Design


Renowned raceboat builders Marsaudon Composites recently launched the largest in their spectacular series of Ocean Rider Catamarans – the Lombard designed ORC 57. Eighteen knots without disturbing the pot plants... this is some kind of a new yacht!


We got the invite! T


he boat is moored alongside its ORC42 and ORC50 smaller siblings, and it is hard to believe it is “only” seven feet longer than


the 50; the greater freeboard and more voluminous hulls making the difference in size look far greater. The giant single spreader mast reaches 26m into the air, not far off that of the Imocas further along the pontoon. Make no mistake – this is a big and powerful machine. There is an inverted bow and reverse sheer above a sweeping chine, whilst the muscular coachroof shape marks a departure from previous models. The team wanted to


66 SEAHORSE


design an attractive boat that owners could be proud of and they have undoubtedly succeeded. Our skipper for the


day is Bruno, and indeed he will be in charge of the boat for the next year as it tours major European boat shows. Bruno’s experience includes being the boat captain and crew member of a Volvo 70 so he should have the know-how to iron out any teething problems. The forecast is for 15-20kts TWS, so we set off with one reef in the main. Once we


‘We wanted to have an outstandingly fast and safe boat on offwind angles’


are out of the harbour the J1 is unfurled and we are soon reaching across to the Ile de Groix. There are plant pots on the kitchen worktop and a bowl of croissants on the cockpit table, everyone is a having a chat whilst drinking their expressos rather than paying much attention to


sail trim, and yet we’re already up to 18kts of boatspeed! Boatspeed broadly matches windspeed at these angles, and you can feel the boat accelerate with each small gust. We are being followed by a media man in a RIB,


QAPTUR


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