http://www.boatinternational.com | April 2018Kokomosailing superyachts it will be less of
a surprise. His first was a 42 metre sloop designed
by the late Ed Dubois, with interiors by Redman
Whiteley Dixon and built by New Zealand’s Alloy
Yachts (a combination that remained unchanged
through the following two builds). “The 42 metre
was launched for the 2000 America’s Cup down
in Auckland,” recalls Walker. “We also raced in the
Millennium Cup there.”
Five years later Walker decided to expand and
set about the build of a 52 metre sloop. But no
sooner had the champagne hit the hull
than it became clear that Walker still had
unfinished business when it came to
superyacht design. “The day I launched
that boat I could see that there were
probably about 20 or 30 things that
I wanted to change about it,” he says. “So,
the same day I booked a slot for the next
one and set to work tweaking all the things
I wanted to change.”
The main focus for Walker was
improving performance and further
enhancing the social spaces – minor
modifications included modernising the
design of the wheelhouse and creating
storage for two hard bottom tenders
under the foredeck. The greatest challenge
of the third build was the introduction of
a keel mechanism that allows the draught
to be adjusted from 8.7 metres to 4.6
metres. This system adds stability for
speed without ruling out shallower cruising
grounds. At the time Dubois described the
project as a “big step up” in sailing yacht design
and in 2011Kokomowon the Naval Architecture
Award at the ShowBoats Design Awards and was
a finalist at the World Superyacht Awards.
It also proved to be third time lucky for
Walker, who still spends three months per year
on sailing yachtKokomo. The yacht has spent
time in the South Pacific but the height of her
mast means it is not possible for her to pass
through the Panama or Suez canals and it’s a long
slog around the capes. As a result, her permanent
base is in Palma and Walker spends the majority
of his time on board in the Mediterranean. “My
favourite areas are the top end of Sardinia and the
bottom end of Corsica. There is always very good
breeze through the Strait of Bonifacio. For a
yacht her size she is very, very fast.”
Alongside hisKokomosuperyachts Walker’s
need for speed has also been fulfilled by racing
Farr 40s. “I have always been in racing and sailing
ever since I was a kid, then about 15 years ago got
into the Farr 40 class. When they had a really bigWalker sails for around three
months a year, with northern
Sardinia a favourite location“I had a Farr 40 in
Sydney, in Europe
and one in America
and we would do the
regattas all around
the world”
Above: Lang Walker’s
firstKokomosailing
yacht, a 42m designed
bythelateEdDubois.
Right: the third
Kokomo,a58m
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