Southern Wind’s new 100X is both a return to their roots and a step forward into the future with a strong focus on efficiency… in every sense of the word

For the past seven years, Southern Wind Shipyard has been developing, refining and perfecting its “Smart Custom” design and build process, which combines the main advantages of semicustom and full custom yacht production. Now they’ve enlarged and complemented their offering with a project of identical quality and similar performance potential, with a different range of benefits. Enter the Southern Wind 100X.

In one sense, for the shipyard the 100X represents a return to its roots. Southern Wind forged its reputation 15 years ago with the launch of its first 100-footer, Farewell and the 30-metre segment has been the mainstay of its production ever since. With 23 yachts in that size bracket delivered since 2006, plus a further four just outside it, Southern Wind has built up a lot of knowledge and experience. Just like the iconic original SW100, of which 13 were delivered, the new SW100X will be a semi-custom model built with tighter parameters than the rest of the current Southern Wind fleet.

Southern Wind CEO Marco Alberti led the Southern Wind and Nauta Design teams to this stylish new stern

In another sense, however, the 100X is a step into the future. It’s set to be the most efficient and sustainable model that Southern Wind has produced, with some next-generation design features. Like the latest Smart Custom models in build, it offers the option of hybrid diesel-electric propulsion with full regeneration capability under sail.

Smart custom production will continue in parallel – the first SW108 Hybrid is currently in build, another SW96 is soon to start and there’s strong demand in the pipeline. The occasional full custom builds will also continue – the most recent of these being Morgana, the Reichel/Pugh - Nauta 100 racer/cruiser launched last year – because Southern Wind sees these as a valuable way to keep a finger on the pulse of innovation.

Southern Wind fabricates the internal carbon structures (above) and the hull moulds (below) for its boats in house

The benefits
So what benefits does the semi-custom build option deliver? First and foremost, efficiency. With two years of conceptual design, development and engineering work already completed and a wide range of pre-set options ready to go, a great deal of efficiency has been built in.

The design loop with the client will require less time because most of the work has already been done. The build processes are optimised for efficiency, with moulds re-used multiple times and the use of carbon fibre carefully optimised rather than used by default throughout. Customers can expect delivery up to six months sooner than a comparable smart custom project – which is already a lot more efficient and less time-consuming than a full custom build. The efficiency of the build also reduces its carbon footprint and makes it inherently more sustainable.

Efficiency savings in the design loop and build process are shared with the client. In essence it’s a faster process – about 16 months instead of 20-22 with the same level of quality and at least the same amount of design innovation, at a more competitive price. The trade-off is that some aspects of the yacht’s specification are selected from a range of pre-set options instead of starting with a blank sheet of paper.

The concept
Like the original SW100, the new SW100X is conceived as a versatile all-rounder. It’s a true cruiser-racer and a capable goanywhere ocean voyager, equally at home on transatlantic passages, in bucket regattas, on charter cruises and in blue water cruising mode. Cruising in a wide range of latitudes has been factored into the design, following the typical owner’s trajectory which starts with a few seasons in the Mediterranean followed by longrange voyaging in the tropics and then perhaps adventure sailing in places like Patagonia, Norway or Polynesia.

One of the stand-out features of the new SW100X is this aft deck lounge – twice the size of the beach club areas on previous Southern Wind yachts – with a garage for a 4.35-metre jet RIB tender underneath

As with any Southern Wind yacht, heavy weather seakeeping is assured but the default rig and sailplan are optimised for light winds, reflecting the typical conditions when owners and guests are on board. Reefing will be done relatively early. Farr Yacht Design’s polars suggest that the boat should be faster than the true wind speed above six knots of breeze and boatspeed in the upper 20-knot range should be achievable going downwind in a blow.

The details
The deck, passenger cockpit and interior have been designed for up to eight guests (including the owners), with a full-beam master suite in the bow and separate quarters located aft for a crew of four. For short-range use the four-cabin general arrangement is ideal for owners hosting friends on board, or for two families sharing a charter, one forward and one aft of the saloon. For blue water cruising it provides VIP double and convertible twin/double cabins amidships for owners and guests to use on passage. The upper saloon offers good views out on both sides when seated and a panoramic 270-degree view forward, port and starboard when standing. Like most Southern Wind yachts, the snug lower saloon can be configured as a TV lounge, office or bar.

Above and below: exceptional build quality and fine craftsmanship are hallmarks of Southern Wind yachts

The deck design by Nauta takes its cues from the widely admired GT style decks of several recent Southern Wind yachts, with the coachroof and cockpit coamings subtly raised to increase shelter and security at sea. The most striking feature, however, is the impressively large seaside lounge that folds out of the aft deck, with various configurations of sofas and sunbeds, and a total area of 20sq m – twice this size of the beach club area on any previous Southern Wind yacht. Beneath all of this is a transverse tender garage designed to fit a Williams 435 jet RIB with an ingenious launch and retrieval solution.

The options
The performance package includes a mainsheet traveller, running backstays and a square-top mainsail. Owners can opt for hydraulic furling or manual operation for the code sail and gennaker, and can choose between park avenue or truss styles of boom. A rigid hardtop can be selected to shelter the passenger cockpit; it’s stowed on the coachroof when not in use. The ballast options are a straight choice between a fixed fin and bulb with 4m draught or a 3.65m to 5.6m telescoping keel.

The cabin layout works for both charter cruises and blue water voyaging

A wide choice of interior finishes and furniture configurations are available, designed and styled by Nauta. The engine room is designed to fit the BAE Systems HybriGen diesel-electric propulsion system, which was pioneered on SW96 Nyumba and is also installed on the first SW108. If hybrid propulsion is chosen, the high-voltage batteries will be installed in a dedicated, fire-insulated and ventilated compartment in the bilge forward of the saloon. The other engine options are either a conventional 305hp Cummins diesel engine or a twin diesel saildrive setup for IMO Tier 3 compliance.

So when will we see the Southern Wind 100X on the water? The moulds were being built as this issue of Seahorse went to press, lamination could start as early as August and the shipyard expects to deliver the first yacht in the series for the 2025 sailing season.

Click here for more information on Southern Wind Yachts »

Above: The new HH44 is shaping up to be a big success. Two variants are offered: the comfort-focused OC model and the sporty SC with C-shaped carbon daggerboards

HH Catamarans has embraced a philosophy of ‘future-proofing’ its luxury multihulls with a wide range of cutting-edge technologies

It's rather common to make claims in the marine industry about how certain new products are “bold” or “innovative” or “cutting edge” for their clever new approach to design, fabrication and/or function. And these claims are often not untrue, with technology moved forward another incremental step towards us being able to sail into the future faster, smarter and safer. At HH Catamarans they’re not content with these adjectives: they prefer to use the term “disruptive” to describe what they do, and their approach to design and fabrication in their new performance luxury catamarans as “future-proofing.”

Some dictionaries define this rather techy-sounding term as the process of making a product or system unlikely to become obsolete or fail in the future, certainly a laudable goal when considering the high pace of technological progress and the considerable investment made to own boats in this sector.

The huge cockpit of an HH catamaran flows almost seamlessly into the saloon

HH Catamarans willingly embraces innovation and change to produce the very best in the market, where their clients come to find a perfect balance of style, performance, safety and innovation that meets and exceeds their expectations. This is because each boat is carefully crafted to be a unique solution to the customer’s sailing goals, whether its racing, cruising or more often, both.

An excellent example of this approach is how HH Catamarans and its customers are embracing the very latest technologies for sustainability and eco-friendly operation of all the yachts in their product line, particularly the new HH44s and HH52s. There are two variants in each size: the OC (Ocean Cruising) model or the SC (Sports Cruising) model. OC models are fast, comfortable, familyfriendly cruising yachts that have easy-operation features such as mini-keels instead of daggerboards and are appropriate for bluewater cruising, while the SC models have the very latest in technology, with C-shaped, carbon pre-preg daggerboards, carbon spar and more than 4.2 kW of solar and regeneration power in the standardequipped EcoDrive system.

The newly expanded Hudson Yacht Group factory on the waterfront in Xiamen, China spans more than 1.2 million square feet

The development of the Parallel Hybrid EcoDrive system is in response for the need for an efficient and eco-friendly solution to electric power management, which is vitally important for all extended range racing and cruising boats when the primary means of propulsion is sailing. While traditional yachts rely on the main engine and/or a generator to provide this, it comes at a high cost in excessive weight and emissions for a performance-oriented catamaran.

The EcoDrive system helps solve this problem as a robust and redundant hybrid electric/diesel propulsion system designed to bring the benefits of an electric drive (eg silent fume-free motoring, instant torque for manoeuvring, and hydroregeneration of batteries while sailing) with the reliability of a trusted diesel engine. Nearly all of the 40 HH44s and HH52s currently on order have included this system.

The production line is a major operation with 22 yachts currently in build

Depending on boat size and sea state, the power output from EcoDrive and the battery storage capacity are, on average, designed to conservatively offer one and a half to three hours of silent, fumefree electric propulsion without requiring the owner to carry an unnecessarily large battery bank. This should be more than enough time to leave the marina or anchorage, hoist sails and regenerate power as you sail away. And this power is available not only just for motoring purposes: the power delivered by the hydro-regenerators combined with 4.2 kW from the roof-top solar panels in this system are able to generate up to a combined 50 kW of power stored in lithium batteries that are available for all the other common uses on a luxury catamaran – even air conditioning. Compare this with a conventional genset which delivers only 6 kW at a weight cost of over 400 kg plus the fuel weight – the choice for EcoDrive seems obvious.

And working closely with their electrical engineering partners, HH Catamarans has developed user interfaces that can easily control a variety of functions in the 48 V electrical system onboard that operates everything from bow thrusters and sailhandling controls to climate systems and cabin lighting. Our modern culture now is accustomed to app-style functionality and HH Catamarans strives to offer this as well.

The first HH60 to be launched is owned by a former Class40 competitor. It will have swing helm stations, asymmetric daggerboards and a high-aspect carbon rotating mast

‘This technology may seem remarkable in our sector,’ says CEO Paul Hakes, ‘yet it is common, well-proven and mature in other industries such as automobiles. We find it remarkable that more builders have not embraced this because we find our customers are fully engaged with this functionality and provide valuable feedback for us on customising solutions they look for in their yacht.’

From decades of Grand Prix-level boat building experience and meeting the challenges of technology and customer expectation, Hakes knows this process well. His partnership with Hudson Wang to form HH Catamarans in 2014 has thrived on a common vision of bringing excellence in boat-building materials and techniques – in both custom and production settings – to innovative design that “disrupts” the marketplace. With the experience and pedigree of renowned catamaran designers Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin, known worldwide for their pioneering influence in not only developing this sector of performance luxury catamarans, but also having a guiding hand in America’s Cup catamaran development, HH Catamarans has always had a strong footing in offering impressive performance in their product lines.

The top-of-the-range HH88 has twin helm pods inspired by Rolls Royce

Adding this talent into the next generation is Hakes’ son James, whose own background in performance sailing and naval architecture provides the important design and engineering talent needed to ensure the visions from his father, Morrelli and Melvin and the customer feedback can coalesce into a buildable yacht that delivers on all expectations. Hakes says ‘James is the ongoing brains behind the aesthetics of our designs as well as getting the system designs correct. An example is how he worked with Harken to design an effective captive reel winch system for the HH52.’

Hakes continues, ‘I’m really impressed with our team. Everyone works hard to improve yet still meet our standards because our order book is filling so fast. An example is the first HH44 hull took nine weeks to build, but by Hull 3 this time was reduced to four weeks. Nonetheless, the orders we are taking now are for delivery dates in 2026.’

Moreover, as the first 44s hit the boat shows this season and the market gets its chance to touch and feel these remarkable boats in person, Hakes and HH president Seth Hynes foresee an exponential increase in interest…Hakes says that 100 boats plus is not out of the question.

HH Catamarans’ production facility at Xiamen has developed into one of the most technologically advanced shipyards in Asia

This is where Hudson Wang and HH parent company, Hudson Yacht Group, steps in to help. The Hudson Yacht Group operations in Xiamen, China are already impressive: with an investment of over $50m USD, the newly expanded Hudson Yacht Group factory spans over 1.2 million square feet and is situated beside a harbour for easy launching and hull testing. This yard incorporates the very best technologies, modern halls, test pool, overhead cranes and hundreds of experienced craftsmen. This facility is on its way to becoming the biggest, best and most technologically-advanced yard in Asia and it is redefining how luxury boats are built.

Yet the high demand is outstripping even this massive yard’s build capabilities, so a new Hudson Yacht Group production facility is in build now in Cebu, Philippines where HH44s and HH52s will be built. Besides providing additional capacity, Philippine-based production will have another benefit: avoiding duties placed on boats built in China for the US market.

The panoramic view from inside the HH52. You’d struggle to match the scale of these living areas on a monhull below Maxi size…

In Xiamen production will continue on numerous other semi-custom boats in the HH Catamarans product line, such as two HH50s and six HH60s, along with new projects as demand for them arises. As an example of how the HH Catamarans customises to customer needs, the first HH60 to be launched is owned by a former Class40 competitor and will have multiple swing helm stations, over 20 control lines with constrictors led to each station, asymmetric daggerboards and a carbon rotating mast.

Nearly all of the HH52s that have been sold thus far have been ordered with the parallel hybrid EcoDrive system instead of the regular twin diesel saildrive option

And the flagship of the HH Catamarans fleet, a HH88 designed and built for both private and charter use, will also launch in Xiamen in 2023. This impressive yacht will offer 10 VIP guests and four crew a level of luxury and performance commensurate with the superyacht genre, including a bridgedeck and a hot tub. ‘We are extremely fortunate to have a solid base of enthusiastic customers, an incredible team and Hudson’s support and vision for the future,’ says Hakes. ‘At every step we have been able to expand as needed to meet our standards for quality, and now with this new facility in Cebu we’ll be able to meet the market demands for our products. No one wants to wait forever to fulfill their cruising and racing dreams, so this increase in our operations will bring those dreams faster to fruition.’

Click here for more information on HH Catamarans »

Designed for the next generation of ocean racing sailors, the Jeanneau Sun Fast 30 one design has a huge amount of potential

The growth of the shorthanded racing scene continues and while grand prix custom carbon creations at the top end of the sport seem to be emerging from yards as if spilling off a production line, one of the latest projects to go public is at the other end of the scale, the Jeanneau Sun Fast 30 One Design which is expected to hit the water later this season. This new offshore 30-footer attracted plenty of attention when it was announced at the end of last year. This has been a project that has been bubbling away in the background for a while having been initiated by three international parties, the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large (UNCL), the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Storm Trysail Club (STC) who put out a tender for a design to promote offshore sailing by making it more accessible and affordable for the younger generation.

The competition to create this new 30- footer was won by the combined proposal from designers VPLP and builders Multiplast, both of whom have a great deal of expertise in this field; VPLP for their offshore designs and Multiplast for their abilities in the conception and development of offshore racing boats.

The Sun Fast 30OD has sparked a lot of interest in the shorthanded ocean sailing community but it has been designed as a dual-purpose racer and is equally well suited to fully crewed racing

The one-design aspect of this boat lies at its heart and as such requires the ability and resources of a production builder, which is where Jeanneau joined the party. But, given the French production builder’s ongoing success with its Sun Fast range, to say nothing of the recent impact on the racing scene of the Sun Fast 3300, you may wonder why they felt the need for yet another 30-footer in an increasingly crowded market. The answer was simple.

Bénéteau Group is preparing for the production run in its Nantes shipyard

‘This is a one-design offshore keelboat, designed to keep the cost of competing down and avoid the pressures and expense of optimisation that are frequently incurred in the handicap racing world,’ says Nigel Colley of Sea Ventures T (UK) Ltd, Jeanneau’ s UK agent. Colley and Sea Ventures have played a big part in the development of the shorthanded scene in northern Europe and are keen to see the growth continue.

‘While there has been plenty of focus on the Sun Fast 30OD as a shorthanded boat, it will also be suitable for a crew of four or five, but the first consideration was to create a raceboat for younger people. From there, the second key objective was to create a programme of events for fleets which was why the three clubs were so important. ‘Cost is clearly one of the issues, but not just for the sailors. To get fleets established the 30OD has to be affordable and we are already seeing signs that this is being achieved. It is early days and we are expecting some big announcements to come soon, but there some very interesting and exciting projects developing behind the scenes which look set to provide great access to racing fleets for both youth and corporate racing,’ he continues.

So how much does I cost? ‘The standard price for the One Design version is €142,500 excluding VAT, ex-factory,’ says Multiplast’s commercial development manager Louis Vaquier. ‘This includes a full electronics package from B&G to a high specification with the kind of equipment you have for solo sailing or shorthanded sailing. On top of this price, you only have to add the safety gear and the sails.

The infusion of the new thermoplastic resin involves three components rather than two but that is the only real difference in the production process

‘In the class rules we are limiting the fabrics and the quantity of sails to control the budgets. The sail wardrobe will include a mainsail and two jibs, one will be an allpurpose J2, the other a heavy weather reefable J3 (that serves as ORC sail when reefed), a reaching flying jib and then two asymmetric spinnakers. There are no code zeros allowed. Basically, we're looking for a boat fully equipped, able to do a transatlantic for a bit more than €200,000, including VAT.’

Running costs were also part of the design consideration. ‘Looking back to some of the successful 30ft one-designs in the past, the Mumm 30 is still considered to have been one of great boats,’ he continues. ‘So many people are nostalgic for this period and the Mumm 30’s part in the success of the Tour de France a la Voile and I believe there's clearly a gap to be filled. One of the things that made those boats successful was that they were easy and affordable to manage. So, when it came to the 30OD we were very conscious of these factors, especially when it came to berthing and the size of the boat for the marinas. As a result, we limited the draft to two metres, the beam is just below three metres and the boat length is just under nine metres thanks to a retractable bowsprit.’

But while cost is a major factor, sustainability issues also played a big part in the thinking and the construction of the 30OD is a big step forward. ‘We’re building the boats with Groupe Beneteau in their shipyard in Nantes where the Figaro 3 boats were built,’ continues Vaquier. ‘This yard has a strong history of building offshore racing in the nineties, it used to be Jeanneau Techniques Avancées and now Bénéteau is working towards sustainable yards with the use of a recyclable resin.’

Following several years of research and development with composites supplier Arkema, the Sun Fast 30 One Design will be Bénéteau Group’s first recyclable production boat. Erwan Faoucher is Bénéteau’s research and innovation director. ‘We’ve been working towards the goal of using recyclable resins for three years,’ he says. ‘One of the first major projects was using it for a First 44 to establish whether it could be used on an industrial scale. From there we have used it to build some 6.5m Mini Transat boats and now it will be used for the 30OD which will be the first production boat from Groupe Bénéteau using this system.

The moulds are the same as Bénéteau would use for a polyester laminate

‘Arkema’s Elium resin is thermoplastic and can be recycled which means it can be reheated to take out the fibre and recover the resin. The resin recovered from production waste is also reusable. The interesting aspect is that the recovered resin, which is a monomer, has a good market value.

‘There is very little that we have to do differently in production which makes this process very practical,’ he continues. ‘The moulds are the same as we would use for a polyester laminate and we have the same structural properties, so the design of the boat hasn’t had to change to accommodate the new resin. What does change slightly is the infusion process as there are now three components rather than two, but that is the only real difference. ‘It's a big breakthrough for the industry and Groupe Bénéteau is really proud of it.’

Designers’ Comments

VPLP Naval Architects

The hull lines feature fuller forward sections and a generous overall beam for a highly powerful hull in terms of righting moment. We have given the boat a narrow waterline beam at low angles of heel to preserve its speed capacity in light winds, and rocker lines with a relatively high aft chine to help the trim of the boat when hiking aft. We think it will be thrilling to sail but easy to control.

One design concept

• Sail area : displacement ratio higher than a typical IRC racer/cruiser
• Not an extreme boat but still more powerful and lively than an IRC-optimised boat
• About 1 ton lighter than a comparable IRC racer/cruiser
• A simple boat: no foils, no water ballast, making it accessible and easy for maintenance
• Certified A4 so eligible for transatlantic racing in a fully crewed or doublehanded format

Construction details

• Hull made in monolithic fibreglass infused with Elium resin, some reinforced areas
• Hull counter-mould made in fibreglass infused with Elium resin
• Bulkheads made in fibreglass or plywood sandwich with PET foam
• Deck made in sandwich infused fibreglass / Elium and PET foam
• Cast iron keel fin and lead bulb
• Rudders made in monolithic fibreglass infusion with unidirectional carbon reinforced areas

And therein lies another reason as to why the new SF30OD looks set to do well. Being built by the world’s biggest production builder provides clear advantages when it comes to drawing on the expertise of an organisation that is well versed in this type of manufacture. But just how big is the market for another 30-footer?

‘The power of the Bénéteau and Jeanneau Group and their global aspirations for this kind of boat means that they understand where the price point needs to be,’ says Colley. ‘And then there’s the size of the short-handed market in northern Europe, which has exploded in the last two or three years. I don’t see any signs yet of that weakening.

‘For a while during the pandemic shorthanded sailing was the only racing in town and owners of boats that would normally accommodate 10-12 crew came across the shorthanded scene. Interestingly, many of them haven’t gone back. They find the personal satisfaction and sense of accomplishment is greater, the cost is more acceptable and from there success has bred success. You only have to look at the entries for the upcoming Fastnet race where probably one third of the total fleet is going to be double-handed. So the market is big. But we have to make sure that people can access it and that means making it available and affordable which in turn means a well-priced, competitive boat with a good circuit of events’.

Click here for more information on Sea Ventures »

A new semi-custom racer from judel/vrolijk and Oceantec takes the Class40 concept back to its roots… with an extensively optimised IRC rating and a super-lightweight interior

Class40 has moved on from its initial concept. What started as a class offering shorthanded offshore racing for top-tier amateur sailors on moderate budgets has morphed into a very successful class of completely stripped-out racing machines, campaigned with serious money, whose primary function is to provide a stepping stone for professional solo sailors en route to rock star status in Imoca 60s. So where do you go if you want a boat that truly reflects the original spirit of Class40, with the same level of performance as the top boats in that fleet, but also a competitive IRC rating plus the bare minimum of accommodation for weekend cruising with family and friends? Two experienced Class40 racers couldn’t find anything quite like that so they asked judel/vrolijk to design it for them.

Built around the engine box and on top of the hull’s structures, the total weight of the interior – seat, bunks, table, galley, heads, fairing, paint and everything else – is only 150-200kg. Its impact on performance is minimal

Is there really a gap in the market? There are plenty of options aimed at sailors who want a high-performance boat but they all assume that the buyer expects a high standard of luxury. Exotic materials like Nomex and prepreg carbon partially defray the weight of a posh interior but that sort of boat inevitably ends up being complex, loaded with sophisticated systems – yet still unable to match the boatspeed of a far simpler Class40 built in foam-cored fibreglass. And that, in essence, is the rationale behind the new j/v43.

The five-winch cockpit layout is directly derived from the new generation of Class40s. Almost all sailing manoeuvres can be done in the shelter of the coachroof overhang

‘The clients approached us because they knew we were already looking at this kind of concept,’ says Antoine Cardin of judel/vrolijk, the lead naval architect on the project. Cardin’s own personal experience was a good fit, notably his optimisation work on the HH42 Ino XXX (ex-Oystercatcher 30) which kept that nine-year-old production boat at the top of the IRC fleet for four consecutive years, with its offshore performance improving steadily every season (see Seahorse November 2021 issue).

‘We were very focused on Ino and we were looking closely at Class40s,’ Cardin says. ‘We had in mind that there was a definite niche where you could combine those two concepts and make a very competitive IRC boat for all-round offshore racing. We started with Ino as a base line, compared it with a Class40 concept and studied the strengths and weaknesses of both directions.’

Antoine Cardin, naval architect, judel/vrolijk

The JV43 is designed to push the limit in offshore sailing for a wide range of client profiles. Using the latest developments in open sea performance and handling, the solution is very similar to a Class40 concept with a longer hull to better accommodate the necessary interior and equipment. The hull shape solution is a development from 15 comparison models, all analysed using our latest RANS Code CFD tool.

The design was commissioned by two experienced Class40 racers. It’s a development of 15 models

The deck layout is optimised for a short-handed crew and offers multiple seating positions and protection. The cockpit is designed around two entry doors and a central pit console, resulting in a five-winch arrangement. All lines and halyards are run back into the cockpit area so that nearly all manoeuvres are possible inside a protected space.

Above deck, the rig and sailplan are optimised for offshore operation and for the IRC rating system. The aim is to reduce all possible performance gaps with the use of flying reaching sails and staysails. That setup helps to improve the boat’s behaviour in heavy sea state conditions, to keep it balanced and to reduce nose-diving.

For better control and safety, the boat is equipped with lifting twin rudders. The keel is made out of high-strength steel with composite fairing, connected to a lead bulb at 3.0m draught. The use of 750L water ballast divided in 3 tanks on each side allows greater performance and weight reduction for the concept. The water ballast is operated from the cockpit.

‘The j/v43 is very similar to a Class40 in terms of how it’s built and the materials,’ Cardin explains. ‘We stretched the boat to give the clients more interior space. We used what we learned from Ino in terms of appendage design and sail configuration for IRC optimisation. The major difference is that Class40s are not optimised for IRC; that involves different design features, especially for the sailplan. In Class40 they can do pretty much what they want, they can use types of headsail that just don’t work for IRC. So the sailplan for the j/v43 is an evolution of the Ino learning process: flying headsail, inner staysail and so on.’

The build by Oceantec in Slovenia is a three-stage vacuum infusion of e-glass and Corecell foam sandwich composite – like the Class40s they’ve previously made. After numerous offshore racing boats and custom rating rules orientated builds, they opted for a three-stage Epoxy Infusion for this project. This is a proven technology of building the latest Class 40s to achieve a safe and fast hull at acceptable costs

The operational use of the j/v43, which set the design parameters for the project, is more broadly based than a typical Class40. Transatlantic races will be part of the mix, along with classic 600-mile events such as the Fastnet and the Middle Sea Race, and perhaps some Caribbean regattas, but the primary focus will be long-distance short-handed racing in the Baltic with two to four crew on board. Inshore racing doesn’t figure in the design brief.

The first step in the design process was to decide on a scow-type hull. ‘From there we developed eight new hull shapes with variations in features like chines, flare and maximum beam,’ Cardin says. ‘We ran some trials to pick up the right sort of hull geometry and then presented the results to the clients. It’s not as extreme as a Class40 because we still have a bit of upwind consideration in this concept and with a longer waterline the motion will be easier in waves.’

Proprietary software played a key role. ‘We have been developing our own CFD RANS code to improve the quality of our results,’ Cardin explains. ‘We can run any geometry we want, at any speed; we have a powerful computing cluster in house so we have complete control of what we do.’ In accordance with the clients’ racing plans the primary focus of CFD analysis was on planing conditions with wind speeds of 12kts-plus.

‘We learned in CFD that creating a hollow in the underbody can work pretty well offshore,’ Cardin says. ‘That’s a feature you might see more of in the future. At some specific heel angles and at a certain speed the hollow creates a longer effective waterline length which makes the hull more efficient.’

The double companionway improves ergonomics for the crew in heavy weather

The aero package was also designed in house. ‘We knew from Ino what types of sails we wanted to use,’ Cardin says. ‘At a later stage of the project the sailmaker came in to fine tune the mid-girth, the sail area and the design of the sails within our rig geometry. We developed this again with our own sail model and validated the ratio of where we wanted the boat to be placed within the fleet. Compared with a typical Class40 the SA:D is slightly higher. The appendage draught is the same, the mast is a bit taller. But it was important for us to stay close enough to the Class40 parameters so that the spar-maker can use the same tooling and we can use the same hardware.’

The deck plan and cockpit design are directly derived from the latest generation of Class40s, but with more space available three different positions are provided for the crew to sit and work. The five winches can all be operated in complete shelter, under the coachroof with good views forward and upwards for keeping watch and trimming the sails. There’s a secondary position for winching and trimming further aft with a view over the coachroof and a third, fully open position for hand steering. ‘The clients were very involved and had a lot of ideas,’ Cardin says. ‘The final layout is number nine in terms of hardware positioning and geometry.’

Margo Vrolijk, designer, judel/vrolijk

The interior concept allows the boat to be used for racing/professional sailing but also as a fun boat with family and friends, with a separate owner’s cabin. The double entrance allows safe movement in heavy conditions and a clear flow of movement around the boat. The living area is designed around the engine box which serves as dining table and navigational area. The engine box is easily accessible by lifting the complete unit up. To allow better movement around the table while the navigation space in not in use, we have put the seat on tracks fixed on the structure, moving forward and aft.

The nav station and saloon table are built on the engine box. The whole thing hinges up for access

Because of the great width of the boat we had the opportunity of placing large, foldable seating bunks in the saloon that can be used for additional sleeping or storage. Moving forward, we have an open galley equipped with cooking stove and removable coolbox plus additional storage. The forward compartment is the owner’s cabin which can be completely closed for privacy and separate from the rest of the interior. It has a big volume of storage where we have calculated, on owner’s request, enough space underneath for A3 sail stowage.

To keep weight to a minimum we have used simple materials and easily removable objects like cushions, coolbox, cooker, etc. Most of the surfaces have been painted and performance fabric has been applied for all soft details. All doors for cabinets or cabins and shelving are out of mesh fabric and closable with zippers as well as the storage in forward cabin. To create a better atmosphere, details in wood veneer have been placed and warm grey/beige fabrics have been used, together with hidden LED remote-controlled lighting throughout the boat.

Oceantec, based in Slovenia, was selected at an early stage to build the two boats. ‘This project is about value for money as well as performance and they are very good at delivering both,’ Rolf Vrolijk explains.

‘The clients were comfortable with Oceantec from the beginning,’ Cardin says. ‘They knew the yard had already built some good Class40s and other similar projects; they’ve always been a performance oriented shipyard so we knew that they can build strong and light, matching our specifications.’

The hull shape solution is a development from 15 comparison models, all analysed using our latest RANS Code CFD tool

‘One of the benchmarks for choosing us was the success of the NMD43 Albator which we launched a few years ago,’ Oceantec’ s Luka Kepec explains. ‘That boat has had great success racing in various parts of the world. They were also very interested in our Class40 projects, especially Vaquita.’ So how much heavier is the j/v43 than a Class40? The entire weight of the interior – seat, bunks, table, galley, heads, fairing, paint and everything else – is about 150-200kg right on top of the keel, so the differences in displacement and weight distribution are minimal.

The first j/v43 is due to launch in June and will make its racing début this season. Number two will launch in September and a third could be delivered with a ninemonth build time. ‘The mould is available and this concept will probably fit quite a lot of people,’ Vrolijk says. ‘It would be easy for someone to jump in and benefit from all the development work – and the yard is very flexible in adapting to a client’s wishes.’

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