Technical
Creative intuition
The skills required of today’s finest sailmakers must now extend far beyond ‘just’ delivering the fastest and most durable product...
While modern sailmaking is a product of highly sophisticated, computer-assisted science, it has long been acknowledged that part of the magic still resides with the sailmaker’s intuitive understanding of how to use those tools to best effect – the artist’s touch. A recent collaboration between Doyle Sails and the internationally renowned painter Susan Swartz highlighted a case where modern science and technology are able to turn sails into an artist’s canvas – with no compromise in performance. The project began after Jim and
Susan Swartz acquired the highly successful Judel/Vrolijk Maxi 72, Momo, following its stellar run with five class victories in 2018, which included a successful defence of its Maxi World title. Renamed Vesper in keeping with
a James Bond theme that has applied to previous Swartz yachts, the yacht has continued to perform well under Jim Swartz’s command including runner-up finishes at the 2019 and 2021 Maxi Worlds and a convincing win at this year’s Les Voiles de St Barth regatta in April. During the Swartz ownership, Vesper has undergone a steady programme of upgrades including new Doyle sails which made their debut at St Barth's. As part of that process Jim Swartz has been able to bring his wife’s redoubtable artistic talents
62 SEAHORSE
on board in the form of striking wave-like graphics that cover the sailplan and extend down and across the hull as well. For the sails, the project provided
a unique test of Doyle Sails’ well- proven Stratis SailArt technology, which produces photo quality images with extremely sharp detailing. ‘We have been able to offer this to our customers for a few years now,’ says Doyle Sails CEO Mike Sanderson. ‘If you think of the graphics on Hugo Boss in the last Vendée Globe, or American Magic at the America’s Cup, they were done in this way. All the SailGP sail graphics are done with SailArt as well.’ The process involves the selected
graphics or images being printed onto the outer surfaces of the sail with a giant printer using sustainable, non-toxic and highly durable inks. ‘We havemore than a dozen outside surfaces and can print on any sails, fromsuperyacht specification to grand prix specification with zero compromise to the sail’s performance. It is the same product, whether it is printed or not,’ says Sanderson. ‘The sail is designed for performance and then, during our nesting process, the printed surface layers are laid down as part of the lamination process and then cured under heat and pressure.’ The artwork being integrated
into the actual construction process
Above: the Maxi 72 Vesper scored a convincing victory at Les Voiles de St Barth with a brand new wardrobe of Doyle Sails. The striking graphics, by the renowned artist Susan Swartz are rendered in super high resolution by Doyle’s SailArt process and designed to light up like a lantern when the sun is behind them
gives it a translucent quality, not available in the conventional system of externally applying the graphics afterwards. ‘It makes the graphics much more pronounced and dramatic,’ says Sanderson. In the normal course of events,
yacht graphics generally use bold, solid colours supporting company logos to provide eye-catching floating sponsor billboards that will attract eyeballs and TV lenses. The challenge with a work of art is that every brush stroke is freighted with intent and every subtle shift in tone or colour carries significance. Susan Swartz’s paintings have
graced exhibitions all over the world. She is celebrated particularly for her depictions of nature. ‘She goes behind nature, behind the act of painting and into the spiritual realm,’ wrote criticMelik Kaylan, while curator Silke Hohmann noted of Swartz’s work: ‘Nature remains a constant, but emerges evermore clearly in the latest pieces; one could even say in a joyful, playful way.’ There is also an element of
activism behind her work. ‘I am an environmental artist and my love of nature is inherent in every brush stroke,’ she says. ‘I paint to express and capture the beauty of nature in order to move and inspire people to preserve it. If I can reach people on a visceral level through my expressions on the
CHRISTOPHE JOUANY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132
