Brute force over ignorance
by John Curnow, Global Editor, Powerboat.World 22 Jul 2021 04:00 PDT
MC82p profile, with her Ker Yacht Design lines very distinct and pleasing © McConaghy Boats
Now the kerosene canary (aka jetliner) does not fly or glide very well. Several tens of thousands of shaft horsepower (represented as pounds of thrust) project them on to something like three quarters of the speed of sound. Take a similar pair of turbines, slap them into a neat little body called a jet fighter, and all of a sudden you're doing Mach 2.5 to 3, and so forth.
In cars, consider the GT40. Barely enough room for two souls - it only stood 40 inches tall (hence its name) or three and bit feet, just over a metre, but the whole thing was only there to envelop the great seven litre lump of Detroit iron that propelled it - and how! Driver, a touch of fuel, and away you went.
In the boating world, way back in 1860 or so, William Froude came up with the displacement hull speed formula; knots = 1.34 times the square root of the LWL in feet. In essence, and somewhat terribly over-simplified, it meant that it was easier to project a longer vessel through the water than it was a shorter one. And at any rate, the whole thing got thrown out the window once you were talking planing or semi-displacement forms, and multihulls.
What was probably more telling though, was the displacement to length ratio. Under 100 and you are light. Over 400, and you are a veritable floating granite reef. With the 100s you could effectively get the hull to climb out and be on top a lot easier. So take three Packards (RR Merlin V-12s), wrap some marine ply around them, and all of a sudden you were off with your very own PT Boat.
Conversely, at a thousand feet LOA, you need four massive screws; a whopping great set of steam turbines, then take some U237 fuel rods for a swim in the pool, and let fission do its thing. Hey presto, all of sudden flank speed was well and truly that of a very fast speedboat...
So what's the uptake then? One thing never changes. If you can propel a boat with a set of D6s instead of D13s, you're not only saving a huge mass from the iron contained in them, but also the fuel you'll need to carry around in order to simply feed the iron ladies residing below decks. This means we have arrived at the McConaghy 82p, because it's the antithesis of our heading, brute force over ignorance. Here's an 82-footer running at 17 knots, from just a pair of 300hp donks.
Make it two 450s spinning the wheels, and you are on to 20 knots, but the whole thing is about range from her bunkers holding 8000l, with 10knots looking like the economical long range cruise point. Ker Yacht Design has penned the slippery hull form. What you can expect from McConaghy is their hallmark - a light and strong structure, and some very cool design nuances to afford her the opportunity to excel at, "...apartment-style living and overall, an open and modern dynamic that simultaneously enables more comfortable cruising and better performance; a feat not yet achieved in any other line of multihull." So we are certainly keen to see it all unfold from here.
Cutting through like a...
Sabre. One of New England's finest just launched their new 43 Salon Express. Jed Elderkin of E Marine Motor Yachts got up super early to attend the virtual launch (thanks pal), and commented, "She is absolutely the right replacement for the very popular 42SE (something like 200 of which were sold). They are for a cruising couple with occasional guests. The lower convertible lounge and single head are testament to that. Buyers seeking two cabins and heads opt for the also relatively new 45SE."
"All of the Salon Express craft have an enclosed salon that is also designed to open and become an expansive area that connects with the cockpit. They had a clean sheet of paper for the new 43SE, so from the keel up it represents a lot of the thinking that has evolved since the first boats came to market," says Elderkin.
Volvo Penta D6 IPS is on offer to propel the 14,500 kilo delight, and you can select from a pair of 380s, 440s, or 480hp inline 5.5l sixes. You would think this would equate to cruising in the mid to high 20s, and the range toppers will take you on to 35 knots WOT.
Elderkin added, "They're close coupled to the pods, so no jackshafts. All the space underneath the main saloon is now used, and is configured as a utility room, washer dryer, wine fridges and other cruising amenities are available. There's an atrium lounge for'ard of the helm, with a large skylight, and a convertible berth. It's a big space used for storage when not a bunk. All in all a clever use of space."
"The Owner's Stateroom is typical of Sabre, with the island Queen, soft headliners, it's light, airy, and comfortable. Like all Sabres there is a fully furnished interior. The only modular part in the interior the head and shower module, everything else is built in situ. The flush bonded exterior glass gives her a smoother and distinctive look as well."
"The 43SE is also fully electronically networked, so full C-Zone and remote control, as Sabre first applied this to their larger vessels, like the 66, and now bring it into their higher production craft with significant experience in making it work seamlessly for owners."
The resin infused E-Glass, modified deep-Vee works for many, me included. So 2022 looks very nice indeed under the glint of this particular Sabre. We await more information expectantly...
Riva
Somehow it all just said, Riva. Not a lot more to add to that, other than Riva have launched two Hard Top additions to much loved Open vessels recently, and both have excelled at adding to the equation, especially if you're not the kind to want to look like George Hamilton. At any rate, it was all about simply being able to say Riva, admire the craftsmanship, certainly the aesthetic, and wander along the beaches of Sardinia or the Croisette at Cannes - if only in the memories of one's mind...
Let the good times flow
The Leigh-Smith family have a well-recognised name in Australia's Gold Coast boating scene, and deservedly so. Now run by brothers Dean and Ryan, Leigh-Smith Yachts represent new boats from the Alaska, Endurance and Hampton ranges.
Yet it was when Dean sent me the images from the renaming celebration for the 2019 Sanlorenzo SD112 that had gone through their brokerage arm that the sub-heading above popped into my head. The five-cabin tri-deck was listed at AUD18M, and the buyer was introduced by the Leigh-Smiths, who no doubt would have got a guerrnsey to the super VIP, 75 souls only ceremony when the boat was renamed, Trophy Wife.
I had to go back and look for items like jacuzzi on the upper deck, Williams DieselJet and SeaDoo 300 tenders, as well accommodation for up to five crew, because I only had eyes for the line, "...featuring free flowing Bollinger, cocktail bar with mixologist and live entertainment onboard."
Definitely a potential charter vessel to go into the burgeoning local and Pacific fleet, should the owner elect to go down that path, as she was built to RINA commercial class standards, and offers plenty of that Italian flair...
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John Curnow
Global Editor, Powerboat.World