Superyachts
The 848m2
furling code zero is the hardestworking sail on board, deployed onmost points of sail in awide range of conditions
start fromthe input that we get and then through the loops we basically optimise it.’ ‘Fromthe owner’s specification we get
displacement,’ says Johan Siefer, a naval architect at j/v who played a key role in the design team. ‘With this we set up a cruising/performancematrix for different loadings, sailplans and geometries of hull and appendages. The results influence the owner’s spec in turn, and we start another loop. Working with the client’s team, classification society and shipyard, different sailing cases are set as design points, driving the necessary FOS [factors of safety] and design targets. We can’t do the hull without the sails or the impression of the boat, interior, weights, so we have to touch it all in one loop.’ Key suppliers Rondal, Gurit and North Sails were all involved in the Path project at an early stage. The aims and focus of CFD are very
different to a racing yacht project, as Vrolijk points out: ‘It’s not about hundredths of a knot, it’smore about performance in terms of how the boat
90 SEAHORSE
sails, how it behaves in waves, weight distribution, acceleration. So there’s a difference in approach, inmodel resolution, and in the points of sail you’re studying.’ ‘We had a lot of discussions with the
captain,’ Siefer says. ‘Part of this was to make the boat available for the client to sail himself, and give the option to deploymore sails. When the owner wants to take the helm, they need to go easily and quickly from crew deliverymode to owner usemode.’ Optimising the feel of the
Rolf Vrolijk: ‘In this case, CFDis not about 100ths of a knot. It’s about howthe boat sails, how it behaves in waves, weight distribution and acceleration’
helmwas of paramount importance – a sure sign that the client is a hands-on sailor. Regardless of the new yacht’s vast size and despite Baltic having developed a very effective electrical force feedback system, any formof
assisted steering was out of the question. It had to be a direct mechanical linkage, with perfect balance, response and handling. ‘That was one of the primary things and the bigger the boat gets, themore difficult it is to get it right,’ Vrolijk says. ‘But we’ve done a lot of rudders like this on big boats. It’s a
very direct system. There is a little bit less feel because of the size of the boat and the twin rudder configuration. The helmis a lotmore neutral than on a smaller boat with a single rudder.’
Sailplan and sailing systems Easy handling is top of the agenda. While Path can carry up to eight crew, it only takes two people to sail the yacht efficiently. The cutter-rigged carbon mast supplied by Rondal is Panamax height, and thanks to a relatively light displacement the performance targets are easily reached with a conventional pinhead mainsail, which makes tacking and gybing a lot easier. ‘A heavier yacht would need the extra sail area of a square topmain ormizzenmast,’ Siefer says. A lot of effort has gone into designing
a sail furling and reefing systemthat enables a very smooth reduction in sail area. ‘We worked from the beginning with the sailmaker’s teamandmast builder to get a complete view of technical options and limitations,’ Siefer explains. ‘This allowed the teamto work out a smooth reefing sequence.’ Reckmann hydraulic headsail furlers,
carbon headfoils and in-boom mainsail furling gear were chosen for reliability
PHOTOGRAPH ABOVE: DAN-ERIK OLSEN
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