The wooden boat revival has been a long time coming, but now it has arrived, there is one name that stands out above all others: Iain Oughtred. A former dinghy racer turned boatbuilder and designer, Iain developed a cult following both for the beauty of his designs and the quality of the drawings. Challenging the view that building boats was the province of the wealthy, he created exceptionally appealing yet inexpensive wooden boats ideal for amateur construction, often basing the designs on traditional local craft. Still going strong, his designs now number more than 100 and are built around the world by amateurs and professionals alike.

Late at night, out in the workshop, builders of Iain's boats have often admitted to feelings of invisible company, of being part of something much bigger; a strong sense that in the act of working with such beauty they too have become part of that great pantheon of boat builders. Inspired and with invisible friends. Now you may feel it too. Robert Ayliffe