Performance superyachts today undergo levels of design development that were previously the preserve of top-end race programmes. This (far left) is Mckeon’s new 51m sloop being tank-tested and (left) a snapshot of the wind tunnel programme being undertaken for a new 78m sloop…
rigs and much improved performance. What sort of incremental performance gains are you expecting generation on generation? MM: There certainly has been a big leap in performance with the superyachts of today – and the superyacht regatta circuit has helped with this development. Clients are enjoying the regatta circuit and of course want to win, so bigger rigs and more sophisticated sail-handling systems are being developed to sail these yachts more efficiently.
hull is virtually all Nomex with high-mod- ulus carbon laminates, then the cost differential is closer to 20%. SH: And how big a weight saving is possible just in the primary structure? MM: Typically the weight saving in the structure alone is around 40% to 50%. SH: And as a percentage of the whole boat… MM: Typically the overall weight saving could be between 25% and 30% but this depends heavily on how extreme the outfit is of the interior. In more extreme situa- tions the weight saving could be greater but so will the cost. The acceptable noise limits and engineering systems desired by the client really dictate the outfitting weight of the boat. SH: How much more growth do you think it is realistic to expect in today’s superyacht regatta circuit? MM: My feeling is that there is still a good number of superyachts attending the ever- increasing number of regattas. The existing regattas may not see much more growth but the number of regattas continues to grow, so more yachts worldwide are par- ticipating in these regattas. This allows more clients to attend regattas to fit in with busy schedules. Virtually all the recent launches are attending regattas and there are more existing yachts that change hands, with many of the new owners also looking to join regatta events. SH: How near have you come to drawing something closer to the Hetairos – in other words, upper – end of the performance/ comfort spectrum? MM: My new 78m design started out as a contemporary all-carbon high-performance sloop. I spent some months developing this lightweight design with some pretty excit- ing performance potential. However, for reasons of noise levels and comfort, the yacht will now be built in aluminium. SH: There appears to have been a big step up between the superyachts of 10 years ago and the past couple of years… bigger
But although the modern superyacht is much more performance oriented, they are still cruising yachts for 90% of their time. The regattas are great fun for owners and crew, and are where owners see more clearly the performance differences between a number of yachts, but at the end of the day we have to remember that you can’t call these superyachts racing yachts. The performance of the next generation of superyachts will continue to advance incrementally with more focus on weight savings, appendage developments and ways to reduce drag both hydrodynami- cally and aerodynamically. We will also see the development of better retractable propulsion units, more attention to reduc- ing windage aloft and to better sail- handling techniques to get the yachts around the racecourse more efficiently. SH: And which are the key areas for the next round of performance improvement? MM: Reducing weight and increasing righting moment are always paramount to improving performance. So many of the superyachts being built today have lifting keels, virtually all have carbon spars and carbon rigging, some have a separate set of regatta sails with more sophisticated sail- handling equipment to maximise perfor- mance. There will also be more carbon composite superyachts being built in the future for which outfitting weight will be much more closely scrutinised. SH: Finally, on a personal level do you still fancy doing a J Class? MM: [Laughing] Yes, I would still like to do a J Class one day; they are certainly some of the most elegant large classic yachts sailing today. They also have some of the closest racing and, with more being built, the class is going from strength to strength. However, there is no real oppor- tunity from a designer’s point of view to express his/her design flair, as can be seen in a contemporary design. There are no bounds in modern yacht design, as opposed to a J Class which is really a recre- ation of someone else’s work – since class rules dictate that any new boat must be based upon an existing set of lines… Malcolm McKeon was talking to the editor
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