REVOLUTION 29

David Raison revolutionized  the sailboat  bow concept with the famous victory on the 2011 Mini Transat showing to all that his strange boat with an odd looking "bathtub" bow was faster than the other mini racers. The concept was rapidly forbidden on the other racing open classes (40class and Open 60) as a way of not making the existing fleet obsolete.

 David Raison, a sail racer and a NA, surprised everybody with an association with an aluminium boat builder, proposing the concept on a small 22ft aluminium cruising boat with a lifting keel. The boat denominated Revolution 22 is interesting but a bit strange and not only on the bow concept (that allows a huge interior space), but on the use of aluminium for such a small boat. Hard to understand for what type of cruising that boat is pointing at and perhaps that's the reason it has not been a success.

They did not give up and will be presenting on the Paris boat show another boat with the same concept, a 29ft boat. I would say that one makes a lot more sense: with that bow the boat will not only have a great interior for two living aboard as it will have a very interesting performance as a coastal cruiser with some potential offshore. The bigger length allows a proportionally less higher freeboard and makes the boat less strange and more elegant. This one seems a lot more interesting than the previous one, not only revolutionary but kind of making sense in what regards a 29ft cruising boat with good sailing performance and a maximized interior space. It has also a much nicer looking interior:  While the 22 has a Spartan interior, this one looks nice and cozy.

On the first movie the previous model, on the second one we can see a match between that bow concept and a traditional one trough the performance of  two mini racers, side by side.

MORE ABOUT THE POGO 36

Well, not much, only images but as they say "images are worth more than a thousand words" and through them we can see a very modern sailboat, kind of a cruiser on a 36ft solo open racer hull, a bit as it was already with the 10.50, but the hull is more modern now with chines, a huge form stability and designed to sail with little heel.

The boat looks even better than on the model I had posted the photo and we have now a look at the interior, that seems to have doors :-) What we can see a modern interior not very different from the one of the 10.50 but with a lot more light, coming from those frontal "windows", that will allow a good forward view, and from bigger port hulls.

The saloon is probably smaller since the boat has now 3 cabins and the head is now between the front cabin and the saloon. An interesting detail allows the galley to be bigger, with the use of a bench aft the saloon table.

It seems a worse distribution than on the previous model since a storage space will be needed anyway. Regarding that, the front cabin can be transformed on a storage space. Better to fly a spinnaker but worse in what regards cruising. The design is from Finot/Conq that just used the same type of frontal "windows" used first by Valer on the JPK 10.80

GUNBOAT G4 FOR 2015

When I saw the first designs of the G4 I thought that it looked great but that it was just one of those dream boats that are never built. I was wrong. The first one is already being built and will be delivered on the Caribbean next year. What a boat!!!!

I don't think this boat was possible if the America's cup was not raced on those extreme flying cats. Many thought that a performance cruising boat would never be built according with those principles. Well, they were wrong too :-).

The honors of producing the first flying cruising boat belongs to Gunboat, the American cat brand that this time is not using Morrelli& Melvin as designers but the Dutch DNA design team. The first boat is also being built in Holland by Holland composites, all in carbon.

The boat will weight only 2400kg, a max load of only 600kg, and 12.14m of length for 6.78m of beam. As auxiliary engine it will have a 20hp center line rectratable outboard engine and will only carry 75L of water. Not a great autonomy with that water. It surely will have a maker otherwise it will be strictly a daysailer....and to fly will have foils, on the daggerboards and on the rudder. They say about the boat:

A NEW MULTIPURPOSE COASTAL CRUISER-RACER 

1ST TO FINISH: Stomp on maxis, superyachts, and any grand prix race-boat in sight. The GUNBOAT G4 offers Formula 40 speeds in an easy to handle and forgiving weekender. Unless your fleet includes an AC72, an ORMA 60 or a MOD70, your competition will only see your transoms, which is why your G4 comes clearly marked.

LARGE COMFORTABLE COCKPIT & MAIN SALON: Upon return, you will have time to shower, nap, and plan the post-race gathering. Your friends will be drawn to the spacious and comfortable cockpit. The salon offers comfortable seating with ample headroom when seated. The galley island, complete with two burner stove top, 100 litre fridge drawer, and sink, is centrally located to entertain. The slide-out coffee tables atop the galley are provided to display your new trophies.

CRUISE HOME IN COMFORT & SPEED: The GUNBOAT G4 features two queen berths located outboard in the main salon. With panoramic top-deck views, abundant ventilation, and a generous sense of space, these may be the best berths shy of the GUNBOAT 90. With guests aboard, deploy the dual privacy curtains. Kids will love the single berths in their own private hulls. Everyone will appreciate the enclosed head with standing headroom. At GUNBOAT G4 speeds, covering longer distances in daylight is easy.

DAY-SAILING WITH FRIENDS: The GUNBOAT G4 is simple and easy to sail. At only 2.4 tons, the G4 has light loads. Sails can be hoisted by hand with no need for complex powered equipment. Friends will find their perfect space whether on the helm, on the spacious cockpit seats, or in the protected salon with unobstructed views. Ample storage space in the bows allows for easy access to all your toys. With room for kite boarding, surfing, snorkeling, and SUP gear, you'll be able to keep everyone onboard entertained.

Well, no doubt, a cruiser-racer and one that looks like a lot of fun...will not cone cheap though.

I cannot wait for the first test sails. Certainly one of the more interesting boats to touch the water next year.

Gunboat G4 design preview from Holland Composites BV on Vimeo.

OLD WAYS TO BUILD A BOAT

Yes, this one is about Nostalgia. I saw on the net an old movie about boat building in England 70 years ago, a movie that contrary to the usual had a good image. I found it interesting and it made me remember the times where that type of boat building was one of the main activities on the fishing town of Peniche (Portugal), the port near my house. Here on the 70's the traditional wood boat building was still a florescent business and almost all fishing boats were made locally.
On the 80's I bought my first sailboat, an old and traditional Canoa do Tejo and with the help of naval carpenters I modified it for coastal cruising, closing the boat with a full deck and increasing the size of the keel with a steel structure with 200kg of lead inside. It worked, the stability was increased and I sailed the west coast of Portugal with it. Great memories. I hope you enjoy the movie and if not, forgive this sentimental journey :-)

WOW!!! THE NEW POGO 36

One of the more waited sailboats, the substitute of the "old" Pogo 10.50: What a look ;-). Some posts back I was just saying that I loved the look of The JPK 1080 with those "windows" that allow a forward view and now the new Pogo has them!!!. This would mean by any chance that the boat is also a Jacques Valer design? The boat will be presented at the Paris boat show and they are keep secret about it. Very curious about it since it appears that the interior is also innovative.

SIRIUS 40DS

Finally and after 5 years of  development, the new Sirius 40DS on the water. Unfortunately it does not look as nice as on the above design. A bit fat for my taste...but to have that interior, one that makes you feel you are on a 44ft boat, some elegance has to be lost. The boat was tested by Yacht. de and you can see it sailing and the interior on their movie:

http://www.yacht.de/yacht_tv/test_technik/sirius-40-ds-exklusives-flaggschiff/a94385.html

So what is this boat worth as a sailing boat? I would say that it is a lot better than what it looks. The Sirius 40 has a weight similar to an Halberg Rassy 412 (11.6T to 11.1T) it has just about the same beam(4.0 8m to 4.10m) and is just a bit smaller (11.99m to 12.61) it has standard more draft (2.10m to 1.99m) a similar keel and a similar D/B ratio (0.37 to 0.36). 

The bigger draft will make the ratio more efficient on the Sirius. Two boats with a similar overall stability and that should be reflected on the sail areas that are not very different (88.5m2 to 90m2). The hull and rig were designed by Marc-Oliver v. Ahlen and that means it is a fast and well designed one.

The Sirius we see on the test comes with an interesting sail set up, not really a cutter  but with three different sails on furlers, a jib, a big Genoa and a removable light furler with a geenaker. The advantage of the system is that it will not need to have additional back stays since both stays go to the top of the mast and it can have a bigger jib. The disadvantage would be the need to furl the big Genoa for taking, but I would say that it would be a small inconvenience regarding the advantages. The boat can have a lot of different keels including a modern swing keel.

It seems to me a much better boat than the old 38 and certainly a much faster one, it will give a great live-aboard boat and also a boat that could be sailed pretty much anywhere. If I would live permanently on a boat I would be looking for something like that....well, less fatter and faster, but certainly a true deck saloon boat to be able to enjoy sailing on the cold weather and to be anchored in nice places, being inside, warm and with a great view. 

Unfortunately the Sirius 40 (made in Germany) is  a very expensive yacht and with all that money I don't know if I could not have a better solution...a faster and more elegant boat. I guess I would prefer the "old" Luffe 43DS that probably would not be very far away in price...and that one is not only way faster but much more elegant...but that is just me, I really find the interior of the Sirius 40 gorgeous and even nicer than the one on the Luffe 43 and probably with more space, almost a condo...and that is a good thing, not a bad one :- )

RM 1070, THE REAL THING

I am posting too much about this boat...that means that I am truly impressed and that's funny since this boat is only an improvement of the previous versions, but when you keep improving a very good boat, and that was made twice now, you reach almost perfection and that is what this boat looks to me: Perfect, more now that I could have a good look at the hull, on the movie and at the interior, on the photos. Can't wait to see the real thing at  Dusseldorf.

My wife, that loves the RM interiors, will want this one  and even if it is a slower boat than our Comet 41s, the boat is so cute that I will be tempted too (with a swing keel). Not very rational since the Comet is bigger, faster, has a bigger loading charge and has a bigger and better quality interior, but even so, the boat is so gorgeous that it is easy to fall in love and that means .... irrationality ;-)

RM 10.70 au salon nautique de Paris from Festival du Film Lycéen on Vimeo.