Trans RINA, Vol 154, Part C1, Intl J Marine Design, Jan - Jun 2012
Also as noted earlier, through the design process I ensured that the boat could be transported in a container. This has resulted in considerable interest from overseas, especially Australia and the
United 4. 2 PERFORMANCE
The main aim in terms of performance was to produce the fastest boat of its size and type in the world, with good speed in a range of conditions and all points of sail. Since its launch, the Shaw 9 metre has won a number of races and regattas and has proved to be an excellent performer. Key performances have been in the 2009 and 2010 Coastal Classic races from Auckland to Russell, 2010 Bay of Islands Sailing Week, 2009–10 Nexus Gold Cup inshore series, and the 2009 and 2010 SSANZ B&G Simrad Triple short-handed series, and the 2011 Round the North Island two-handed series.
The yacht’s fully-crewed performance is such that its PHRF (performance handicap rating factor) handicap has been revised upwards seven times since its launching, from .880 to .935, indicating that performance consistently exceeds the
the boat’s actual performance
expected from a boat of its size and type. Also, the vast majority of boats of this size are classified race in division 2 or B for boats 10.6 metres or smaller. However, the Shaw 9 metre races in division A or 1 against boats 12 metres and over. In this division it consistently beats the 12 metre entries on the water and has several times taken line honours in this division against boats 15 metres and longer, including the 16 metre Transpac 52 Georgia, designed by America’s Cup designers Botin and Carkeek.
The yacht has also been successfully raced two-handed, finishing the 2010 SSANZ Simrad winter two-handed series with the shortest elapsed time in longhaul division A, and finishing second overall on line and PHRF handicap in the 1200-mile Round the North Island two- handed yacht race in February–March 2011.
Speeds of 7.5 knots and an apparent wind angle of 28 degrees are typical when sailing upwind, with top speeds of 24 knots recorded by GPS when reaching in 30 knots true wind and flat water.
4.3 HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS/FEEL
The Shaw 9 metre has proved to be well-behaved and easy to handle in a wide range of conditions, with no noticeable vices or areas of reduced performance. The yacht has been sailed extensively over short harbour courses, including windward-leeward courses, as well as longer distances in races of up to 120 miles. It has proved easy to handle by a crew of five or six, and by just two sailors in short-handed events. As well as being sailed by experienced crew, the boat has also been successfully
States, in
constructing new hulls from the design plans in New Zealand and transporting them by sea.
Over time some aspects of the deck gear and setup have been refined, including upgrading the sheaves on the purchase system for the canting keel, and the addition of further sails to the wardrobe to enhance performance on particular points of sail, including a code zero and A5 reaching sails. Significantly, however, all other aspects of the yacht have remained as originally designed.
5. CONCLUSION
Yacht designers have always had a strong interest in the physics of sailing, and during the twentieth and twenty- first centuries have borrowed much from the associated fields of engineering and aero-hydrodynamic research. As the knowledge base of these fields advanced, the natural tendency for designers was to try to apply this new knowledge to the field of yacht design as much as possible. Then a new problem developed. The designer now increasingly had access to a rapidly expanding body of knowledge, but still the same limited time and financial resources available to determine the best use of the available science. Also, as Philpott and Mason note, “there has been some reluctance by yacht designers in adopting the methods of mathematical programming. In this respect, the seasoned eye of the designer is often thought to be a better judge of the difficult tradeoffs to be made than any optimization software.” [22] The yacht designer’s traditional tools of
judgment, intuition and
experience have thus taken on a new focus and remain essential tools in this development process.
The development of the Shaw 9 metre provided a platform for the exploration of the inter-relationship of art and science in the practice of yacht design. The design journey underscored the need to observe and reflect,
to consider conventional wisdom and explore
ways of expanding it, drawing on a balance of science (mathematical- and computer-driven processes) and art (intuition, past experience and the “designer’s eye”).
The action research method and use of a design spiral methodology proved highly successful
overall look (aesthetics), in the
development of the Shaw 9 metre. Focusing on the key considerations mentioned above, each aspect of the design, including the
construction methods, hull and deck design, keel and appendages, and rig and sail design, was examined and developed
using the process of planning, acting,
observing and reflecting, leading on to the next iteration of each aspect and its development.
The resulting design is an aesthetically pleasing, modern- looking yacht which is cost-effective to build and campaign, and able to be transported by container, thus fulfilling the criterion of accessibility. Since its launching, the yacht has been sailed successfully in a wide range of
campaigned by less experienced sailors, including a
mixed crew of male and female sailors, with a female helmsperson.
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©2012: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects
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