of building yachts for the most demanding customers and conditions. The MC50 Cat is the first in this
series, with three boats already sold before even halfway into production – all three being bought by dealers confident that they can sell them very quickly. ‘The innovations in design in this
functions such as panel trimming, where close tolerances can mean better bonding with fewer secondary adhesives and other materials, thereby also saving weight. Consistency is also enhanced in making a more seamless transition from CAD files to finished parts. McConaghy sourced these robots through a local dealer in China, then hired a local-based engineer to install and now manage these machines. Evans says this would not have been possible where McConaghy started in Australia, so this is a distinct benefit to being located in China. These robotic tools enable McConaghy to become not only more efficient but also diversify their product line, whether it’s boats, spars, submarines, radar domes, furniture, architectural components or… the board sets used in Bermuda at the Red Bull Youth America's Cup feeder series. When the organisers of this
series decided – with just six weeks to go – that they wanted some more boards to hand they
Above: Mark Evans has good reason to look proud as the first MCCat comes together in China. To achieve the light weight and good stiffness needed to attempt a new level of supercat
performance there is a lot of obvious crossover from the technology McConaghy developed for their long string of fast and reliable race yachts. This is an ambitious programme with far reaching implications… exciting times
turned to McConaghy. Using the new automation tools, the boards were fabricated quickly to replicate the original eight sets built in 2014/15 and meet the tight deadline. This is a perfect example of how automation is playing a growing role enabling new projects on short deadlines to be taken on that would not have been possible using conventional methods. This efficiency is becoming of paramount importance and it’s hard to imagine a modern composites operation anywhere in the world with more diversity in performance boatbuilding. Not only do McConaghy keep pace with orders for their signature high-tech raceboats (with the latest being the bold new Botín Fast40+) and composite parts and components for other raceboats, but they also continue to produce dinghies and small keelboats at prodigious rates. For example, the Mach 2 and
Waszp foiling Moths are built at a rate of six and 15 per week respectively, with some 600 built to date for the still-expanding world market. Meanwhile, a recent deal with
Laser Performance for Club420 production could yield production figures up to five times this rate within a few months. Elliot, RS Sailing, Phantom International and J/Boats all have similar production deals already in place. The boatbuilding operation
ranges from these small craft up to the newest and largest semi- production project McConaghy have taken on – the exciting new Jason Ker-designed series of MCCats, a new concept that combines performance, safety, comfort and style. This range has been designed using a group of experienced owners and sailors (who between them have spent decades sailing and cruising multihulls), a highly experienced design and engineering team and McConaghy’s 50 years
boat are so clever that we had boats sold in the Cannes and Miami Boat Shows sight unseen,’ said Evans. ‘We have never seen this before, where our dealers are committing to buying rather than us having to urge them to bring in their customers. All are convinced they would have sold boats at the shows had they physically been there in the water; and this will happen in 2018 with these boats targeted for delivery in only a few months’ time.’ It’s no secret that offshore multihulls are now on the ascendancy in the marketplace, driven by their essential features of simplicity, speed, space, stability and style. This is why when you visit nearly any boat show most of the sailboats on display are some variation of multihull design. The MC50Cat is aiming to please
a cost-conscious, but not frugal customer, that is either new to, or already within this genre, who appreciates performance, but does not want to be foiling. One who will want power in the sailplan, but only if it can be handled by a cruising couple without professionals onboard, one who has long passages in their itineraries so that comfort at sea will be as important as outright speed. And, with offshore sailing in mind, the MC50Cat customer will be attracted to a design that has full certification that the yacht can handle any conditions of blue-water sailing. With complex interior elements
seen in the MC50Cat – the modern open saloon with its fold-away doors is an example – accuracy is of paramount importance to stay not only on weight but within strict budget targets as well. So, with a 50-year heritage of boatbuilding excellence in hand and the tools and expertise in place for the future, along with a large skilled workforce, McConaghy stand ready today to offer high skill, high efficiency, high automation and high quality to any grand prix, semi-production or production- based project.
www.mcconaghyboats.com Brought to you in association with q
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