The Bosun
The 100-footers are a curious breed. They take “continuous improvement” – that hackneyed bit of management jargon – seriously. When line honors are the only game in town (and money no object) then any change that might make your supermaxi go faster is worth a try.
As it happens, most of these lumbering old offshore mastodons are in Australia at the moment. Many are getting upgrades timed for the start of the serious ocean racing season in late October. With the Sydney to Hobart in December being to main target. Shipwrights who do good work in carbon are in high demand.
The most radical project is a near-total re-build of Scallywag. There is now almost nothing left of this boat as it was in its original 2005 form when launched as Maximus. First, it was lengthened from 98 to 100 feet and re-named Loyal. Next, as Ragamuffin 100, the deck was cut off and joined to an entirely new hull. Now, as Scallywag, here are the major changes underway: cabin top of the deck cut away, the ballast tanks to be moved, there’s a new engine, and a canting keel mechanism that allows a wider arc.
Also undergoing major surgery is Palm Beach XI, (previously Wild Oats XI). Late last year it emerged from the shed fitted with C-foils and a pair of radical stern foils. They were removed before the Sydney-Hobart and the boat has been back in the shed since returning to Sydney from the race. It turns out that the trunks supporting the C-foils weren’t adequate and new extensions had to be designed and fabricated. Their arrival from China is pending. PBXI is also moving some water ballast tanks and there’s talk of a new carbon fin keel.
Meanwhile, as previously reported here, the mighty Comanche has been ‘skinned’ in gun-metal grey and black (see above), and awaits its new name and graphics. The smart money is on some permutation of the words Loyal and Perpetual, words previously favoured by the current charterer, Anthony Bell. The deck of LawConnect (originally Speedboat) has been stripped of all winches and fittings while the hull is being painted – you guessed it – black.
The other local supermaxi, Wild Thing 100, is also black. Along with their black carbon sails, this fleet of five 100-footers will make a grim sight as they face the Sydney-Hobart starter on Boxing Day. Black Jack is probably staying in Europe but the local maxis will be joined by Back2Black, the 40-footer that has just won the Sydney-Gold Coast Race. It’s all rather black and depressing, really.
The Bosun
