Yachting-Live

Launchings
* The brief was to design a racing yacht of around 20′ which could be sailed by both able and disabled sailors alike; with the characteristics of a contemporary AC boat … the Artemis 20 was born.

A 6 metre carbon fibre performance keelboat with AC characteristics, yet safe and manageable.

The concept behind Vizual Marine and subsequently the Artemis 20 which the company designed and built in association with Simon Rogers, was to create an ‘even keel’ within the sailing fraternity that will allow both able and disabled sailors to race against each other with the same rules, the same boats and no unfair advantages.

After successfully sailing solo across the English Channel from Dover to Calais in 2005 in her adapted Artemis 20 and making history, quadriplegic sailor Hilary Lister, 35, is now planning her solo circumnavigating of the British Isles. Hilary and her team are hoping to achieve this in the summer of 2008.

The 2008 Artemis 20 Schedule includes:

HISC Open RNLI Pursuit Race - 24th March 2008
HISC Glyn Charles Pursuit Race - 26th April 2008
Artemis Transat - 9th - 11th May Plymouth
JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race - 28th June 2008 Cowes
ACCBank Cork Week - 12th - 18th July (tbc)
Skandia Cowes Week - 2nd - 9th August 2008 Cowes
Sailability Multi-Class Regatta Rutland SC - 8th - 10th August
Falmouth Week - 9th - 16th August 2008 tbc
PSP Southampton Boat Show - 12th - 21st September 2008
Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show - 28th November - 7th December 2008

* This is Merrymaid, the superb Charles Nicholson-designed gaff cutter originally built by Camper & Nicholsons in 1904 but seen here being re-launched recently at Southampton Yacht Services following a major re-fit.

Photo from Southampton Yacht Services.

Having spent years in a mud berth in Essex after the Second World War, like so many vessels of her ilk, she was rescued and started sailing again in the Mediterranean towards the end of the last century.

In her latest re-fit in which Piers Wilson’s team at SYS were able to get to the core of her problems, a special cradle had to be constructed to support the yacht while half the stem, the keelson, the stern knee and the stern post were replaced.

The interior has also been completely restored, a lot of it with new teak joinery and new engineering and electrical systems have been installed. Martins Rigging have attended to her complex rig and and a new suit of sails from Lawrence Sailmakers has been cut. Merrymaid has been undergoing extensive sea trials in the Solent and will soon return to the classic yacht circuit. — David Glenn/Yachting World, www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20080202180950supersailworld.html

* We’ve been keeping tabs on the progress of the Beluga SkySails, first modern commercial cargo vessel to harness wind power with a deployable computer controlled kite.

The ship arrived in the Venezuelan port of Guanta on Tuesday February 5th, leaving from Germany on January 22nd.

SkySails didn’t deploy the high-tech kite system until reaching the Azores, midway in her voyage. Once fully deployed, the system saved between 10 and 15 percent in fuel consumption, or $1000 to $1500 per day, according to Verena Frank, project manager for the SkySails. This was the first time the system had been tested under the difficult conditions of the mid-Atlantic.

As bugs get ironed out and crews gain expertise with the system, the kite can be deployed for up to half of a typical voyage while fuel conservation is expected to increase another 5 to 10 percent.

www.triplepundit.com/pages/ms-beluga-skysails-completes-h-002897.php

* Philippe Briand has designed a new 86′. This aluminium sailing yacht is currently under construction at the Chantier C.N.B. in Bordeaux. She is to be launched in May 2009.

This 86′ yacht is designed for offshore sailing. Her owner is an experienced yachtsman and has already owned a C.N.B. built yacht, which explains why the architect has taken care to design a sensitive boat which is pleasant to sail, due to her long waterline length, large sail area and a lifting keel which increases her draft from 2 to 4 metres.

The roof was therefore designed with very pure long lines and large windows. As the helm station is offset, the helmsman will have a perfect view over the headsails. A 3.70 m long tender is stowed in a aft garage. — MegaYachts.ru: megayachts.ru/en/news/10/450/

* Europe Sailing Corporation Ltd, has developed a new sailing project: the boat “Twelve” One Design The boat was designed by the Italian company Studio Lostuzzi Yacht Design and Engineering (located in Torviscosa, Italy) owned by Marco Lostuzzi and Andrea Grigolini.

Photo from Max Ranchi

The Studio received various awards such as the Oscar for sailing 2003 as the best project for Solaris 36′ OD, finalists for the award “sailor of the year” in 2004 and 2006 for design engineers and won the Millenium Yacht Desing Award for the SLY42′. In 2006, Engineer Marco Lostuzzi was appointed Advisor of the Association for Yachting Boat Projects, and this year his boat SLY 42′ won “European Yacht of the Year 2008″.

The boats, along with the models and moulds, will be produced in Italy. A minimum of 12 boats shall be produced in the first year (2008) and a minimum of 24 boats in 2009 and 36 boats in 2010.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.