From:  Roger MacGregor

HOT NEWS:  After building 38,000 MacGregor sail boats, it’s retirement time!  (Sort of)

Here's the whole story:

It has dawned on the MacGregors that we are suddenly way beyond retirement age, and it’s time to start a new career.

As of March 2013 we ended production of the MacGregor trailerable sailboats at our Costa Mesa, California plant, and are starting production of an all new 70 foot MacGregor.

My daughter Laura and son-in-law Paul Sharp, have worked with me for many years, and are now starting their own business in Florida, called Tattoo Yachts.  They are presently in full production of a 26 foot powersailer similar to our MacGregor 26. They will be building an all new 22 foot powersailer.  Their boats are sensational.

Please give them a call at  772-872-6761,  or click on their website www.tattooyachts.com      Their email address is info@tattooyachts.com.

The Sharps are very, very talented boat builders.   They managed our MacGregor 65 program for many years and built nearly 100 of the big boats.    Over the years, they have both played a major role in the design, production and marketing of all of our boats.  A big part of their work has been to adapt our standard production boats to the unique requirements of each country.  For decades, they have taken about one third of our 26’s and sold them through their extensive overseas dealer network.

The Sharps have moved from California to Florida to escape California’s rather unfriendly high taxes and regulations, and to be nearer to their major United States and overseas markets and to a much larger supplier base.  They have set up an active and enthusiastic dealer network.

There are few people in the world who know as much about manufacturing and selling sailboats as Laura and Paul.  With them, you will be in good hands. 

If you are interested in a trailerable sailboat comparable to the ones that we built, they are the ones to see. 

Blue Water Yachts , in Seattle, (over the years one of our largest and best MacGregor dealers) will provide support for all of the MacGregor boats.  They can provide the spare parts that you require, plus lots of friendly and competent advice and assistance.  If you need parts or help, call them at  800-688-8626, or click on their web site  http://www.bwyachts.com    Their email address is boatsales@bwyachts.com

It has been a rather amazing ride. Every year for the last 40 years, at least one model of our sailboats has been the best-selling cabin type sailboat model in the world.  I can think of no other manufacturer, of any product, that has so totally dominated its market.  We created the trailerable sailboat market and we have been widely copied. Very few competitors remain. 

We have lots of good reasons for retirement, aside from achieving geezerhood.

I have always admired athletes, businessman and politicians who hang it up when they’re at the top of their game and start doing something new. That’s where we are, and that’s what we are doing now. 

We have outlasted all of our competitors, and it is a comfort to know that the Sharps will continue the type of business that our family has built.

Our changing neighborhood has also been a big factor for hanging it up.

The photo below, taken from my office window, shows a big monster of a wealthy old folk’s home that is being built directly across the street from our factory.

It will hold 275 old timers.   It is a high-end retirement home with swimming pools, gyms, and all kinds of exotic stuff.  It is definitely a high class operation -- not at all what you might expect in an industrial area.

At the other end of my plant was another boat builder. Their company has been sold and the owners are planning a large condo development.

We had virtually no complaints from our neighbors over the years, and have operated without regulatory interference.  However, we were surrounded by other boat builders, other fiberglass operations, and a lot of industry.  Not homes.

It would be rather tough to a run boisterous industrial factory surrounded by residential zoning.

There will be complaints.  They'll be outside with their burning sticks, torches and signs screaming for more regulation.   Many of them, being retired, they have lots of time to get worked up.  Protesting surrounding industry likely will be their new hobby. 

On the other hand, the new high value residential activity is a major upgrade to our neighborhood, and should help increase property values.

We will continue to be active with the big boats.  We are nearing completion on the third MacGregor 70.  These boats will present no problems for our new neighbors, as these are built in relatively low volume, entirely indoors, with epoxy resin, corecell foam cores, and exotic fiberglass fabrics.  Epoxy has no significant odor or emissions, and their polyurethane finish odors are easy to deal with.

We have accumulated a vast amount of experience with these materials, and we plan to build a bunch of the epoxy 70's.

Many years ago, when we were starting our business, the Los Angeles basin was an industrial powerhouse. We had all the big aircraft companies, giant auto assembly plants, tire companies, massive shipyards, and the early high-tech aerospace industries.  We even had some really big steel mills.

With very few exceptions, they are all gone.

At that time the sailboat sailboat building industry in our local area of was also going crazy. More sailboats were being built here than anywhere else on earth.  The Industry employed many thousands of workers.  Company names included Columbia, Cal boats, Erickson, Islander, Clipper Marine, Westsail, American Mariner, Newport boats, Aquarius, and of course, Macgregor.  Catalina was nearby to the north and Hobie cat was a  short distance down the coast.  Glasspar, and Luhrs (power boatbuilders) were nearby.   Trucks shipping boats filled the streets and it was clearly industrial chaos. 
We are among the very few successful survivors.

At the peak of all this boat building action, one of our competitors built a plant in the Santa Ana area surrounded by bean fields.  Soon they became surrounded by housing and had to move out in the countryside. Another very large competitor had a huge plant in the Los Angeles area and was quickly surrounded by retail and other non-industrial operations, which caused them quite a bit of difficulty.  They are now in Florida.

Very few boat builders are left in California. Most have either folded or moved out of state. The result is a dwindling supplier base. With fewer and fewer suppliers, our ability to negotiate lower prices is deteriorating. For some items, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find local suppliers at any price. 

On the bright side, we have converted most of our property to industrial rental units.

Our tenants include North Sails, with one of the largest sail fabrication floors in the country, a race car builder, an audio-tv system designer, a large skateboard company, and other odds and ends of nifty operations.

We are keeping one very large unit for ourselves to build the MacGregor 70’s, and to support the many thousands of boats that we have built over the years. Our two corporations will remain intact and functioning.

We’ve had a long and wonderful ride, and hope to be around for a long time.
                                               
                                               

We are keeping this web site as an archive to show what we had been doing.      We will eventually include lots of info on all of the boats we have built.

    LOTS  MORE,  PLEASE SCROLL DOWN                                                           

NEW VIDEO:    MACGREGOR 26 SAILING IN GALE FORCE WINDS    (CLICK HERE)   (Sailing in 50 mile per hour winds and huge waves - spectacular)

NEW PHOTOS:   M26 SAILING IN GALE FORCE WINDS   (click here)

PLAY OUR 5 minute video   (CLICK HERE)     (This a brief summary of the highlights of the full 1 our video shown below)

PLAY OUR 1 HOUR  video    (click here)      (This shows the boat’s design, construction, launching, rigging and performance.  It is informative and really entertaining.

CLICK EACH PICTURE FOR A LARGER IMAGE

Sailing in a brisk wind and waterskiing

A very comfortable interior

Trailer it and sail it anywhere

NEW:   Here is our new black boat.    Click here for more info on the black boat.

Launch and rig in less than 15 minutes

In the tropics, waiting for the tide

Sailing in 50 mph winds and big waves (see video link at top of this page)

Cutaway view

Every year, for the past 35 years, the various models of the MacGregor 25 and MacGregor 26 have been the best selling cruising type sailboats, not only in the United States, but in the entire world.   We can think of no other manufacturer, of any type of product, that has so totally dominated its market for so long a period of time.  

Please go through our web site for the many reasons why the MacGregor 26 has been such an overwhelming success.

MACGREGOR 26 FEATURES

24 MILES PER HOUR UNDER POWER WITH A 60 HP OUTBOARD

LENGTH:  25' 10"  (7.87 meters)

WEIGHT EMPTY:  2550 LBS  (1156 kilograms)

GREAT SAILING PERFORMANCE

POWERING RANGE AT 16 MPH: 115 MILES.  MAXIMUM RANGE 283 MILES AT 6 MPH

MINIMIZE YOUR FUEL BILL:  YOU CAN SAIL FOREVER FOR FREE.

EASILY TRAILERED AND LAUNCHED.  NO NEED FOR EXPENSIVE IN-THE-WATER STORAGE

BUILT IN SOLID FOAM FLOTATION TO KEEP THE BOAT AFLOAT IN THE EVENT OF FLOODING OR DAMAGE

LAUNCH AND RIG IN 10 MINUTES

UNDER 8’ WIDE FOR LEGAL TRAILERING

FLOATS IN 12" (.30 meters) OF WATER

WATER BALLAST SYSTEM FOR SELF RIGHTING STABILITY

REMOVABLE WATER BALLAST:  1150 LBS  (521 kilograms)

PERMANENT BALLAST:  300 LBS  (136 kilograms)

FULL STANDING HEADROOM

FULL GALLEY 

ENCLOSED HEAD

SLEEPS 6.  2 DOUBLE BERTHS AND 2 SINGLES

WHEEL STEERING

WALK THROUGH   TRANSOM

ALL FIBERGLASS    CONSTRUCTION

STORAGE FOR TWO 12 GALLON (45 liter) FUEL TANKS

The MacGregor 26 is one of the fastest and best handling of the trailerable cruising sailboats. It is easy to sail, and easy to trailer to your favorite sailing waters. You don’t need an expensive mooring. It can be stored on its trailer, launched at any ramp, and rigged in just minutes. 

On the trailer at highway speed, you can visit great places that water-bound boats will never see, and you can avoid the expense of in the water storage.   

The MacGregor 26 offers high speed powering without compromising sailing performance.  You can have the peace and quiet of sailing, or the fun of powering around at a good clip--over 22 mph.   Unlike any other boat, it opens up a world of endless variety--sailing, swimming, fishing, diving, water skiing or just fooling around on the water.   Its high speed under power lets you get to cruising waters that are out of reach for a conventional six mph sailboat.  

You can live on this boat on land or on the water.  Launch the boat, anchor in a quiet cove, and you can be as far away  from the world as you want to be. You can have your own island, for free, at some of the most beautiful vacation areas on earth.    Unlike land bound recreation vehicles, you will not be limited to crowded and expensive RV parks.  You will never tire of the wonderful sensation of shutting off the engine and enjoying the quiet serenity of moving along under sail

MacGregor has delivered over 5000 of the 26X, 3000 of the new 26M and a total of over 38,000 sailboats. They have been thoroughly proven over millions of hours of sailing. No other boats can match our quality, performance, comfort, convenience and low cost.

The price is low, the trailer is your mooring....and the wind is free.

NEW:   Big bargains on  boats used for publicity, demos and test, surplus factory equipment, and
              obsolete or overstocked boat parts and equipment.  (CLICK HERE)

NEW:  We have recently introduced an all new aluminum trailer.   (CLICK HERE)

NEW:   We have added a section that provides detailed comparisons between the MacGregor 26 and competing boats   (CLICK HERE)

NEW:    MACGREGOR 70', ANTHEM, FOR SALE

Our MacGregor 70 ketch rigged ANTHEM, is now for sale for $250,000.  The boat is owned by MacGregor Yacht Corporation.    We are building a new one to  replace it.  It is in showroom condition.

Anthem is one of the fastest boats on the West Coast.  In a recent Newport to Ensenada race (the 120 mile, 420 boat race from Newport Beach, California to Ensenada, Mexico), it was the first split rig to finish,  beating many of the very best west coast racing machines, including Merlin,  Ragtime and Santa Cruz 70s.  Anthem was first to finish in the 125 mile Marina Del Rey to San Diego race. 

Even with a PHRF rating of minus 42, the boats has done well on corrected time.

Unlike the big racing boats and custom speedsters, Anthem has a full, plush interior, a very comfortable cockpit, and can be sailed single handed.  

Anthem was the second MacGregor 70 to be built.  It will go 12 mph under power.  The interior is similar to the MacGregor 65 (100 were built).  These were the best selling large cruising and racing sailboats in the history of sailing.   We have added a lot of speed by using the ketch rig and a longer waterline.

Anthem is similar in construction and concept to the MacGregor 65, but it is a lot faster and more dramatic.

Anthem great looking and extremely comfortable.  This famous ketch is one of the most beautiful sailboats ever built, and is offered at a bargain price.   FOR A LOT MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS OF ANTHEM, CLICK HERE

DEALERS WANTED:  Over the years, we have developed a strong dealer network.   However, there are still a few selected areas where we would like to increase our dealer coverage.  If you are interested in becoming a dealer, please give us a call.

ATTENTION MACGREGOR SUPPLIERS:  We have added a section called SUPPLIER'S CORNER.   It shows all of the items that we buy, with drawings and photos describing items that are built to our specifications.  (CLICK HERE) or refer to SUPPLIER'S  CORNER in the table of contents.  

ATTENTION MACGREGOR OWNERS:   PHOTOS AND VIDEOS NEEDED..  If you  have any good photos or videos of the new MacGregor 26, please let us know.   We are always anxious to get more  good images for our brochures and videos.   MacGregor club events, family sailings scenes, racing scenes, images of sailing in unusual weather conditions, water skiing, or images of trips to unusual places would be more than welcome.  If we use any of your work on our web site, brochures or videos, we will pay for the images and give you full credit and recognition as the photographer.   deos, we will pay for the images and give you full credit and recognition as the photographer.  

Roger MacGregor

MacGregor Yacht Corporation, 

1631 Placentia, 

Costa Mesa, California, 92627 

Phone 949 642 6830