to stand out. Difficult times call for distinctive products and that’s what we have.” Among new high-tech units, from solar powered cruisers to high speed catamarans, the Trumpy 63 holds its own as uniquely alluring to buyers who value romance tinged with nostalgia married with technology.
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