Kiwis win 18fter Worlds..Round the Island record..Volvo course change

by . on 3 Jul 2016 Welcome to Sail-World.com's New Zealand e-magazine for July 3, 2016

The image above may appear a little odd for a sailing publication. However the simple display of two logos on a carbon racing bike underscores another step forward for the New Zealand marine industry, or as it should be known as the New Zealand composites construction industry.

By combining with cycle manufacturer Avanti and Cycling New Zealand, one of the world's pre-eminent sparmakers, Southern Spars has produced what is hoped to be a Gold medal winning bike to be used in just over a month's time at the 2016 Olympics.

Southern Spar's contribution is to engineer new wheels for the Olympic bikes, using a combination of computer design and analysis with world leading composite construction to produce a wheel that should have a technological edge on the rest.

One of the fascinating aspects of the marine industry in New Zealand over the past 40 years has been how it has progressed from being primarily a wooden boat/local designer almost craft industry to being at the leading edge of composite engineering orientated around computer aided design.

Part of the process is the understanding of the combination of what is inherently fast design (which is more an art than a science) backed up with a good understanding of drag reduction/minimalisation, coupled with sound structural design and engineering and then translated though very accurate building process into a finished product.

Maybe what has set the New Zealand industry apart from the rest is the reliability of the end product, which is really a function of New Zealand ingenuity, but also a refusal to accept impossibility and to treat errors as true learning experiences and a vital part of any development.

It is the sort of ingenuity and development that was typified in the development of composite 12 Metre yachts, and 72ft foiling wingsailed catamarans.

Add to that know-how and can-do, the substantial investment in building tools and infrastructure and it is small surprise that companies like Southern Spars are becoming recognised as having expertise and know-how that translates from the marine industry into other spheres.

Of course, Southern Spars are not alone, and many other so-called marine companies are in the same league or are about to enter it.

Core Builders Composites are equally impressive for the way they have approached America's Cup yacht construction and have then taken that over into other non-marine applications some of which have been publicly revealed, but many of which remain confidential at the request of their project commissioners.

On Thursday several members of the marine media were treated to a viewing of the superyacht Cygnus Montanus, which has been built for a Swedish owner by Yachting Developments Ltd at their Hobsonville facility.

Spars for the 111ft dark blue hulled yacht have been manufactured by Southern Spars and sails designed and constructed by Doyle Sails. All three companies are with 10km of each other.

The project summary describes Cygnus Montanus as 'a 33.83m lifting keel ocean going sloop, designed by German Frers of Frers Naval Architecture, with interior design by Adam Lay Studio. Work on Cygnus Montanus began in September 2014, and she launched in May 2016, before delivering to her owners in June 2016.'

However the outstanding feature of the yacht is the standard of workmanship, which can be seen in the images on this page and any further words of description seem somewhat redundant.

We will have a more extensive feature on her next week in Sail-World.com

Following our story about the passing of Jack Cropp, fellow yachting scribe, and historian of real sailing, Neil Kennedy sent a few comments.

'Today's weather in the City of Sails is probably a reflection of the mood of many ' Silver Fleet ' yachtsmen at the news of the passing of Jack Cropp,' he writes.

'One comment worth noting about Jack Cropp was the admiration that Peter had for him as a sailor and particularly a for'ard hand especially with his ability to set, gybe, and retrieve a spinnaker. Peter made two references to this aspect, the time target they had to set and hoist a kite at club level let alone championship level, and the 51' Sanders Cup when Jack's ability with the spinnaker, gave them a vital edge over Laurie Davidson to win the cup that year.'

Pg 93 of Peter Mander's book 'Give a Man a Boat' tells that story.

'This meant we had to gybe for the mark. After wheezing up Jack, I luffed a little and as Laurie responded, we suddenly gybed. Croppy performed like a precision instrument, and we had the spinnaker gybed and drawing on the new course well before Laurie could follow suit. This manoeuvre gained us about fifty yards which was enough to ensure we held the lead for the short beat to the finish and to win the Sanders Cup.'

1960, 1964 and 1968 Olympian Ralph Roberts, a contemporary of Jack Cropp's skipper, Peter Mander commented on the Sail-World.com story:

'Jack Cropp and Peter Mander not only won our first Gold medal but also inspired so many of us younger sailors that taking on and beating the European Sailing World with our own ideas in sails, boats, and fittings, etc. was our goal. They also brought Yachting administration in this country into a coordinated organisation from fragmented provincial bodies. Most of all I admired the way Peter and Jack assisted and encouraged any NZ sailor to strive harder and sail faster.'

A few sharp-eyed well-versed readers have noted that the hull of Quest was built from kaiwaka a now unobtainable New Zealand timber similar to cedar. Also, Rolly Tasker's Silver medal winning boat in the 1956 Olympics was named Falcon, and not Shadow as described in the republished story. Rolly Tasker died in June 2012. However, we believe the Bronze medal winning skipper Jasper Blackall (GBR) is still with us having reached the grand age of 95 years young.

The Great Dane, Paul Elvstrom (now 88yrs old) was the winner of the Gold medal in the Men's Singlehanded event in the same Melbourne Olympics - part of his string of four wins, with the others being the 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960 Olympics. He just missed the Bronze medal in the Tornado class, sailing with his daughter in 1984.

Elvstrom's is a truly amazing record, which may help some understand what Olympism is all about.

Follow all the racing and developments in major and local events on www.sail-world.com, scroll to the bottom of the site, select New Zealand, and get all the latest news and updates from the sailing world.

Good sailing!

Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor

sailworldnzl@gmail.com

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