Technology All in a day’s work
Sails for an 81-metre Panamax three-masted schooner, total sail area 3,500sqm... that won’t be a problem, sir
For many sailmakers there is no greater challenge than designing, building and fitting superyacht sails. Exceeding 30m in length and never the same. Each is custom in design and build with unique dimensions and characteristics, professional captains and discerning owners who are making considerable investments into every aspect of their yacht. In a world of mass- production of even luxury goods, the customised quality of superyachts stands out as being unique, a level that Doyle Sails meets routinely not only in Palma but around the world. Technology within sailmaking continues to strengthen and Doyle Sails is leading the fleet with constant innovation being offered to their clients around the world. The innovation is being driven by having the right people involved with every single project – leading experts in sail design and construction ensure that each sail being delivered is 100 per cent suited to that yacht. With the combined experience of a worldwide group of sailing and sailmaking experts this knowledge is applied to every sail.
Doyle Sails Palma is one of five major Doyle Sails’ superyacht hubs around the world. Managing Director Chris Sherlock partnering with Superyacht Sales Manager and Director Scott Zebny, alongside grand prix expert and Director Luke Molloy offer world class service and new sails to many superyachts from the stunning vista of Palma de Mallorca. The Doyle Sails superyacht network continues to be a force to be reckoned with, and with footholds in many of the world’s most prestigious
72 SEAHORSE
superyacht hubs including Italy, New Zealand, Newport and the United Kingdom, it is no wonder they continue to grow market share. Chris Sherlock’s experience is extremely hands-on, his professional sailmaking career is strengthened by spending more than three decades managing high profile maxi and supermaxi campaigns. The most prominent of these was in the long-term employment of the ever-effervescent Mike Slade and his Farr-designed Leopard 3, a 30m canting-keeled racing yacht that was not only a contender for elapsed time records soon after its launch in 2007, but had the added extra of being adaptable for racing and cruising charters as well. Being entered in most of the prestigious ocean racing events on the yachting calendar, the Leopard team always in transit with pressure to remain competitive and reliable to meet not only Slade’s needs, but those of his charter clientele as well. Similarly, Scott Zebny started working with superyachts some 30 years ago in Fort Lauderdale, and was one of the early pioneers to bring a competitive sailor’s eye to this new and growing superyacht racing scene – coupled with his university degree in aerospace engineering, his attention to detail and understanding of how sails should work delivered exceptional value as well. ‘Prior to joining the Doyle Sails team in 2019, I had been watching the group for a while. I was impressed by their continued investment in the right people and in technology,’ says Zebny. Take, for example, the design and
Above: Doyle designed and built the
sails for the 81m world cruising schooner Sea Eagle II, which sets 3,500sqm of canvas on a three-masted Rondal rig with carbon composite rigging. Easy sail handling was clearly paramount for such a large yacht but sailing performance was equally a high priority
build of sails for the 81m Panamax three-masted schooner Sea Eagle II. Everything about this project could be seen as challenging, but for Doyle Sails it was an opportunity once again to showcase their passion for delivering the best sails available, every time. The mandate was to produce impressive performance and easy sail handling, and with a combined sail area of 3,500m2 across three rigs, it was a yacht that was nothing short of astounding. Each mast has in boom furling mainsails while the aft two have furling staysails which are used when reaching. A large furling Yankee provides the ultimate performance upwind offering a slightly easier set up when off the wind, made easier by sheeting to the same point when reefed. Zebny continues, ‘I joined Doyle when this project was already well underway, but I was immediately impressed at how well their design team had collaborated with all parties – the designers at Dykstra Naval Architects and Mark Whiteley Design, the boatbuilders at Royal Huisman, the sparmakers at Rondal, the carbon batten suppliers at C- Tech. After taking three days to load the battens and the sails, on our first sea trial the sails went up without a hitch and looked amazing: the luff curve matched the spar bend perfectly, and the full-length batten systems were extremely well- matched for the loads and presented no issues going up or down. ‘Also, the use of Structured Luff headsails and staysails meant the halyard loads were reduced to seven tons on a 2:1 system, as measured
TOM VAN OOSSANEN
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