RICK TOMLINSON
Design
With a slew of the industry’s highest awards to her name, the First 36 clearly warrants some investigation. Seahorse journalist Øyvind Bordal chooses the wild conditions of the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race for his test sail…
Built to take it W
hen I wake up, I don’t know where I am. Everything is moving, there’s a lot of noise, water rushes everywhere
around me. A red light in front of my face confuses me. Then I hear a deep voice with an eastern European accent. I realise it’s a head lamp with a man behind it. And he says it’s my watch. Suddenly I remember. I’m lying on a
sail bag inside a boat, sailing the Rolex Fastnet Race. And it’s windy. Very windy. I’m wet to the bone, so cold and exhausted that it seems impossible to move my body. But it doesn’t matter how I feel. I have to go. It’s hard to crawl out into
The Rolex Fastnet Race of 2023
‘The Fastnet became the final proof of concept’
the cockpit without falling. Every time the boat crashes into a wave, the jolt transmits through my body and the boat shakes. Numbers on the mast display flicker in the dark, shadows on the rail must be people, waiting to be replaced. We’re sailing upwind under storm jib with a double reefed mainsail. In the night sky I see lights from helicopters. Voices on the VHF radio are dealing with another Mayday. 66 SEAHORSE
became one of the races that will be remembered. It was boat breaking conditions – winds gusting to 45kts, in a very confused sea state due to wind against current. It was really extreme: one boat sank, four dismasted, there were a lot of emergencies with crew being rescued with helicopters after personal injuries and boats breaking apart. And it was the perfect opportunity for putting the First 36 to the ultimate test: How would the lightweight composite construction fare? Would a cruiser designed to plane in 12 knots of wind be safe and sound – and would it be competitive at this level of racing? When the First 36 was
launched back in March 22, it made quite a splash. Finally, the audience could see the first mid-size model of the much talked about rebirth of the First series – a new, reinvented generation of the legendary, 40-year-old line of boats from Beneteau, known for hitting the elusive sweet spot between comfort, performance and a reasonable price. In a way, the new First 36 proved to be no different. Except for one thing:
It bridged the gap between the latest technology and the mainstream market. The professional racing industry has developed means to enhance performance quite radically and make much faster boats. But according to the developers of the First 36, there has been a lack of connection between this vast sea of new knowledge and the mainstream market for production boats. The teamof passionate sailors at
Seascape and Beneteau was put together for this design challenge and spent four years pondering on how to solve the puzzle. They enlisted the help of naval architect SamManuard, arguably themost celebrated designer of professional race yachts in recent years, who shared notes with designer Lorenzo Argento, theman behind Brenta, A-Yachts, severalWallys and also designer of the new First range. Lorenzo actually liked the 36 somuch that he now owns one himself (see panel). Structural engineering was key and for this Pure Design was brought in. They put together the structure of the latest generation of America’s Cup boats and several Imocas, and are widely regarded as the best in the world in their field of expertise. Finally, for research and
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