Whisper it... one of the most perfect materials for demanding marine applications is no longer the exclusive preserve of elite racing programmes

Advances in composite materials and high-modulus rigging fibres in the last few decades have gone far to reduce, if not eliminate, the use of metals on many performance yachts. Aluminum alloys are light, but are soft and can be corroded, and stainless steel is often deemed too heavy for its application strength. There is one type of metal, however, that may reverse this trend because nothing else can provide such high strength, light weight and extreme durability in a small footprint that also needs to deliver reliability and performance. The team at Ti64, based in Austin, Texas, specialises in working with this unique metal: titanium.

For decades titanium had been considered too exotic for general use due its rarity and fabulous expense, and for good reason: it alone delivers superior yield, tensile and fatigue strength that in alloy Ti-6Al-4V (an alloy that has six per cent aluminum and four per cent vanadium, referred to as Grade 5) is up to 200 per cent greater than 316 stainless and yet 45 per cent lighter. Compared with 6061 aluminum, it is 35 per cent heavier but has twice the strength-to-weight ratio. In the west, during the Cold War, only military contractors with budgets in the billions could afford to use this amazing material, and hence its place in metals mythology.

Given this, recreational use in the past was pretty rare, although enough was found in 1967 to fabricate and graft on a titanium top section of the mast of Intrepid and give her the superior speed she needed to be the only 12-Metre to win the America’s Cup twice, both in 1967 and 1970. Two decades later in the post-Cold War era titanium started to become more widely available and affordable in a classic trickle-down of technology from the expensive aerospace arena to the everyman, and as the prices dropped, its uses and applications have expanded accordingly. Even a decade ago Apple’s MacBook model laptops featured thin titanium covers.

Main picture: a warm sunset reflects off a Ti64 titanium padeye and bolts on the Gunboat 60 Moonwave. Left: Ti64 uses more than 50 years of combined mechanical and metallurgical engineering and design experience in the development of every product.
Below: Finite element analysis (FEA) and testing identifies the exact points of high and low stress on a given product

Taking advantage of this trickle-down, the team at Ti64 has amassed more than 50 years of combined metallurgical and engineering experience in working with this wonder metal, and is pledged to help a wide variety of customers who want high quality and high performance, but not at high pricing. Most of their experience has been in competitive autosports, where the rules are very restrictive, innovations are pushed to their limits, reliability is vitally important and every gram counts. Ti64 has been at the forefront of developing custom and production kits for several car racing circuits and is now found on nearly every vehicle in the Indycar class.

It was an approach from Paul Hand, captain of the globe-trotting Gunboat Phaedo, that introduced Ti64 to the potential that lies in the marine market.

‘Paul was struggling to remove and service his worn-out and corroded aluminum rudder bearings and he thought there must be a better way,’ explained Chris Raeder, founder and president of Ti64. ‘He contacted us, we talked through the design and fabrication options, and built four bearings in Grade 2 titanium. The new bearings fit well and were easy to install, and will easily outperform the original parts to provide years of trouble-free service.’

Above: Phaedoʼs four titanium rudder bearings were custom built by Ti64.
Below: these titanium padeyes have a better strength-toweight ratio than traditional steel or brass

This was confirmed recently when Hand said that after several years of use, ‘our rudder bearings are still performing as good as the day we installed them. I do a complete disassembly of the bearings each autumn and I do it with such pleasure as I know there will be no corrosion, no stuck bolts, and no pitted bearing surfaces. They are worth every dollar.’

Soon the Ti64 design team was finding other elegant solutions working with the latest CAD CAM and FEA to produce bearings and many other parts where high strength, light weight and durability are imperative to performance.

And unlike the exotic mythology suggests, what is equally impressive is pricing that is within reach of most budgets, especially considering the superior long-term performance that these parts deliver compared to other metals.

‘Many of our customers are surprised at what we can deliver for the price,’ says Greg Pacifico of Ti64. ‘The finished cost of machining a production part will vary from $150- $800 per kilo, and about twice that for custom fabricated parts. This includes all the design, fabrication and finishing steps needed to complete an order.’

When absolute confidence is needed for all the superior qualities inherent to using titanium, this is attractive pricing indeed.

Click here for more information on Ti64 »

An ironic spin-off from the Covid crisis is the inevitable big boost we are already beginning to see for shorthanded inshore and offshore racing. Of course to do it well – and enjoy it – means getting the right tools...

If you have been pining for the racecourse as you watch the events calendar evaporate, the answer to getting back out on the water and possibly even racing may be closer than you think. And it’s your B&G autopilot that could not only hold the key, but provide a legal advantage that few are exploiting.

Covid-19 may have forced us to look at our sport in a different way, at least for the time being, but the shutdown has provided an opportunity to capitalise on a big change in offshore racing while providing an incentive to get back on the racecourse and try shorthanded sailing.

Just a few months ago, a full crew on the weather rail looked completely normal. Now it is unacceptable under the current social distancing rules, unless of course you are all from the same household. For most crews, adhering to the current rules with crew spaced 2m apart is clearly not practical. Neither is the prospect of reducing the crew of say a 40-footer from eight to say just three. Or is it?

Shorthanded sailing has become increasingly popular in recent years. When the 2013 Rolex Fastnet Race was won overall by a double-handed entry the sailing world took note. Since then, shorthanded fleets have grown in size and their teams have become increasingly competitive as they square up to their fully crewed rivals. All of which has led some to wonder whether an answer to the current crisis facing yacht racing lies with shorthanded rather than fully crewed racing. From here it’s clear that your autopilot, be it a Triton2 or an H5000 system might hold the key. But the benefit of using the current downtime to understand your pilot goes beyond shorthanded sailing.

Interestingly, even before the Covid crisis took a hold, the issue of autopilots had already become a hot topic in the racing scene. This year was to see a big change in RORC races where autopilots would be allowed to be used aboard fully crewed boats as well as their shorthanded competitors.

Furthermore, there are plenty in the shorthanded scene who believe that their autopilots sail faster at night than tired humans who are struggling to see the waves or the telltales.

So, if kit that is already fitted to your boat could get you around the racecourse more quickly than your competitors, there is plenty of incentive to spend the Covid downtime understanding how the pilot can get you back out on the water and up to speed for the season.

In the grand prix world, advanced autopilots are allowing Imoca60s and Ultim trimarans to achieve speeds that manual steering simply cannot match. Having complete faith in the autopilot takes a great deal of planning and experience.

The technology trickle-down is also having a big effect throughout the rest of the sport too as modern autopilots demonstrate how the game has moved on in mainstream racing.

So, to find out how to get the best out of the autopilot B&G talked to some of those who have spent years relying on their silent systems. In a mini series of articles on the B&G Blog, solo sailor Henry Bomby, Will Harris (Team Malizia), Nigel Colley (Solo Ocean Racing Club) and Matt Eeles (B&G product director) talk about how to set up your autopilot accurately and understand the key performance functions to ensure that you can exploit the benefits of a pilot whether handling the boat alone or with a full crew.

Although the objective is to understand how to get the best out of your autopilot, it is important to remember that before you even get to this part, calibrating the basic instruments is a crucial first step.

‘When we get aboard to investigate an autopilot system it is not unusual to find that the only item that has been calibrated is the echosounder depth offset,’ says B&G product director Matt Eeles.

‘Calibration of the key sensors is essential, not just as part of the normal commissioning of the yacht but before any of the data on the displays can be relied on. Here, the compass and the boatspeed read-out are fundamental to any instrument system and must be calibrated first. Without doing this, any adjustments that are made to the autopilot will be meaningless.’

Trusting and understanding your autopilot presents an advantage that would be mad to ignore.

Click here for more information on the B&G blog »

Karma... the fruit of the latest cooperation between luxury and performance yacht builders Maxi Dolphin and Wicklow-based designer Mark Mills really is just that

This design for a light, wide, and powerful performance cruiser with a large sailplan and a lifting keel prepared for established performance builders Maxi Dolphin shows how far modern raceboat design and construction can influence the next generation of high performance mile-eaters.. Headed by Luca Botter, the company has a lot of experience with this type of build, is located near the project manager, client, and interior designer Nauta in Milan, and understands the client’s vision: ‘pulita, semplice, veloce’ – clean, simple, fast. Moreover, they saw the opportunity for Karma to pave the way for further semi-custom builds of the MD75 design.

With the green light to proceed, work started immediately to outline the geometry with the boatyard’s technical office led by Giovanni Pizzatti, to produce a basis on which all the different contributors could begin working: design, engineering from AMS, builder, interior designer, spar builder Maxispar, and keel manufacturer Cariboni all had to contribute pieces of a complex puzzle. Every other facet of the project was Italian.

Once the major decisions on the interior and exterior layout had been made, construction began at the Maxi Dolphin facility near Brescia, where the experienced team quickly set up female moulds for the carbon/corecell hull and deck construction. This combination is becoming the most reliable and costeffective solution for performance designs of this type, bringing weight and stiffness gains complemented by a wider availability of builder friendly materials. It was the interior structure and components where higher tech solutions would pay the greatest dividends. Prepreg unidirectional caps were autoclaved and bonded to the longitudinal and transverse frames for ultimate stiffness, while all the interior parts are nomex cored for the lightest and most rigid possible solution. Another development is the advanced electronic system relying on digital switching, which significantly reduces cabling, and allows everything to be controlled from a simple mobile device. Once the interiors and systems were complete, the deck laid with teak, and the Cariboni lifting keel installed Karma was trucked to the coast in Lavagna, east of Genoa, ready for launch.

The project can be traced back to 2016 when Mark Mills was contacted by an experienced Italian project manager with a client looking for a very high-performance cruiser of around 75ft.

‘The client had grown up sailing high-performance dinghies and was an active kiteboarder. He wanted to translate his familiarity with the sea and high-performance sailing into a big boat, which would allow him to sail shorthanded around the Mediterranean, and have a nice family “apartment” to enjoy when he arrived in port. His demands were for very sleek and simple exterior styling, high performance for quick delivery to new locations, and a relaxed and casual interior to be developed with his friends at Nauta Design in Milan’, Mills explains.

‘The vision of the project manager was already well developed, so important features such as the generous beam, large tender storage and swept spreader rig with square top main and no backstay were pencilled in from the start,’ he says.

‘With a coherent brief already established, a light powerful hull shape was sketched with added volume in the ends to reflect its primarily offshore and offwind profile, which helps utilise the full accommodation length available. The difficulty was combining the extensive interior and amenity desired, with the performance necessary, demanding intelligent solutions to minimise weight and maximise performance,’ Mills adds.

Greater length is always more accommodating when it comes to headroom, allowing an aggressive low freeboard profile to feature a flush deck relieved only by a slight bulge over the saloon extending aft around the cockpit. This was faired fully into the deck, and was covered with unbroken teak, meaning from many angles it would still appear to be a completely flush deck. Its presence however created the low seatbacks outboard of the wide cockpit seats, helped raise the seats slightly for more headroom below, and provided some critical depth for items needing space above the internal headroom, such as the sprayhood arch, the sliding main hatch which must fit under it, and the underdeck halyard runs to the winches in front of the wheels. This search for headroom was to become one of the important threads of the design development process, to be expected whenever open, spacious interiors are competing with low freeboard and the need to recess vital features in the deck to remain “invisible”.

Although this was not primarily a design for racing, the importance of the latest generation of design tools for predicting not only speed and heel angle, but details such as rudder angle and leeway for foil optimisation make it a necessary component of any new design.

‘Our regular R&D partners KND/Sailing Performance ran the CFD and VPP studies looking into the areas we wanted to develop,’ says Mills. ‘As a high-performance cruiser with a lower priority on upwind performance than an inshore raceboat, the hull shape design focused on excellent downwind performance with more volume forward, especially above the waterline, ensuring a hull that responds better when pressed reaching and running. At the same time the volume at the stern needs to accommodate the aftward shift of the centre of gravity that is inevitable with a yacht bristling with amenities, without becoming so full that no light air performance remains.

‘Given this wide and relatively full hull aft, the draught limitation of a raised lifting keel, and the tender stowage aft, twin rudders were clearly indicated, and this was an opportunity to further refine the twin rudder solution.’

Another of the major contributors to Karma’s success is the widely respected Nauta Design office in Milan. Headed by partners Massimo Gino and Mario Pedol, this very experienced team started to develop the interior volume to deliver the casual, comfortable environment desired by the client. A design loop was quickly set up, negotiating how hull and deck geometry could be developed to better enable their interior vision, without compromising the performance and aesthetic standards set by the client. Among the many details addressed in this process were freeboard, deck camber, cockpit layout and hatch locations, to reach a tightly packaged solution.

Above: the cockpit plan is designed for cruising shorthanded with simple sail controls all led back to the helm.
Below: a very large tender garage in the transom was one of the ownerʼs key requirements.

Below: Nauta designed an interior that feels remarkably bright and spacious for such a low-freeboard yacht

Nauta’s layout is notable for its generous spaces throughout the boat, unified by lighting and simplicity. Bulkheads, sides and furniture are decorated in ‘lambris’ style: the lower part is made of oak with a ‘scratched’ effect, which conveys a feeling of warm comfort, while the upper part is made of white panels that enhance the cleanliness of the design. This philosophy is most strikingly evident in the large saloon, accessed from the comfortable, very wide and slightly sloping companionway, featuring a dining area with an eight-person table and a large lounge sofa that can comfortably seat four people.

For the exterior the preliminary drawings had shown a hard chine mated to a conventional sheer with a constant facet, but over a number of meetings with the project manager in Verona, the options of a faceted sheerline with lower bowsprit, a rounder turn of bilge, and a selection of hull window shapes were added to the list for consideration by the client, who chose the final combination of features seen in Karma.

Walking through Karma in Lavagna, Mills said, ‘I was struck by how clean and simple the final result is. The smooth uncluttered deck stretches unbroken the full length of the boat, yet all the controls are available in front of the wheel for easy sailing. Some clever details such as a disappearing flexible washboard and the main hatch/recessed full width sprayhood arch resolution, show off Maxi Dolphin’s detailing skills’.

With no runners the back of the boat is totally open providing a fabulous relaxing space, and with the transom door down the access to the water for kite or paddle boarding is made very easy. The simplified sail handling solutions make shorthanded performance easy, and with her stability and good manners the boat moves 75ft away from the need for a full crew to enjoy highspeed sailing.

The Nauta-designed interior in light neutral colours accentuated by orange highlights is a masterpiece of casual comfort, the low wide spaces inviting relaxation and enjoyment. With sea views and light from the large hull windows it feels bright and airy, establishing a benchmark for interior quality in a competitive niche of the performance cruiser market.

One of the benefits of the Maxi Dolphin methodology is that further semi-custom MD75 builds are relatively easy, allowing completely different interpretations of the same philosophy. Not just the fixed keel/ single backstay sailplan option but completely different interiors, deck and topside treatments, and cockpit geometry are possible, so perhaps next there will be a raised saloon version, or a higher-tech racing oriented development of this clean and simple speedster. Mills says, ‘it was a pleasure to be included in an otherwise exclusively Italian project, radiating as she does an Italian sense of style, grace, and performance’. PULITA – SEMPLICE – VELOCE.

Click here for more information on Max Dolphin »

Baltic’s 68-foot Café Racer really is a yacht for the 21st Century

Breaking new ground. Easy to say, but for Baltic Yachts that is genuinely the core of its DNA. It is almost 50 years since Baltic Yachts was founded on a simple principle, based on a refusal to accept the “norm” and to explore new boundaries. In 1973 five men, young at that time, eloped from Nautor to start their own boatyard and build the very finest sailboats in the world together with a group of native talents from the Bosund region in Finland.

They wanted to create top quality, comfortable cruising yachts with racing potential and with lighter displacement than their competitors’ boats, not only to boost performance but also to make life easier and more enjoyable, and they had the idea that hi-tech materials and methods could do this. Not fighting head-to-head with other boatyards but instead creating their own product for the small niche of very demanding performance cruising/racing sailors.

Without question Baltic Yachts has led the way in advanced composite construction for superyachts over the past decades, never settling for “good enough” and always looking for the next breakthrough in composites, systems or technology generally to ensure clients could rest assured that they were always getting the ultimate solution.

It’s no surprise then that the Baltic 68 Café Racer breaks new ground in many ways. It is a size the shipyard knows well, with notable launches in this size range including Claude from the board of Reichel-Pugh. The inspiration behind the Café Racer stems from clear messaging from clients that has driven many of the key elements of the yacht, from eco-friendly building materials to electric propulsion and the concept of “easy sailing”. Clients are looking for a cutting-edge design but combining performance with the latest developments in materials, particularly noting the environment. The way clients use their yachts is changing, shorter trips but more frequently, so ease of use is key. That embodies the Café Racer philosophy.

Above: the strikingly handsome new Baltic 68 Café Racer is designed to deliver pure, hassle-free sailing with sparkling performance, easy handling and luxurious comfort. But whatʼs most remarkable about this groundbreaking design is its innovative use of more sustainable materials and minimal carbon footprint

Baltic Yachts has for some time been researching new eco-friendly materials and techniques. Recognising that, very much as they did by being the first shipyard to embrace the challenge of advanced composites for performance cruisers and superyachts, being aware of the future is key. By using naturally grown flax to reinforce the Baltic 68’s hull, not only is her carbon footprint dramatically reduced but the shipyard is again breaking new ground in both adopting new materials and seriously addressing the concerns of clients about the environmental impact of more traditional materials.

For the Baltic 68 more than 50 per cent of the hull structure will use Bcomp ampliTex flax as a reinforcement, which also has excellent sound deadening properties. This has multiple benefits that are not immediately obvious. Not only does the yacht continue the enviable tradition of developing what are widely considered to be the quietest superyachts sailing today, but the fact that the material deadens sound allows a more efficient use of space by reducing the use of insulation.

Materials used in the Café Racer’s accommodation continue the ecotheme with light oak timbers and flax composites combining with specialist wallpapers, wicker and paper cord to produce a light, cool, contemporary accommodation.

For the exterior the Baltic 68 Café Racer’s beautifully laid decks, another Baltic trademark, use multipurpose modified wood which is a sustainable, durable pine that comes with a 50-year warranty against rot. This solution lasts longer and is harder wearing than teak so deck thickness is reduced and consequently there is a 30 per cent weight saving.

The award-winning Lignia Yacht deck material means Baltic can avoid using hardwoods but maintain the feel and performance of a genuine deck and at the same time save weight, something of a holy grail for most owners.

In addition to embracing materials that are quieter and greener, this new yacht takes electric propulsion to levels not yet seen in the sailing world. The Café Racer is completely electric, removing the diesel engine completely from the inventory. The low-emission drive features two 20kw propulsion units. With such potent sailing performance on tap and a yacht designed as the ultimate daysailing statement, it seems unnecessary to have a long range in terms of motoring. The 60kW/hr battery bank, rechargable within six hours, will provide three hours motoring at seven knots.

Power comes from two 20kW 48v drive legs providing increased manoeuvrability when docking, redundancy and security and furthermore, greater efficiency for power regeneration. Regeneration comes from a variety of sources with the propellers generating 3kw at eight knots, increasing to 6kW at 10 knots. Solar panels discreetly integrated into the coachroof also produce a peak of 1.5kW and perform a trickle charge function whilst the yacht is moored.

A micro turbine range extender which weighs less than 100kg whilst producing 25kw of power allows clients to increase the already generous reserves. It is safe to say that the Café Racer is comfortably ahead of the curve when it comes to producing silent, low-vibration electric propulsion in the world of high-performance sailing.

Baltic Yachts continues to research ways of reducing power consumption and in this yacht it’s down by 30 per cent for one of the most demanding domestic services – air conditioning. The bespoke system mixes recirculated, less humid air with fresh air to reduce the amount of power needed to maintain the desired onboard “climate”. UV filters ensure the air is bacteria-free and solar panels can power the system in eco mode with no draw from the battery bank.

The naval architecture and design of the yacht was entrusted to Surge Projects, teaming up with Jens Paulus for the interior styling to create this unique Café Racer with an overarching desire to deliver the essence of sailing in an eco-friendly environment.

Javier Jaudenes, founder of Surge Projects, with his extensive racing experience drew a boat with the aim to attract owners who enjoy the pure sensations of sailing with friends and family and the minimum of fuss. The true Café Racer is one where at the last minute the owner can decide to go sailing, slip the lines and be off. Not needing a crew, a schedule or even a plan – just to go and enjoy being on the water for the afternoon.

Being able to sail shorthanded is something often “sold” but practicalities and physics are stern taskmasters and so developing a yacht where this wish becomes reality was critical in the design process. In conjunction with Baltic Yachts, the base ergonomics created a deck design that has the primary sail handling area close to the helmsman and a safe and relaxed area for friends and family amidships with sofas and sunbathing area.

The interior styling of the forecabin (above) and saloon (below) by Jens Paulus is unpretentious yet elegant and also highlights the yachtʼs eco credentials by showcasing natural and sustainable materials. More than 50 per cent of the entire hull structure is reinforced with a highly engineered new type of natural flax fibre, rather than carbon or glassfibre. One of the less obvious benefits of using this material is that its superb noise deadening qualities reduce the quantity of sound insulation needed on board. The ultra-efficient bespoke air conditioning system is also a standout feature

The refined underdeck sailing systems and sheets ensure not only a clean deck and sensational lines but a safe short-handed sailing experience without compromising performance. Fingertip control of the powerful mainsail is delivered via the captive electric mainsheet and traveller together with the hydraulic vang and cunningham. Furling the headsail is controlled by the electric unit at the touch of a button at the helm station.

Halyards and headsail sheets are controlled by the electric primary and secondary winches.

The rig has been developed around a reliable and proven concept of high-modulus carbon and swept spreaders, refined in conjunction with sail designers and taking advantage of the latest developments in sail technology. The sailplan is powerful and effective but versatile, taking advantage of the fact that the latest developments in headsails are proven to have a wider operating range. This is ideal in particular for a short-handed café racer where as wide a range as possible is wanted for the headsail. Easy speed is the mantra and the Baltic 68 delivers it in spades.

The finer details of the naval architecture were developed using Aero Ranse CFD and these results together with the hull CFD were combined to develop the VPP, optimising balance and speed. Twin rudders were chosen as best solution for control and balance, particularly when sailing at reaching angles. This is particularly important when the boat is designed and optimised for pure speed regardless of rating with particular focus on reaching angles when she will perform best.

Perhaps unexpectedly the Café Racer has taken all the innovation and style of the exterior and infused a surprisingly spacious interior with the same energy.

The unpretentious yet elegant design language of the interior highlights the essence of this stateof- the-art eco-performance cruiser. It reflects the high level of ecological innovation with its contemporary form and the intelligent and thoughtful composition of natural and sustainable materials truly complements the ethos behind the yacht.

Taking a minimalist design approach allows Baltic to showcase stunning details of craftmanship and highlight the innovative use of materials in the construction. In essence the interior has been developed around comfort and functionality in complete harmony.

This is a yachtsman’s yacht, a true thoroughbred that will thrill and delight in equal measure whilst delivering in a truly understated style which is uniquely Baltic.

Click here for more information on Baltic Yachts »