RISEN from the ASHES

Cutting a fine wake on the cobalt-blue waters of West Sound on Orcas Island, Coriolis sparkles like a diamond. Her lovely silhouette is offset by emerald forests that frame the ocean, within spitting distance of the border with Canada. Seen up close, this Concordia yawl is a symphony of mahogany, teak, spruce and varnish that are all indispensable to its appearance—one of only 24 that are 41ft long overall, one shoe size bigger than the rest of them.

Since 1981 Coriolis has been in the hands of Douglas Adkins, a partner in a private equity firm in Seattle. Now in his early 70s, Adkins owns a priceless collection of guy’s toys: classic cars, a vintage Pocock rowing skiff and an original Bateka dinghy. His dock is also home to a Bertram and a Boston Whaler from the 1980s, both designed by C. Raymond Hunt, who not coincidentally drew the Concordia yawls. All are dear to Adkins, but the crown jewel is Coriolis, which once even caused him to temporarily suspend fiscal prudence in order to rescue her from the wrecking ball.

Concordia yawls, the saying