Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

Soviet Union’s first, Fazisi was launched 24 years ago

by Brian Hancock on 3 Aug 2013
SpeedDream flies the keel - Yandex-SpeedDream to debut during Cowes Week Brian Hancock
Twenty-four years ago an extraordinary event happened on the Solent. The Soviet Union’s first, and by happenstance last Whitbread entry, Fazisi was launched and took her maiden sail on that famed strip of water between the south coast of England and the Isle of Wight.

The boat was designed by Vlad Murnikov, a forward thinking naval architect from Moscow. With the hammer and sickle emblazoned on the Soviet flag flying from its stern, Fazisi caused quite a stir as 1989 was long before reforms came to that part of the world and most western people had never met an actual Russian. Fast forward two-plus decades and Murnikov is back with an equally revolutionary boat. This time there is no Soviet flag, but the boat is sure to turn heads and draw a crowd.

Yandex-SpeedDream is a quest to build the world’s fastest monohull. SpeedDream is the name of Murnikov’s design and Yandex, the Russian tech giant, is the technology partner to the project. The boat is a 27-foot prototype of what Murnikov believes is a breakthrough in modern monohull design. The boat features unique and innovative design attributes including a true wave piercing bow, a lateral step in the hull, a feature found mostly on powerboats, and a keel that cants in excess of 80-degrees. This means that when the boat heels more than 10 degrees the keel comes out of the water and flies.


'When we arrived all those years ago with Fazisi we were thrilled and excited by the response of the western world to our ‘behind the iron curtain’ project,' said Vlad Murnikov. 'The support was overwhelming and we really made a huge impact with the boat. Yandex-SpeedDream is nowhere near as big as Fazisi, but the boat is so unique, innovative, and sexy looking that I think she will make as big an impact, capturing just as many hearts as Fazisi did.'

Yandex-SpeedDream will be based on the Isle of Wight at Cowes Yacht Haven and will be demo-sailing during Cowes Week. The skipper is world-renowned sailor Cam Lewis who was the only American on board Commodore Explorer when they became the first boat in history to circumnavigate the world in less than 80 days. He has also participated in the America’s Cup and has won numerous world championships in dinghies.

'SpeedDream is one of the most unique and interesting boats I have ever sailed,' Cam said. 'Vlad’s mantra that a multihull has to become a monohull before it really starts to pick up speed is right and I think of SpeedDream in a similar way. The boat can be seen as a catamaran with the hull itself as the leeward hull, and the flying keel as the windward hull. No drag and a high righting moment means that the boat really flies.'

Joining Cam as co-skipper is Vladimir 'Kuli' Kulinichenko, considered Russia’s top offshore sailor. Press is invited to contact SpeedDream media for a demo sail. Public will be able to see the boat flying its keel from the Esplanade and The Green to the west of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes.

Switch One DesignRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px_GP BOTTOM

Related Articles

Aussies hunt 'Ashes on Water' win
The BONDS Flying Roos are looking to bounce back with a vengeance in Portsmouth Fresh off a bruising weekend in New York, the BONDS Flying Roos are looking to bounce back with a vengeance as they take on long time rivals Great Britain in their home waters at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, held in Portsmouth.
Posted today at 9:27 pm
4 Ultim rocketships to contest Rolex Fastnet Race
The giant 32m long by 23m wide flying trimarans are taking part in the 100th anniversary edition While the 50ft flying catamarans competing at SailGP Portsmouth this weekend will be impressive, charging out of the opposite western end of the Solent will be giant 32m long by 23m wide flying Ultim trimarans taking part in the 100th anniversary edition.
Posted today at 6:45 pm
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators.
Posted today at 5:41 pm
SailGP: No practice racing at Portsmouth
The Practice Race was a fizzer, however the future of the SailGP fleet development was revealed. The scheduled Practice Day failed to fire at SailGP Portsmouth, after the forecast, admittedly light, breeze failed to male an appearance. The self propelled start marks were making a much better speed than the F50s.
Posted today at 4:14 pm
Elite Training at New Sailing Centre
Canash Beach, St Vincent, hosts international sailors The SVG Sailing Association held a successful High Performance Race Training Clinic, at the newly established High Performance Centre at Canash Beach, St Vincent. The four-day event ran from July 13th to 16th.
Posted today at 1:51 pm
McIntyre Mini Globe Race Leg 3 Preview
The race to South Africa starts from Vuda Marina Fiji on 26th July In a world-first sailing challenge, 15 solo sailors from eight countries are navigating identical 5.8-meter (19-foot) self-built plywood yachts around the globe— The fleet has enjoyed a five week stopover in Fiji at the end of Leg 2.
Posted today at 1:26 pm
Third time Finn World No.1 for Alessandro Marega
Maintaining the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List Italy's Alessandro Marega maintains the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List for the third consecutive release. He remains World No. 1 with an 80-point lead over France's Laurent Hay.
Posted today at 1:18 pm
World Sailing Nations Cup to make grand return
After a seven-year hiatus, World Sailing has officially opened the bid process for host cities After a seven-year hiatus, the World Sailing Nations Cup, the ultimate event to crown the world's top match-racing nations, is making its much-anticipated return.
Posted today at 9:08 am
2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth Day 2
A classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and drizzle The second day of the WASZP Pre-Games served up a classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and with a hug of fresh drizzle.
Posted today at 5:25 am
Moth take a big step forward at Garda Worlds
The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than NZ The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than the 2024 World Championship, held just six months ago in New Zealand.
Posted on 17 Jul