OCEAN 41 PUBLISHED JANUARY 2012
Heavenly hulls
While still seen as the exotic beauties of the yachting world, sailing superyachts are growing in size and number and being used in ways that a decade or two ago would have seemed unimaginable.
Text Sam Tinson Images Alloy Yachts, Bugsy Gedlek, Jeff Brown, Superyacht Media, Oyster, Rick Tomlinson, Loro Piana, Burgess, Maltese Falcon Archive, SY Sarissa, Tom Nitsch, Andrea Francolini and Chris Lewis
“A sailing yacht is architecture in motion, and ultimately, performance art. They are lived in, while continually being tested by the oceans. They provide immediacy with the sea’s landscape and have the added pleasure of being driven by the wind.” – Bill Tripp
Outside of Category One ocean racing circles, it’s been a very long time since anyone built a large sailing yacht purely in order to get somewhere in a hurry. Sure, sailing yachts are now faster, more comfortable and easier to use than ever before. In that sense, they have never been more practical. But hotels and houses are more spacious. Aircraft and even power yachts are faster and more convenient. So why are we still fixated with traveling the world using a redundant technology which, fundamentally, has not changed in 6000 years?
The quote from Bill Tripp goes a long way towards answering that question. It neatly summarises the unique meeting of two seemingly opposing forces – human endeavour and the natural environment – that is embodied in the modern sailing superyacht. Technological enterprise for the purpose of pure pleasure in a totally hostile environment has never been so grandly realised. Sailing superyachts are an amalgamation of humankind’s most enchanting virtues – the ability to create, innovate, and play. They are, in short, the ultimate toy.
To the global yachting industry, however, they are a very serious business indeed. Figures published in the 2010-2011 Yacht Report indicate that sailing yachts make up 21 per cent of superyacht fleets globally, and the new builds being ordered are increasing in size. Of super sailers built in that year, 32 per cent were in the 40 to 50-metre size range, and 22 per cent were 50 to 70-metres plus. Yards from the Netherlands to New Zealand tell the same story – post GFC, the sailing yacht sector has held relatively steady while orders for power yachts bore the brunt of the recession.
A beautifully proportioned teak deck conceals SY Twizzle’s advanced technology and two tenders.
Alice Huisman, Managing Director of the Dutch custom sailing yacht builder Royal Huisman, says her yard currently has a “very healthy” order book, both in new builds and refit, as well as a high level of serious enquiries for potential new projects.
“Our impression is that the sector has remained healthier and more resilient than the overall motor yacht sector in recent years,” says Huisman. “The average size of new projects is growing larer, headlined by several spectacular yachts of up to 90 metres or more currently in design, under construction, or already on the water. Add to that the resurrection and development of the magnificent J-class fleet and other classic recreations, and the wonderful opportunities presented by the superyacht regatta circuit, and you can see why sailing superyachts are enjoying such a profile.”
For the last two decades Ed Dubois, the renowned British naval architect whose award-winning designs include Kokomo (Alloy Yachts) Zefira (Fitzroy Yachts) and Lady B (Vitters), as well as the stunning Royal Huisman-built ketch Twizzle, has been at the sharp end of the boom in large sailing yacht design. Over 50 Dubois-designed yachts between 33 and 66 metres in size have been launched globally since his first in 1986 (the 37-metre Aquel II) and over the next two years seven more will be launched with a total fleet worth, at today’s prices, of well over one billion USD.
“It can certainly be said that the sailing superyacht is going through something of a golden age,” says Dubois. “We believe this is due to a combination of increased wealth in the 1990s and first half of the 2000s, and the ability for the marine industry to develop sail handling systems to allow sailing yachts to have motor yacht comfort with motor yacht sized crews. Sailing yachts can now be every bit as comfortable as motor yachts, and while they heel over sometimes, this is not seen as a disadvantage if cruises are planned correctly. They are also perceived as being more environmentally friendly than motor yachts, more gracious, more exciting and altogether more attractive.”
Rodney Martin, Director of New Zealand’s Fitzroy Yachts, who recently collaborated with Dubois on the 49.7-metre fast cruising sloop Zefira (winner of Sailing Yacht of the Year at the 2011 World Superyacht Awards), agrees there has been a discernable shift towards sailing superyachts as owners are put under more pressure to be environmentally conscious.
The fast cruising sloop Zefira, designed by Ed Dubois and built by Fitzroy Yachts in NZ, named 2011 World Superyacht of the Year.
“I was recently talking to a client who owns a big motor yacht and is interested in changing to a big sailing yacht,” says Martin. “I asked him why he was interested, and he said that when he comes into a bay in a big motor boat, all the locals and people on other boats look at it and think, ‘look at this big bloody thing coming in here’, whereas when a sailing yacht pulls in, people admire and say how beautiful it is. So yes, that is a real motivating factor.”
Martin also points to the quantum leaps in technology that, over the last decade, have allowed sailing yachts to compete with their powered counterparts in terms of internal volume and comfort: “In the past motor boats had a lot more volume than sailing boats, but now you can happily build a 60, 70, 80 or even 100-metre sailing boat, confident that the sailing gear is all proven technology. Owners can now have the same volume on, say, a 60-metre sailing yacht as on a 50-metre motor yacht. Ten years ago there were no 60-metre sailing boats out there; now there are several, with many more in build. The 60-metre is the new 50-metre.”
Yachts such as this new Oyster 100DS are a sign that the world’s best production sailing yacht brands are keen to get a slice of the superyacht market.
As yachts get bigger, so does the equipment they use. Superyachts operate at far great load perimeters than conventional sailing boats, and so require specialist gear. Deck hardware manufacturer Harken, for example, recently announced development plans for a captive reel winch with a 24-ton pull capacity, engineered specifically for the super sailing yacht market.
“The sailing superyacht sector is very important for Harken, and the greatest activity seems to be in the 60-metre plus projects, the really big stuff,” says Garry Lock, Managing Director of Harken Australia and New Zealand. “These yachts are getting bigger and bigger, and to handle the loads you end up with greater requirements for the captive reel winches, so our new product line addresses that. It includes winches with 9-ton, 12-ton and 16-ton load pulling capacity, and we have plans in the pipeline for a 24-ton one, so that gives you an idea of the type of market we’re getting into.”
It’s not just the specialist custom build yards that are increasing the size of their yachts to meet client demand. The production builders are getting a slice of the superyacht pie too, with premium brands like Oyster and Nautor’s Swan both adding larger, more highly specified models to their fleets last year. Oyster CEO, David Tydeman, says that entering the superyacht market has enabled the brand to introduce improvements in technology, design and build which then trickle down to the rest of the fleet.
“The Oyster 100 is not simply a large Oyster 82,” he says. “We have raised our game and risen to the challenge, entering the premier league of engineering and shipbuilding large yachts. The new Oyster 885, which will be on the water in 2012, illustrates that what we are learning from entering the superyacht market is already enabling Oyster to enhance our whole range, from the Oyster 46 up to the Oyster 125.”
Ed Dubois, who lent his proven superyacht experience to design the Oyster 100, said he was delighted when he saw the results: “It is wonderful how Oyster has managed to combine their reputation for building strong, seaworthy craft with the quality and finish that is now expected in the best sailing superyachts,” he commented. “As designers, we are of course full of admiration for the builders of our craft, and at the same time very particular about who we work with.”
Despite her impressive size, the 88-metre Perini Navi clipper Maltese Falcon has several times proven herself capable of winning superyacht regattas.
Likewise, Nautor’s Swan are following the success of their 80, 82 and 90 models with the Swan 100S, currently in the early stages of production at the Finnish yard and due to be launched in 2013. At the time of print Swan are keeping details about German Frers-designed 100S strictly under wraps, but the brand no doubt has would-be superyacht owners firmly in its sights.
“The new Swan 100S moving from plans and design to a reality under construction, with two orders already placed, has been an exciting process to lead,” said Swan’s Managing Director, Enrico Chieffi. “We are looking forward to promoting her around the world during 2012 and believe many of our existing and prospective owners will be drawn to some of the unique developments she will feature.”
While suppliers and production yacht builders benefit from the economic and technological ‘trickle-down’ from the superyacht sector, the leading superyacht yards continue to push the boundaries with ever more advanced boats. Several now build in carbon fibre, a technology borrowed from the aerospace industry and once only found on highly specialised racing yachts. Now used to build entire hulls of 50-metres and more, it provides significant weight savings. Superyacht designers can also now make use of specialist materials such as wafer-thin stone and marble veneers and artificial glass to reduce weight while presenting a highly opulent finish.
Sarissa is a modern, technical boat whose design was guided by close client input and involvement.While the reduction in weight clearly improves performance, it also means owners can afford to be even more decadent when it comes to interior fit out. On board luxuries such as home cinemas, gyms, jet skis and Jacuzzis all come with a weight penalty, but by saving several tons in the build stage you can still ensure all the essentials for long distance cruising in comfort are in place, without overly impacting performance.
Perhaps one of the most cutting-edge launches of 2011 was the 42.6-metre carbon sloop Sarissa, a collaboration between Dutch yard Vitters and Bill Tripp. “Sarissa is exactly at the point where the state-of-the-art large sailing yacht world lies,” says Tripp. “She is a modern, technical boat whose design was guided by close client input and involvement. She will be used to sail all over the world with the family in tow, and will take part in the established superyacht regattas.”
Sarissa’s Rhoades Young interior has all the style and comfort of a contemporary five-star hotel, while her deck systems provide the improved reaction speed, load and stiffness suited to racing conditions. Technical features developed by Vitters include a custom-developed hydraulic steering system with rudder feedback, as well as a unique system of back stays and running stays to operate both cruising and racing sail configurations.
In New Zealand, Fitzroy Yachts are currently engaged in building a 50-metre aluminium fast cruising sloop, under the working name G50, using performance-oriented techniques previously reserved for grand prix racing yachts.
“We are working closely with the guys from Southern Spars and Doyle Sails on that project to get the performance elements right,” says Fitzroy’s Rodney Martin. “We’re using 3D modeling gear used on the America’s Cup boats and applying that to the rigs and sail shapes of superyachts. We also work with Harken to develop the deck hardware and captive reel winches to get exactly the line speed, load and torque we want, even down to the kind of sheets that will be running in them.”
Dean Harper, Sales Manager at Southern Spars’ Custom Spars department, agrees that sailing superyachts are increasingly being seen as racing boats, rather than just as floating private hotels.
SY Vertigo is the largest sailing yacht ever built in the southern hemisphere.
“The performance aspect is being pushed all the time,” he says. “Owners and designers are moving away from heavier displacement style designs and more towards sleeker, narrow, low free board yachts with better stay tensions and lighter rigs. With the increasing popularity of the Bucket races, the competitive spirit is starting to gain momentum. So we’re seeing more and more yachts being tailored towards sailing better, with things like reef locks, halyard locks and composite rigging being added to improve performance.”
New technology is hitting the market all the time, allowing designers to push the performance envelope ever further. Southern Spars currently has a number of new products in development, including a composite continuous rigging system which is already featuring on some of the biggest yachts sailing today, and a new carbon laminate technique called Thin Ply Technology (TPT), in which a carbon / epoxy matrix is made using multiple, microscopically thin layers of carbon, further improving the properties of the material.
As hulls, rigs and sails become lighter and stronger, and the powered systems used to control them faster and easier to use, owners are able to push their boats beyond previously imaginable sailing perimeters. It’s now not uncommon to see 50, 60 or 70-metre plus superyachts pulling off the sort of close-hauled tacking and gybing manoeuvres normally associated with grand prix racing. The trick, as the wags at St Barth’s and Porto Cervo will tell you, is to do it without spilling any water from the on deck spa bath, or – worse – your gin and tonic. One of the most celebrated new builds of last year was the 67.2-metre aluminium fast cruising ketch Vertigo, a collaboration between Alloy Yachts and Phillipe Briand Yacht Design which, in terms its style, technology and flexibility of purpose, arguably represents the future of the sailing superyacht. Equal parts ocean-crossing resort, luxurious private home and regatta-friendly performance cruiser, Vertigo and yachts like her are at the vanguard of what Alloy Yachts’ Marketing Manager Linda Berry believes to be a new breed of sailing craft – the ‘Über Yacht’.
“Yachts such as Vertigo appeal to a younger type of owner, men and women who are still working and want to explore the world in a manner they are accustomed to,” says Berry. “This means they want a boat that is seaworthy, safe and beautiful to look at and live in, with room on board for teachers, chefs and anyone else they may need in order to fulfill a dream of exploring the world’s oceans without compromising the life they have built. It means being able to keep an eye on their business but still go for a dive, then host a tribal chief on board for an amazing meal, all in the same day. It means being able to let go without actually letting go. This is life of the new global roaming owner.”
Modern sailing superyachts, then, are many things to many people. For some they are a lifestyle, for others a job, and for still others – most of us, in fact – they are an impossible dream. Their lasting appeal, and the reason why we are still sailing the seas as opposed to just flying or motoring across them, is that they never fail to transport us emotionally. The sheer beauty and drama of the sailing yacht – what Bill Tripp calls ‘performance art’ – is what causes us to catch our breath when we glimpse a big sloop beating upwind with twenty uniformed crew hanging on the rail, or drop whatever we were doing and watch, starry eyed, when a 90-metre schooner glides silently around a headland. And that is why sailing superyachts, in some form or another, will always be around to grace our oceans.
REGATTAS:
Where: Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand
When: 15-18 February 2012
The Millennium Cup was first held in 2000, when Team New Zealand defended the America’s Cup in home waters, as a way to introduce more superyacht owners to New Zealand’s yard and refit facilities and excellent cruising grounds. A repeat regatta was held in 2003, with the intention of doing the same every two to three years. Organisers are now confident that a revived event in the Hauraki Gulf will be well attended, and they appear to be right. So far five yachts are confirmed for the Millennium Cup 2012, among them are Yachting Development’s 34-metre Silvertip, which won the 2003 event. The other four are Pacific Eagle, Georgia, Janice of Wyoming, Imagine, all built by Alloy Yachts.
www.millenniumcup.com
Where: Phuket, Thailand
When: 16-18 December 2012
Now in its 12th year, the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous represents the best evidence yet that South East Asia is on the up as a superyacht destination. The region has continued to grow in popularity as an alternative winter cruising ground, and Phuket is being promoted as a superyacht hub. The ASR sees sail and motor yachts over 100 feet are invited to join in festivities taking place over three days, on and off the waters of the Andaman coast. This exclusive event is by invitation only and hosts Asia’s biggest gathering of superyachts in the region. More of a showcase event than a true regatta, organisers anticipate a diverse fleet of classic yachts and newer builds to attend this year.
www.asia-superyacht-rendezvous.com
Where: Porto Cervo, Sardinia
When: 4-9 June 2012
Hosted by the prestigious Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and located in the enchanting coastal village of Porto Cervo on the northern coast of Sardinia, the Loro Piana is regarded as one of the finest superyacht regattas in the world. First launched in 2008, the event signals the unofficial opening of the Mediterranean superyacht season and attracts an ever-increasing fleet of sailing yachts, including modern and classic, performance and cruising vessels for five days of exhilarating sailing every June. 27 yachts took part in the 2011 event, and those already scheduled to attend this year include Aegir, Arabian Knight, Ganesha, My Song, No Name, Open Season and Scorpione dei Mari.
www.loropianasuperyachtregatta.com
Where: Falmouth, UK
When: 2-7 July, 2012
First held in 2009 to mark the 20th anniversary of the UK’s Pendennis Shipyard (builders of sailing superyachts such as Moonbird, Hemisphere and the recently launched Christopher) this newcomer to the regatta scene looks set to stick around. Falmouth Harbour in Cornwall provides some spectacular sailing between the historic castles of St. Mawes and Pendennis (after which the yard is named), as well as superb local cuisine and entertainment. Six yachts attended the augural event, and seven turned up for the 2010 follow up along with over 500 VIP guests and crews. Pendennis says they now have a confirmed entry of 14 yachts for the 2012 edition with many more waiting in the wings. Definitely one to watch.
www.pendennis.com
Where: Porto Cervo, Sardinia
When: To be confirmed
The Perini Navi Cup is dedicated exclusively to Perini yachts, which for a few intense days gather to challenge each other in the Mediterranean Sea. There have been four editions of the event so far – 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011 – and last year saw the most famous Perini Navi of all, the 88-metre Maltese Falcon, clinch victory from 54-metre Parsifal II after a final face-off was cancelled due to unstable winds. The event is well known for the camaraderie it elicits from Perini owners, who, according to one reviewer who attended the 2011 event, race their hyper-expensive and stylish vessels “as though it were a Wednesday night beer-can regatta”. Prizes include a Fair Play award and, in true superyacht spirit, one for Best Cocktail.
www.perininavi.it
Where: Whitsunday Islands, Australia
When: 17–25 August 2012
Described by America’s Cup legend Tom Ehman as “the best kept secret in the world of yachting,” Hamo, as it’s known to the locals, has long been known as Australia’s largest and most glamorous offshore yachting regatta. The 2012 event, hosted as usual by Hamilton Island Yacht Club, will see superyachts racing among the Whitsunday Islands for the second time, racing on handicap and using the islands themselves as course marks. The event’s organisers say the new Superyacht Division will be a key element in the 2012 series, adding to the drama and spectacle of “the world’s latest superyacht playground, and Australia’s answer to the Caribbean”.
www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au
Where:St Barthelemy, French West Indies
When: 22–25 March 2012
Founded in 1986 when a drinking session led to a group of seven superyachts taking part in a rum fuelled race around Nantucket Sound (The Nantucket Bucket), the granddaddy of superyacht regattas is now held in the warmer climes of the Caribbean, with a sister event in Newport, Rhode Island. 40 world-class super sailing yachts took part in 2011, drawn to the event’s famously louche atmosphere and excellent sailing conditions. All races are pursuit races, with the slowest boat first off the line. The rest of the fleet starts at intervals determined by each boat’s predicted elapsed time around the course, with the winner the first to finish.
www.bucketregattas.com
Where: Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
When: 14-17 March 2012
Following the success of the inaugural Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous, the second edition of this relatively new regatta will again see the Caribbean branch of the famed Sardinian club invite motor yachts and sailing yachts to compete in separate events. This year there is also a new category for sailing catamarans. So far there’s good interest in the regatta, partly thanks to its excellent location in the middle of popular cruising grounds. Organizers say that to date, 16 sailing yachts have signed up for the 2012 event, including Bliss, Ganesha, Hanuman, Marie, P2, Salperton, Saudade, and Zefira.
www.superyachtregattaandrendezvous.com
