metres shorter than the bigger Js), so with the new winches we’ve been able to have a better, more efficient package. ‘The three years’ experience I had


with the previous owner, I was living and working on the boat with a long-term crew. My first mate’s been with me as long as I’ve been on board, my chief engineer has been with me for over five years so we knew exactly what needed to be done to make the boat better and more reliable. We achieved all that.’ Top of the job list, if Rainbow was to


chase silverware seriously, were the hydraulics, as Sweetman points out. ‘These boats are so powerful. The original


hydraulics couldn’t give us what we needed to get the sails in.’ The new system features larger P and T lines to speed up flow significantly, new Bosch electric motors, custom-made PLCs to allow for control of individual valves and heat exchangers to cool the oil before it reaches the tank. The new hydraulics are a lot more efficient than the old ones, they draw a lot less power. As we go forwards we can probably reduce the amount of power we need. That’s what we’re learning now.’ But, knowing the boat so well,


Sweetman saw the opportunity tomake


‘Her 18-month refit cost 90 per cent of the asking price’


Rainbow amuch easier yacht to operate. ‘The whole engine roomwas removed. We changed the position of a lot of components because the engineer and I know which we need to get to, and how tomake servicing themeasy. Rather than taking out components to get to, say, an air-


conditioning pump, we have the pump in areas that we can get to, turning pumps around so we can get to the live end rather than having to take the whole thing out.’ Rainbow was one of the first yachts


ever to have hybrid propulsion. ‘It’s a very, very good system, probably still more


SEAHORSE 83 �


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