Laguna Yachts was an American boat builder based in Stanton, California. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of fiberglass sailboats.
The company was founded by Bill Downing in 1973.
History The first designs produced were the Windrose 18 and the Windrose 24, both as 1974 models.
In his 2010 book, The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, author Steve Henkel praised Laguna Yacht's Windrose 18 in particular as "a showpiece" of Shad Turner's California sailboat design aesthetic, that emphasized "avante garde" modernist styling, something that was not seen on east coast boats in the same period.Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 66. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010.
In 1981 the company bought out Coastal Recreation Inc. of Costa Mesa, California. It continued to builder some Coastal Recreation models, adapted others into new models and ceased production of other models.
Laguna Yachts ceased business in 1986, although some of its designs were later built by Classic Yachts of Chanute, Kansas.
Boats Summary of boats built by Laguna Yachts:
Windrose 18 - 1974 Windrose 24 - 1974 Balboa 22 - 1977 Windrose 5.5 - 1977 Windrose 20 - 1977 Windrose 22 - 1977 Windrose 22S - 1977 Laguna 24S - 1980 Speedball 14 - 1980 Balboa 16 - 1981 Balboa 24 - 1981 Laguna 26 - 1982 Windrose 26 - 1982 Laguna 18 - 1983 Laguna 22 - 1983 Laguna 30 - 1983 Laguna 16 - 1984 Laguna 24ST - 1984 Laguna 33 - 1986
See also List of sailboat designers and manufacturers
References