We were approached by a couple with an extensive list of requirements
for what they saw as the definitive yacht for long term cruising.
Their primary requirements were safety and seaworthiness combined
with comfort, ease of handling, speed and the potential for occasional
offshore racing. All of this to be within a specific budget. Implicit
in the brief was that it should also be a handsome yacht.
Of the many innovative and functional design
solutions incorporated in this yacht, two elements define the
overall layout – the lifting keel and the solid dodger.
The lifting keel allows a high aspect ratio foil and high righting
moment bulb combination for good windward performance whilst the
solid dodger provides dry and secure cockpit seating with the
mainsheet mounted out of the crew’s way.
The central part of the interior is literally
the navigation area. Seated here the owner has all information
and controls at his fingertips via the waterproof PC, radar and
instruments mounted on the aft face of the keel case. These instruments
are also easily viewed from the cockpit. Outboard of this area
are two contoured recliners for the off watch crew.
A quote from an email message from the owners
on board “Degrees of Freedom”, “We’ve
logged 4700nm since Fremantle. Over 95% of that has been on the
wind.” “What a voyage we’ve had. Hard to imagine
any other 38 foot boat that would have made it easier or more
enjoyable.”
|
