Design # 103; GLORY

Built by: Aquidneck Custom (Joinery by Olsen Marine)

Launched: 2006

DESIGN #103: 54.8 ft LOA ‘Spirit of Tradition’ Cruiser/Racer

Specifications:

LOA 54.8 ft                                         Sail Area (Upwind) 1,403 ft^2

LWL 38.7 ft                                         Sail Area (Downwind) 1,895 ft^2

Max Beam 12.7 ft                               ‘IM’ 60.7 ft

Draft 8.0 ft                                           ‘J’ 17.6 ft

Disp (Meas Trim) 21,370 lbs               ‘P’ 62.2 ft

Ballast 9,500 lbs                                 ‘E’ 23.0 ft

Equipment:

Spars: Carbon fiber mast w/’Park Avenue’ boom. 2-spdrs swept 20 degrees

Rigging: Navtec rod standing rigging. Roller-furling, self-tacking jib

Winches: Anderson; Self-Tacker #52 ST, Halyards:52 ST, Main:52 ST

Electronics: Ockam or equivalent; Owner option

Engine: 55 HP Yanmar 4JH3-CE1 diesel, with SD40 Saildrive and folding prop

Construction Details:

The hull shell is a light weight, high tech ‘wood sandwich’ engineered by Dirk Kramers, the lead engineer for the Alinghi America’s Cup team. The inside and outside skins are both carefully optimized laminates of ‘E-glass’ cloth and unidirectionals, combined with epoxy resins and Western Red Cedar veneers, and bonded to a core of 1” CoreCell foam. The stem is solid cedar, the stem knuckle is heavily reinforced with additional ‘E-glass’ and wood veneers. The hull over the keel is solid glass, and there is a ‘belly pan’ of bi-axial ‘E-glass’ over the bottom amidships. The keel loads are further supported and distributed by a sophisticated composite structure of integrated keel floors and longitudinals, all bonded to structural bulkheads and berth faces. The composite chainplates are fabricated of unidirectional carbon fiber, bonded to a locally reinforced area of the inner skin. The interior panels are ‘E-glass’ and honeycomb core composites, bonded with biaxial ‘E-glass’ tape to the adjacent hull and deck surfaces. All of the laminations are vacuum-bagged and post-cured to an elevated temperature that is carefully monitored via thermo-couples and controlled by computer.

The deck is an ‘E-Glass’ laminate over varying thicknesses of CoreCell foam. The skins are reinforced and higher density core is used in way of all deck hardware. Unidirectional reinforcements are carefully oriented to resist the heavy compression loads imposed on the deck by the headstay, backstay and mast. Methodical weight control is a high priority throughout, with all moldings and components carefully and individually weighed before assembly.

Design Comments:

This is a high tech, contemporary design that evokes, but does not mimic, an earlier era. Above the waterline, the long, graceful overhangs, sweeping sheer, capped bulwark, and small counter stern all reflect a focus on classic style that is pure eye candy. At the same time, below the waterline and above the sheerline, the focus is on performance, with hull, rig, and appendage detailing that has been carefully developed over long experience on the race course. The light weight construction allows a high ballast/displacement ratio, and combined with a carbon rig, it provides ample stability to support a generous sailplan. A self-tacking jib, a ‘socked’ asymmetrical spinnaker, and modern, sophisticated deck hardware (including an electric main halyard winch) allow a small crew to handle this big power with confidence. For blue water passages a removable inner headstay carries a heavy-weather staysail. The jib furler and backstay adjuster are both located below to keep the deck clear and the look clean. Her long ends give her unusually large gear locker volume and deck area, both vital to enjoyable cruising. Her interior is intended to be simple and practical, with an owners’ suite forward, and a guest cabin aft. It is finished in a classic ‘Herreshoff’ style, trimmed with cherry brightwork.

Her long sailing length and narrow beam will give her an exquisite meter boat feel, and she will roll upwind like a train without pounding her crew senseless. She will not surf and plane downwind like an ultra-light racer, but she will stretch her long overhang legs and reel off mile after rewarding mile in total control off the wind, without spilling the drinks. Her unusual combination of classic style with contemporary performance will set her apart from (and usually far ahead of!) everything else on the water.

Western red cedar veneers going on over ‘throw away’ hull plug. Laminated mahogany stem in place.

Aquidneck Custom principal Bill Kofler supervises the hull roll over at his Bristol, RI shop.