Interview with Sam Pearson aboard the new Ker 33
by Mark Jardine 17 Sep 2015 13:01 BST
11-20 September 2015
We spoke to Sam Pearson of Ancasta about the new Ker 33 which is making its début at the Southampton Boat Show on berth M321 in the Marina.
Mark Jardine: Sam, we're on the Ker 33 at the Southampton Boat show, for its début. How are things going and what market are you aiming at?
Sam Pearson: So far so good. Day four, dare I say it, the English weather has played its part, but it has been very good so far. A lot of the people we've spoken to, we've not spoken to before, which is a great part of the show. Actually having a race boat here is kind of a nice change I think. There are people out there who are racers, although this is largely a cruising market here I think it's nice to put a new spin on things.
Mark Jardine: The yacht seems to take the classic Jason Ker lines, but there are quite a few cruising elements in this yacht too. Where is this aimed, and what kind of market are you going for?
Sam Pearson: Ultimately it's aimed at the IRC market. IRC and ORC are really where Jason's focussed. McConaghy are traditionally high-end custom boatbuilders. I think there's an element of Jason gave them the hull lines and the interior space and left them to their own devices a little bit. As you can see by the finish down here that they've done a really nice job of it. So certainly IRC, and the Commodore's Cup. The IRC 3 bracket is really where it's aimed predominately. The JPKs are clearly running away with the market at the moment, and Jason and his guys felt there's more to be had with that size of boat. She fits nicely between the 10.10 and the 10.80 which are really laying down the benchmark - see the Fastnet results - and you can see they are paving the way. Going on Jason's past five or six design iterations with the 40s, the 46s and the 50s, we're pretty confident in the Ker 33. The IRC numbers are coming in lower than we expected which is a nice surprise. We've got another dozen or so appointments, so hopefully we'll get a few more sold.
Mark Jardine: You've got a couple of options with the rig - carbon or aluminium spars - what do people seem to be going for, so far?
Sam Pearson: Actually we sold a boat yesterday, first one to the UK, and they're going to have a carbon rig. I think if the budget's there you'd probably opt for it, but for the mass market in the UK maybe the aluminium is probably preferred. On this size of boat the jury's still out on whether the financial penalty pays dividend against the rating bonus of the aluminium. It's tricky. But if the budget is there, you'd opt for the carbon I think.
Mark Jardine: Will you have a couple out in the Hamble Winter Series?
Sam Pearson: We've sold one where we're going to work closely with the owner, and North Sails are going to help too. So yes, get her up and running for the Winter Series, hopefully get some good results. Hull three is sold, and hull four they've just started building, so that is available. They're out every three months, so the Spring Series for the next one.
Mark Jardine: Well the boat looks great, lots of space inside. I look forward to seeing her on the water.
Sam Pearson: Most people stand on the dock and think it looks like a proper race boat; it follows those Ker lines and looks fairly full-on with the features that McConaghy have added. You come down here and everyone's a bit staggered: "It's actually a proper boat down here!" That's nice. All these little elements help. It's a good space. The French are quite happy to have nothing down below - fairly spartan, roll around the bilges during the offshores - but I think the English market likes a little more comfort. Certainly you're not carrying cookers and sinks around with you, but it's a bit more luxury than maybe the others offer. It stands us apart from the rest I think.
Mark Jardine: Sam, thank you very much for your time, and all the best with selling more boats and racing in the Winter Series.
Sam Pearson: Thanks, keep your eyes peeled for those results!
Find out more about the Ker 33 on the Ancasta website here.