Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Ichi Ban ready for action
by Joe Hall on 25 Dec 2013
Ichi Ban owner Matt Allen’s exacting standards were surpassed by the Premier’s five month project that delivered the Carkeek 60 in time for the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Kevin Green
The new PCT built, Carkeek 60 Ichi Ban is all set for racing action, just two days before the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.
'It is hard to believe that Ichi Ban is really here and ready to go', comments Matt Allen, owner of this beautiful yacht, 'Getting to this point just a few hours away from the start of the race, is a considerable achievement, on its own and now it is time for us to prove her on the race track.'
Ichi Ban has only been in Sydney for a few short weeks, however, initial showings suggest the boat will be successful; with a line honours win in the highly competitive CYCA Trophy Passage Series and a second place on handicap in the glamour race, the Solas Big Boat Challenge.
'The boat has shown it can do well on all points of sail so our 18 crew will be pushing hard all the way to Hobart,' said Matt.
The Carkeek 60 is a relatively simple, yet very powerful boat, with minimum appendages, a powerful hull-form and high ballast/displacement ratio. The boat has been built to the highest standard, by some of the world’s best engineers and structural technicians. For major composite and engineering supplier Gurit, it proved an interesting challenge, as Dr Mark Hobbs, explained: 'Ichi Ban makes extensive use of hydraulics, and in order to optimise the weight of the structure the supports of the hydraulic systems were integrated into the internal structure, making dual use of parts of the structure wherever possible.' Managing the power-to-weight ratio was the other big challenge, explained Hobbs, which would allow the lightweight boat to retain plenty of structure for tough offshore beats, as found in the Rolex-Sydney Hobart.
So, six months after the build commenced, Ichi Ban now lies gleaming alongside the dock, raring to go and all she has to do is sail 628 fast nautical miles, down to Hobart and potential
Rolex Sydney Hobart website
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