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| On very rare occasions a yacht emerges from the dark of a
construction hall into the sunlight (of Holland, no less!) to electrify
the world by the perfection of her form and qual-ity. Ironically, after
she hits the water only a fortunate few will ever have an opportunity to
be electrified by her sailing performance. Windrose is just such a yacht,
and Holland Jachtbouw will try to share that electricity with those who
may never sail her. Windrose was commissioned by the owner of a 100-foot sloop, Sapphire, built by Holland Jachtbouw - for more than a decade acclaimed among the vanguard of the "modern classic" revival. After racing Sapphire against the 43-metre schooner Adela, which he found extremely attractive and fast, he approached Gerard Dijkstra & Partners (who had redesigned Adela) for a similar, yet much more exciting yacht. His brief was elegant, if typically a bit self-contradictory: Draw a yacht fast enough to take racing line honors, but luxurious and stable enough to be successful (and profitable) in the charter trade. The issue that most intensely drove Windrose's design, however, was not mere speed and luxury, but the owner's grand dream of breaking the transatlantic record set in 1905 by the 187-foot American schooner Atlantic. Yachts of ultramodern design have already broken that record, but in keeping with the true spirit of the event, the owner wanted Windrose to be a traditional schooner - to compete with history on its own terms. The Dijkstra office - proven masters at applying classical aesthetics to technically ad-vanced designs - drew a hullform modeled after yesteryear's giants, such as Westward, Meteor V, and Atlantic. As a result, Windrose has a fine entry, long bowsprit, sculpted sheerline, minimal deckhouse, and trim stern - a perfect example of the classic form above the waterline. But below the waterline - derived from Dijkstra's extensive tank-testing experience at Delft University and elsewhere - her hull is hydrodynamically modern, with efficient sections, refined fin keel and ballast bulb, and deep skegged rudder. A water-ballast system, able to shift eight tons, controls the heel angle in a breeze, to further enhance performance. Dijkstra also used wind-tunnel studies at the Wolfson Unit in Southampton to determine the best schooner rig and sailplan, and to optimize interactions between the two masts. Windrose can carry 1,061 square meters of working canvas to give those fortunate few sailors an absolute thrill sailing upwind, and as much as 1,900 square metres off the wind for no less a thrill. Holland Jachtbouw's primary task was to use scantlings to produce the lowest practical weight consistent with safety and ABS Class requirements, but with no compromise in equipment function, systems reliability, or cosmetic finish. The shipyard's project team accomplished the remarkable feat of finding weight savings throughout, while still con-forming completely to the litany of strictures of ABS and MCA Certification. Indeed, in building Windrose, Holland Jachtbouw often reached beyond Class requirements, to press for exceptions to the rules and for certification of new materials and systems (such as a specialized GRP piping). Windrose's hull and superstructure are lightweight Alustar; her masts and booms are carbon fiber; her synthetic sails have very light custom fittings; and her solid-looking mahogany interior joinery disguises the lightweight foam-cored panels beneath the robust veneer. She carries no heavy service batteries. Holland Jachtbouw's technicians also minimized noise and vibration through machinery isolation and highly focused insulation, without going to extremes of weight. As a result, when launched the schooner was several tons under her design displacement, enabling the shipyard and designer to add ballast to further improve sail-carrying and stability. For sailing efficiency, Windrose's deck is quite clear. Her split cockpit has high protective bulwarks for offshore work, and her deckhouse is ideal for navigating. Though she will race frequently, her general arrangement is spacious and homelike, and the fine hull has sufficient reserve buoyancy to carry the required inventory of charter toys and games. Belowdecks a midships saloon/dining area adjoins a master suite aft and three double cabins. Quarters for seven permanent crew, their mess, and a professional galley are forward, well away from guests. In April 2002 Windrose made her debut in Antigua Classic Week with a racing crew of 26. She carried an enormous sail inventory including spinnakers, gennaker, Code "0" and Code Red for serious competition in all wind conditions. More important, perhaps, she was talked about along the waterfront as being a classic standout in crowd of handsome classics, and has since been highly praised in the yachting press. Then in May, Windrose realized her owner's long-held dream, when she and the 58-meter schooner Adix (ex-Jessica, redesigned by Dijkstra) sailed a transatlantic match race to break Atlantic's record passage - New York to the Lizard in 12 days, 4 hours, 1 minute, 19 seconds. Windrose, sailed flat-out like a maxi or "round-the-world" racer, logged 281 nau-tical miles more than Atlantic, yet beat her time by 17 ½ hours, averaging 12.0 knots (At-lantic averaged 10.3 knots). It is of interest also that during a bit of weather, while she was consistently pushed to her limit, Windrose lifted her skirts, put beauty and comfort on the back burner, and performed at 26.6 knots. |
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