Way back when we were looking for a design to build for the boat that would become Loose Moose (a Phil Bolger Jessie Cooper) I spent a lot of time looking at the various designs of Maurice Griffiths...
as well as his various writings in Yachting Monthly (where he was editor) were a big influence on my thought process where yacht design is concerned.
The two Griffiths designs we considered building were the Eventides (24 & 26 feet) and the Waterwitch... The Waterwitch for me was the most fascinating as its barge origins and the various versions taught me just how adaptable a given hull form could be in terms of interior use. The Eventides on the other hand seemed to have been, at least for awhile, the volks-boat in the UK as it seemed you could not drop a hook in an anchorage where there was not at least one Eventide sitting at anchor.
Part of the reason for the Eventide's popularity is the Yachting Monthly connection but the lions share is that as far back as I can remember there has always been a very active Eventide Owner's group. Having a support group makes things just so much easier... Sadly these days, more often than not, groups that form around given areas of boating tend to inhibit folks doing things rather then be proactive and help. A lot could be learned by many if they took the time to use the Eventide Owner's Group as a model.
