Reusing Race Boats

[Guest]

There are a lot of boats out there (ex - Volvo70's, 60's, class40's, etc etc) that are no longer fit for top level racing but could maybe be modified to become cruiser racers... I'm not an expert at yacht design but surely its possible to make something out of these boats.

 

Superyachts like Sojana and Highland Fling are examples of an end result based on a race boat (Sojana is pretty much Steinlager 2 and Highland Fling looks like a VO70)

 

is it possible to come from the other direction? for example, probably the most difficult - a VO70.

 

- Rip almost everything (which isnt much) out of the interior. reinforce some areas so the boat will last longer and cope with any modifications.

- build in a kind of quasi 'superyacht' interior with foam carbon and vineer or something and leave out anything that isnt really necessary

- pipe in some more hydraulics for primary winches

- modify the rig -sweep back spreaders and reduce sail area a bit. as well as simplifying systems for less crew with less experience

 

and then maybe you have something that will go and smack some super yachts at a tenth the price.

 

do-able? what do you guys think? would it be a nice way to start some sort of superyacht class in a 'green' kind of way?...

 

some things i see as possible problems are -

 

-These boats are not designed to last a lifetime and may be pretty flogged (team russia boat would be in good nick though)

-weight issues and mods would have to fit around the existing structure so pretty big limitations there

- redundancy. safety factors are a lot lower than what you'd expect on a superyacht but then again, the boat wont be pushed as hard.

- comfort and usability. different horse for a different course - is it possible to satisfy the needs of someone in the market for a kind of super yacht when your starting with a complete race machine? (from the people ive met in the superyacht industry i think there could be a market)

 

 

im sure there are many obstacles but does anyone see why this definitely couldnt work?

 

cheers!

A

[Guest]

Who wants a cruising boat that draws 20 ft?

 

Honestly I think it would be smarter to start from scratch, which is why old race boats have very low resale value.

[wheels 543]

A few boats have been modified just as such. However, it isn't easy as Squid has said. The ones that have been turned to cruisers, have been so because the name is famous and they Charter based on the fame. But the work done is expensive and it often means such a major redesign, you have as well have started from scratch. These old race boats have been hammered and will most likely have stucural issues and need major repair and strengthening.

[Guest]

And it's not the purchase price that is the issue, it's the annual cost of owning/operating that hurts.

 

Do they really race superyachts, I thought superyacht regattas were just an exercise in comparing penis sizes?

[Guest]

i guess the question is, how much can you do to a race boat to make it cruisy and what smart ways are there of doing it?

 

yes draft is an issue for some but -

 

wired is a cuiser racer with a fairly large draft

sojana is a cruiser racer with a large draft

beau gest...

most decent monohull cruiser racers - maybe not 12 ft but whos counting when it comes to the performance of a decent yacht. (not me)

 

some people want them i think.

 

another way to word it would be: how could you make a volvo 70 into something like *emphasis on like* the new wally, Highland Fling?

 

what's possible, and then whats worth it on a cost/benefit/performance scale (im sure its all dependent on the client but what is realistic needs to be explored first)

 

how 'super' does your yacht need to be before they let you into one of these 'dick measuring' competitions? i know Highland Fling annoyed a few 'dick measurers' as it clearly was boasting a bit more 'spirit'... but i digress.

[Tubthumper 0]

I worked on the HF project (mast design), very nice boat, but it did use a lot of 'new tech' as run on the recent editions of the VOR, most noticeable are the deflecting topmast backstays, very gooch, especially on a swept back rig of this size.

 

As for converting a 70' I'd reduce the draught, and the bulb weight, bring the RM down, that way the SF's will get bigger on some parts of the structure, new rig too, you don't need the height.

Sweeping the spreaders will be the hard part, but luckily, there's not much interior to work around, so reinforcing or putting a bulkhead in for the chainplates shouldn't be too expensive.

But why not just buy a slightly smaller version of the Highland Fling??

 

Agree with the reusing idea, there's a lot of money tied up in black boats out there, and it cannot be recycled.

 

would a V70 hull make a good fizz nasty?? Sacriledge I know....

[tuffyluffy 76]

Ive given this idea some thought as well. But my angle would be to buy a old race boat, rip all the good gear out of it ie mast, sails, winches, engine, elecronics etc, trash the hull and build a new hull to fit your requirements.

 

Building a hull is relatively cheap (25 - 30% of total cost), its all the other 'stuff' that costs the money. I think this is the reason you see so many 'project' hulls on the market/lying in paddocks etc. People think they'll save a fortune buy building the hull, but then discover that the other stuff is where all the money goes.

 

Ive often thought an old TP52 would make a great donor for a new cruiser/racer canting 40-45fter.

[Guest]

cool thanks for your input guys, now we're getting somewhere - rip all the bits off the VO70 and put it into a new hull and make the old hull into a fizboat. (kind of joking but theres a new Perini Navi Built motoryacht designed with some of the lines of a sailboat to reduce drag and fuel consumption. looks interesting and won a few awards -will try and find the name)

 

or.. make a mold off the old hull move all the reinforcement and put some of the gear back on again. could you use the same spar and change spreaders etc?

 

i like the idea of reducing RM and sail area to compensate for the extra weight inside but i think the kind of client i would consider this for is someone who owns a mothership and wants to have a kind of raceboat they can have some fun in before retiring to said mothership. Kind of like the Valsheda & bystander / Viva & Ranger combinations. I know theres a lot of J class owners who are probably sick of paying Ernesto's mates to come sailing with them. maybe this is something a bit more fun for them.... just some ideas.

 

Sailboats over 30m seem to lack usability from a pure sailing point of view. if you could shim up some of these ex VO70s and 'super' them a bit (i know they arnt really big enough to qualify as being super) i think people could have a lot of fun.

 

like you say, theres something not quite right about seeing such cool boats sitting around.

 

any more ideas? Brett BW, how would a VO70 go with an inboard in it? Wally tender??