AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR BOAT WAS SPECIAL
The idea behind the hydrofoils is low
drag. So spinoffs should include
reduced fuel consumption and
increased range. It also reduces
slamming and makes it look like you
could join in in the America’s Cup!
I’m guessing there is more to this
than just the foils though?
Absolutely. Sunreef is marketing the
boat as a day cruiser. The catamaranform means there’s acres of deck
space, augmented
by aft platforms that fold out
from the sides to create even
more real estate.
What if I want to stay on board?
That’s covered too. The forward part
of the deck is all seating
and tables but if you prefer, you
can have a cabin here instead.The space in the hulls can be
used as a bathroom, an additional
cabin or even a utility room.
It’s just a concept though, right?
It’s a little more than that actually.
It may look futuristic, but Sunreef
says that the first example of this
innovative catamaran is already in
build! In fact, it should hit the water
any day now...Is it me, or is that boat flying?
It’s flying! There are two versions of
the 40 Open Sunreef Power. The H
version runs on hydrofoils that lift it
clear of the water at high speed.
Nifty! What sort of speed?
At up to 25 knots, the boat runs
conventionally. But up above that
speed, the hydrofoils are deployed
and the hull lifts clear.
How fast does it go?
With the biggest engines, Sunreef
Yachts is projecting a maximum
speed of up to 60 knots!
What are the biggest engines?
The non-hydrofoil version runs twin
inboard engines of up to 1,100hp.
But if you want the hydrofoil version
(and you do), then there are a
variety of outboard engine choices
from twin 627hp upwards. The
largest option is four 400hp units.
Any other benefits to the foiling
system other than speed?The Cape
Horners Club
by Adrian FlanaganA bit of an odd one,
this. It’s a rather
old-fashioned-
looking hardback
book, sparsely
illustrated with
black and white
photographs and line drawings,
but presented in the most
gorgeous foil-embossed
cover. The text mirrors the
presentation: it’s a succession
of short stories, each dealing
with how one individual sailed
round Cape Horn – several
inevitable Sirs and the odd
Dame rubbing shoulders with
plenty of untitled unknowns.
But there’s a limit to how
many times one can read about
rogue waves and self-steering,
gear self-destructing before
losing interest. I found myself
skipping several of those
chapters to head straight for
the fascinating explanations
of the weather, geography and
history of the Cape. Written in
a unique, almost lyrical style,
they provided some really
high-quality meat in what
might otherwise have been
a rather stodgy sandwich.
Adlard Coles Nautical, £18.99By only lifting it half
way, you can leave the
outboard in place tooCircle the wagons
Carry your fully infl ated tender with Dinghy Rings
Years ago, the only way to carry a
dinghy fully inflated was to string it
from a pair of davits. Nowadays, there
are cranes, tender garages, hydraulic
bathing platforms, Hurley davits
(cradles that swivel to launch) and
all manner of other tender handling
systems. The simplest and amongst
the lowest in cost are Weaver Snap
Davits, which clip your dinghy to theedge of your bathing platform and
tilt it vertically against the transom.
Until recently, Weaver has had
this entry-level market sewn up.
But now there is another solution,
and it comes from Sweden. It’s called
Dinghy Rings, and the name pretty
accurately sums up the product.
It’ comprises two stainless-steel rings
linked by a rotating bar. To use it, you
simply slot the pointed
ends of your inflatable
tender’s tubes into the
rings and pull the bow
vertically upwards.
The big difference
with these over theWeaver system is that they hold your
tender bow up, with the nose in the air.
As a result, the length of the dinghy
doesn’t become the width, so if you
have a narrow boat, it’s less likely
to stick out either side (although
conversely, it is taller once raised,
of course). Also, by only lifting to
45°, it’s possible to leave a small
outboard engine in situ.
There are three versions: Flex
features foam rollers that sit on your
transom for temporary usage, Slim
attaches to your bathing platform,
and Bold though-bolts to your
transom. Prices start at £379.95.
Contact http://www.dinghyrings.comBOAT MASTER NEWTECH