Design
Right size, (definitely) right boat
By the time that he began planning the 35th yacht in his Oystercatcher dynasty Richard Matthews had a pretty good idea of what he wanted. One look at the result and whether you want to win the Fastnet or Block Island Race Week we believe others will soon follow his lead
At Fibre Mechanics in Lymington there is a new 50-footer in the making that the UK-based company thinks could spark interest among those interested in a broader range of IRC racing.
Designed by Carkeek Partners, the new CF520 was commissioned by Oyster founder and serial raceboat owner Richard Matthews who had a clear idea of what he was after for Oystercatcher 35.
‘I had a Humphreys 54 a few boats back which we really enjoyed racing, followed by a Judel Vrolijk 42 and a Humphreys 39 which were all good boats,’ he explains. ‘After that I bought Piet Vroon’s Ker 51 Tonnerre which I had for a season. This boat reminded me that I quite like that
72 SEAHORSE
size because it brings a level of comfort, if you can call it that, to offshore racing. As it happens, I had sold this boat not long after I had bought it, so I knew we only had it for a season, but we enjoyed it that much that it set my sights on another boat of this size.
‘My objective was to create a raceboat for a combination of inshore and offshore racing, events like Ramsgate, Cowes Week, Cork Week along with two or three RORC races during the season and of course the Fastnet. I’ve done 23 and I’d like to do some more. After that, the plan would be to ship it to the Caribbean for the 2022 season, so it is important that Oystercatcher 35 is versatile.’ As you might expect of someone
Above: the first CF520 is well under- way at Fibre Mechanicsʼ hi-tech factory in Lymington. Looking rather like a scaled up Rán VII, it will be lighter, stiffer and a whole metre wider than a TP52. And with more sail area it should be even faster but more versatile... and also less expensive!
who has built a successful and world renowned company building boats for others while creating his own long list of dream machines, Matthews has been very hands-on with this latest project.
‘As well as the competition afloat, I love the design and build aspects of any racing project,’ he continues. ‘But I’m also very clear about the kind of racing I like doing and the people I want to race with. So, while I wanted to have a 50-footer, I really didn’t like the idea of needing about 15 crew all the time to race it, especially offshore.’
It’s an interesting point and not just from an owner’s perspective. Many a small yacht club has seen reductions in fleet numbers in its
FIBRE MECHANICS
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