Prior to this, Bill and Jon had an excellent foundation for manufacturing sailboats, both had been selling sailboats as retail dealers for the past nine years in the Greater Santa Monica Bay area. They were well versed in their field. Each did his own racing, commissioning, and warranty repair as a retail dealer. They were both sailing and selling Newport Sailboats.
Elgin National Industries elected to withdraw from sailboat manufacturing, for reasons of their own. "It is easy to build an expensive boat but few people are willing to pay the price." And those that do often times mislead by the fancy ad or brochure they have read. Jon and Bill saw a real need for a quality line of sailboats with hand laid hulls and decks, lead keels, heavy duty rigging and hardware, and interior designs for extended blue water sailing at a low, fair market price. (It is a known fact that many Newport owners have sold their boats for more than they originally paid for them — new and used.) In the beginning the odds were heavily against them, but due to their great desire and vast experience and with the aid of their banker, Sandy Greenberg, they entered into the sailboat manufacturing business. As it turned out, all of their production is presold, with a large and steady backlog.
The Newport Fleet's impressive record of race wins and its sizable list of enthusiastic owners tells the rest of Capital Yachts' history.
Copyright © 2001 - 2014 John J. Quinn, 2015 Ken Wallace, All rights reserved.