Pindars new cutting edge Open 60 hits the water
by Kate Fairclough 4 Jul 2007 13:00 BST
First sail in New Zealand
Leading British print and electronic media company Pindar this week launched its brand new Open 60 in Auckland, New Zealand. A radical new design, which incorporates many cutting edge features including a rotating wing mast and hydraulically adjustable outriggers, this boat will be capable of breaking boundaries, setting records, and winning races. Having teamed up with ISAF World Sailor of the Year and Volvo Ocean Race winner, Mike Sanderson, and innovative designer, Juan Kouyoumdjian, Pindar’s new Open 60 is being likened to the latest generation Volvo 70s, proven to be some of the fastest monohulls on the planet.
At 60 foot long, with a 4.5 metre draft and over six metres wide, Pindar has a soaring wing mast which is able to rotate side to side, as well as being raked forward and aft using telescopic outriggers, enhancing her performance on all points of sail. Pindar’s towering mast allows her a much larger sail area than her predecessors, which together with advances in keel design promise to ensure that the new Pindar is far more powerful than either of Pindar’s two previous Open 60s. Pindar has an innovative hull shape incorporating deep chines into the back section of the boat, which afford greater power and stability when the boat is sailing heeled over.
Project managed by Tom Faire and built by TP Cookson’s boatyard in New Zealand over an eight month period, the hull was constructed from a carbon composite using a male mould. The design and build process amassed 25,000 man hours of building, with hundreds more spent in research and testing. The new Pindar comprises sails made by the North Sails NZ loft, led by Matt Smeaton and Andrew Ham, and designed by Burns Fallow of America’s Cup syndicate Team New Zealand and Mickey Ickert of BMW Oracle Racing. Her mast and rigging was supplied by Southern Spars and Future Fibres.
Mike Sanderson, who skippered a Juan Kouyoumdjian designed Volvo 70 to victory in the recent Volvo Ocean Race, has been a key consultant throughout the project, overseeing the build from his home with Pindar’s Emma Sanderson (née Richards) in New Zealand over the winter. Sanderson, who was recently appointed Team Director of the British America’s Cup syndicate, TEAMORIGIN, was present in Auckland, New Zealand, for Pindar’s first sail.
Mike Sanderson commented: “The new Pindar Open 60 comprises many new technical developments which make this boat one of a new breed in the world of Open 60s. Combining lessons learnt from other boats and classes, in terms of sails, rigging, hull and keel design, we have created what I believe will be an absolute weapon. She’s very different to Pindar’s previous two Open 60’s, with an interesting transom design and a very different rig set up. Nick Black, Pindar’s Boat Captain has done a fantastic job out here in New Zealand throughout the build, a huge amount of work has gone into this build and she’s looking great. The first few days of testing have gone really well, and I look forward to Pindar’s arrival in the UK when the team can tune her up for racing.”
Juan Kouyoumdjian commented: “This boat is a very powerful Open 60. With her telescoping outriggers she has an interesting rig concept as well as deep chines, which affect the boat’s performance dramatically when she is heeled. It has been exciting developing the new Pindar and I’m looking forward to seeing her out racing.”
Andrew Pindar, Chairman of the Pindar Group commented: “The Pindar team has been working really hard to get the boat ready and they have done a superb job. Mike Sanderson has taken the boat out in the Hauraki Gulf, off Auckland, with Brad Jackson, Mike Cookson and a talented array of America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race sailors. She’s an amazing boat and we look forward to seeing what she can do.”
A prominent supporter of international sailing, this is Pindar’s first ever new build racing yacht. Pindar’s Open 60 will be shipped to the UK later this week with the intention of competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race, before taking part in various other training events in the build up to the Transat Jacques Vabre this November. An official naming ceremony and UK launch will take place in the UK this summer.