New Container is launched in Kiel

by STP65 Class Association on 30 Sep 2008
The industry had been speculating, the experts were certain and now she is here: Udo Schütz, founder of Schütz GmbH & Co. KGaA and pioneer of honeycomb technologies prevalent in aircraft construction, is ready to show off a brand new boat.

The new sailing yacht Container, one of the successors to the legendary yachts of the eighties and nineties of the same name, will be presented to owner and crew in the first week in September. After 11 months of construction at the Knierim-Werft dockyard, the first test runs are being conducted in the Kiel Fjord putting the yacht through its paces.

The STP65 class high-tech boat is not only representative of the latest in racing yacht construction, but also is a trail blazer thanks to the current material development conducted by the composites division of Schütz GmbH & Co. KgaA. That’s because the 65 foot long boat was constructed by using honeycomb technologies.

15 years after claiming victory at the legendary Admiral’s Cup, after numerous research and development stages and after continuously developing composite technologies further, Schütz has a new generation of honeycombs that can otherwise only be found in the Airbus A380.

Modified to fit three dimensional deformation conditions for boat construction, Schütz developed a special Kevlar honeycomb (Cormaster CN1), which retains stability but is up to 15% lighter.

The total weight of the structure is lessened by about 5% - a heavy advantage because the weight saved is used in the keel’s roughly 4.5-meter long lever arm which will improve performance significantly.

Cormaster is the ideal building material for fast and light sailing yachts, a feat Schütz has proven since 1982 with the Pinta, constructed in Selters, and with one of the first Container yachts.

By the way, the victors at the 1993 Admiral’s Cup can still be found sailing off the coast of Palma de Mallorca. Even though initially intended for use in aircraft construction, Schütz and his crew see honeycomb technologies as the future of yacht construction today more than ever. They also consider the COontainer to be a trendsetter and an ambassador of this trailblazing, lightweight material.

Designed by the successful team of Judel and Vrolijk and constructed by the Knierim Werft dockyard with Schütz know-how, the new Container was christened on 6 September 2008 at the Knierim Werft in Kiel and will have to prove herself just three weeks later, from 29/09 to 10/04, at the Les Voiles de Saint Tropez. The new high-tech boat will also be participating in the Middle Sea Race taking place from the 18 to 20 October.

Container - Boat Specifications

Class: STP65

Length: 20.01 m (65 feet)

Width: 4.80 m

Draft: 4.80 m

Weight: 13,400 kg

Mast Height: 34 m

Sail Area: 160 m² (main sail) and 104 m² (foresail)

Gennaker: 410 m²

Capacity: approx. 16 – 18 crew

Design: Judel / Vrolijk & Co

Builder: Knierim Yachtbau GmbH

About Schütz

The Schütz Group has been developing and producing market-driven and customer-driven, innovative products made of plastic and metal since 1958. Today the company is a world leader for the Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) product field in the market segment of industrial transportation packaging for chemicals, petrochemicals, food and pharmaceuticals. The group employs approx. 3,000 workers at 25 different company locations worldwide.

Beginning in 1984, Schütz has made a name for itself in the development and production of lightweight construction components for the airline industry. With the so-called honeycomb technologies, Schütz produces lightweight construction material for a myriad of applications throughout the aerospace industry, racing fields, automobile construction or other high-tech applications.