Designers set gears in motion Transpac 65 class

by Barby MacGowan on 26 Aug 2007 A triumvirate of designers has contributed to the successful launch of the Storm Trysail Transpac 65 (STP65), developing three different boats for the 'Box Rule' by which the STP65 Class will be governed. Farr Yacht Design drew the first STP65 Rosebud for owner Roger Sturgeon of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with California's Westerly Marine completing the building of the boat in early June, 2007. Reichel/Pugh and Judel/Vrolijk have begun respective designs for Jim Swartz of Park City, Utah, and Udo Schutz of Selters, Germany, who, like Sturgeon, are well known names in the ocean racing world. Also like Sturgeon, both owners plan to keep the boat names that have headlined their previous campaigns. Swartz's Moneypenny, currently being built by McConaghy's Boat Yard in Australia, will be ready next March, while Schutz's Container will begin construction at Premier Yachts in Dubai, UAE in August, 2007.

'The goal is for the three boats to be on the starting line for the 2008 Newport to Bermuda Race,' said Swartz, explaining that the event fits the multi-faceted racing profile of the STP65. 'It's designed to be a Super TP52,' Swartz said, 'and is capable of true offshore racing. We want to do a combination of offshore, coastal and buoy racing.'

The goal of the Storm Trysail Club (headquartered in Larchmont, N.Y.) and the Transpacific Yacht Club (Los Angeles, Calif.), which last July announced their joint partnership in developing the STP65 Rule, was to create a boat that could compete both as a Box Rule and an IRC or ORR performer, with tight enough parameters to minimize obsolescence. According to Farr Yacht Design's Senior Naval Architect Jim Schmicker: 'The benefit of designing to a box rule is that it limits factors such as length, minimum displacement, draft and sail area. Specifically, the 'box' for the STP65 sets a maximum LOA of 20 meters (65.6 feet), a displacement range of 13,000 kg to 13,400 kg, a lifting keel and a generous sail plan. The displacement/length and sail area/displacement ratios fall between those of a TP52 and Volvo Open 70, giving promise that the boat will deliver lively performance in long distance and buoy events.' In addition, the lifting keel has a draft of approximately 4.8 meters in its down position and 3.3 meters when fully retracted, facilitating entry into shallow harbors or marinas as part of the class rule.

Within days of her launch in June, Rosebud won her class at the First Team Real Estate Regatta in Newport Beach, California. Southern Spars, known for its design and construction of carbon fiber spars and rigging for successful VO70 and TP52 campaigns, was commissioned to design and build Rosebud's rig and has eight 'serious inquiries' for orders from other STP65 teams.

Rule Update Scheduled, Class Measurer Named

The Box Rule for the STP65 is broken into four parts: The Rule, Definitions, Class Competition Rules and Class Bylaws, all of which can be found on the STP65 website (http://www.stp-65.org/). Updates to the Rule, which will include the stipulation of a Category 1 Owner/Driver, will be posted by the end of September, 2007, and will be final at that time.

'Over the past months, the current owners and the STP65 Board of Directors and its appointed Technical Advisory Committee have been tweaking the Rule to make the class more competitive,' said Rosebud's Project Director Malcom Park. He further explained that once there are five owners in the class, an Owners Association will replace the Board, and any changes to the Rule (which per the Bylaws would be only to 'correct gross errors or omissions') would require an 80% vote by the Owners Association. 'That way, we won't fall prey to what is happening in some other classes, where the class rolls over to accommodate the next great boat, leaving the others outdated,' said Park.

'Although the process has been slower than hoped,' said Ken Read, who along with other veteran offshore racers such as Paul Cayard and Gavin Brady plans to sail in the class, 'it has been methodical enough that we know it is being done right.' Read has been instrumental in the development of the rule with such heavy hitters on the STP65 Technical Advisory Committee as yacht designers Bill Tripp, Bruce Nelson, Jim Schmicker, Alan Andrews, Mark Mills, John Reichel and Jim Pugh.

The class also has named Andrew Williams its Chief Measurer. Williams is well respected for developing class rules and the measurement processes for regattas around the world. He also is Chief Measurer for the Farr 40 class and measures for many other classes.

The STP65 Rule and supporting information is accessible at http://www.stp-65.org/ For more information on the STP65 Class Association, contact Eric Kreuter, stp65@stormtrysail.org.