Clipper Marine

Clipper Marine was a pioneering American boatbuilding company founded in 1969 by Richard "Dick" Valdes in Costa Mesa, California, specializing in affordable, mass-produced fiberglass sailboats aimed at the burgeoning recreational boating market of the 1970s. Emerging during the fiberglass revolution, the firm focused on trailerable pocket cruisers and daysailers—compact, entry-level vessels under 30 feet—that democratized sailing for middle-class families, with prices starting as low as $1,995 for models like the Clipper Marine 21. Valdes, a former aerospace engineer, emphasized innovative molding techniques and modular construction to keep costs down, producing over a dozen models ranging from the diminutive 2.3-meter dinghy to the 30-foot fixed-keel cruiser. Key designs included the swing-keel Clipper Marine 26 (1971, ~500 built) and the Clipper Marine 30 (1974), both noted for their roomy interiors, shallow draft versatility, and simple sloop rigs—though criticized for lightweight construction leading to flexing hulls and osmosis issues in later years. By 1975, Clipper Marine expanded into importing Taiwanese-built yachts under the "Formosa" brand (e.g., the Formosa 41 Ketch, designed by William Garden), blending domestic production with offshore sourcing to offer larger blue water options. Financial pressures from the 1970s oil crisis and competition from brands like Catalina and Hunter led to the company's closure around 1980.