Have a look at this; http://www.humphreysdesign.com/Pages/news_features/2005/H37m MY.html Builder: McMullen and Wing, Auckland
An extract from the original press release... "At the owner’s request, the exterior styling has been kept deliberately understated, achieving a workmanlike, commercial look that belies the yacht’s capabilities; making her truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing." I always thought the "sleeper" concept was pretty cool. You know... your father's Oldsmobile with supercharger under the hood and a bottle of nitrous in the trunk. But... when it comes to yachts, I don't care how fast it is, if it HURTS to look at it, I'd rather go SLOW. Opinions?
Ugly? No, just trying to stir up some conversation. Actually, I like a utilitarian-type vessel. If I had my choice, I'd probably choose an expedition-style yacht over a designer yacht. But the Humphries design is kind of a departure from both of these classes. As Lars noted, this could be a design that will withstand the test of time. Personal likes/dislikes are purely subjective and I think most of us can agree... to disagree. In my opinion, the supertructure is a little "plain", but offers excellent above deck space and accomodations, which ranks very high in my book. What intrigues me the most about this new McMullen and Wing build is the materials, the hull design and the propulsion system. For example... 1. The hull and deck are carbon fiber. This in itself is not revolutionary, but the difficulty involved in getting resin to saturate carbon fiber around the complex corners of a superstructure is certainly a challenge. 2. This vessel is using a ballast tank to adjust CG. A very effective way to ensure quicker planing and increased efficiency in various speed ranges. This is not new, offshore race boats have used forward ballast tanks for years. But this is the first time I've heard of them being adapted for yacht-use. Ofcourse... how many 60 knot yachts are around! 3. And last... this is really intriguing! Check out the foils that extend laterally from the trim tabs! If this is a new technology, this boat just got a lot more attractive! It's the first time I've seen this and it may prove to be a significant new technology. Faster planing, increased lateral stability, added lift while running, etc. I'm guessing Lips had something to do with this... Leave it to the boys from down under to come up with revolutionary hull and jet-pump technologies! They have been leaders in the field for years.
Small correction, I think you'll find it's the Kiwi's who are experts in the jet-pump field, and are making this yacht. Don't worry I think they get that a lot. I believe that Russel Crow was born in New Zealand. Oh, BTW we call them "Kiwi's" after their national bird, the Kiwi. Don't ask me why (I don't know). On the other hand, we are close neighbours, and our country is bigger than theirs...... perhaps we should take credit for their work?
OK Ben. Seven emoticons later, I guess I won't forget again! I should have used "Down Under", as you will see I've made this reference on YachtForums many times before. My mind was elsewhere, like... 10 hours of coding yesterday.
Neither address for Humphreys is working. I like the boat, clean uncluttered lines. I might put a turbine between the diesels though.
Twin diesels makes the boat slower. The MTU 16V-4000 makes 3650hp, so taking one away would also take away maybe 15 knots. The turbine is for short bursts of "testosterone". I would think the turbine's HP would need to be 5000-6000 to push past 60 knots.
