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Displaying items by tag: Catamaran

Mark Mansfield, Irish Agent for Nautitech Catamarans (plus Grand Soleil yachts and J Boats), presents a video/webinar from a client of Key Yachting who has done just that.

UK sailor David McLeman bought a new Nautitech 46 Open Catamaran from Key Yachting in order to fulfil his dream of cruising in Europe plus doing the ARC Transatlantic cruise/race and spending a full year away in the Caribbean.

Choosing a catamaran

The video below covers his reasons for choosing a catamaran, even though he was previously a monohull sailor including competing in a number of Fastnet Races.

Key Yachting presently has a demo Nautitech 46 open for sale, only new last July. This boat is fully equipped, in the water at Hamble, and ready to sail away. It is being offered at €498,000—plus VAT, a €60k plus VAT discount off the new price.

Questions answered in this video are: 

  • Why a multihull over a monohull?

  • Monohull—sailing performance versus more accommodation?

  • What size monohull has similar internal volume compared to a multihull?

  • How many crew are needed to do a trip like this?

For further details of any of the Nautitech range, or indeed the Nautitech 46 open for sale at Key Yachting, contact Mark Mansfield at [email protected] or by phone at 00 353 87 2506838.

Also see: 2019 NAUTITECH 46 OPEN for sale

Published in J Boats & Grand Soleil
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#RNLI - Clogherhead RNLI had a late-night callout on Wednesday 1 August to rescue the crew of a yacht that had got into difficulty.

At around 10.10pm, the Co Louth village’s all-weather lifeboat was requested by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the aid of a yacht that had become entangled in ropes some two-and-a-half miles north of Dunany Point.

The lifeboat quickly located the 45ft catamaran from New Zealand and helped free the vessel before towing it to safety in Port Oriel, where it was tied up at the pier around 1.20am.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

A new Lagoon catamaran 40 model will be available this Autumn.

Builders say the new size represents a combining of two Lagoon generations, the 39 and 400. The new yacht has aft rigging for greater performance and a self-tacking jib for easier manoeuvring.

The cockpit, like the highly successful 42, has a well-thought out interior by Nauta Design. The new 40 is available with three or four cabins.

Lagoon is also offering a new 50–footer. With its two new models, Lagoon now offers a full line of catamarans from 38 to 77 feet.

The model is available from yacht brokers MGM Boats Ltd in Ireland.

Published in Boat Sales
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The second edition of the Pre-owned Multihull boat show takes place in Canet-en-Roussillon in the South of France near the Spanish border.

The show is an indication of the growing demand for multihulls coming from owners seeking longer live–aboard opportunities.

The Nautipole and boat show organiser M2O will exhibit about 30 pre-owned power and sailing catamarans from 37 to 82 feet on the pontoons of the Yacht harbour. An exhibitor village will offer multihulls services and equipment.

The event runs from Thursday October 6th to Sunday 9th in the Yacht harbor of Canet-en-Roussillon. 

The shows opening hours to the public are from 10 am to 6 pm. Entry is free.

Published in Boat Sales
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BlackCat Superyachts has announced an alliance with a selection of the industry’s leading suppliers in the large luxury cruising catamaran market.

Founded in 2015 by Mitch Booth, BlackCat Superyachts are a new breed of catamarans.

Baltic Yachts is the world’s leading boatbuilding yard specialising in high performance carbon fibre yachts custom made to meet customers' needs in design, performance and technical innovation.

North Technology Group (a global industry leader that includes North Sails, Southern Spars and Future Fibers) are recognised as a world leader in sailmaking, rigging and spar construction and offers BlackCat a fully integrated, high-performance solution by using the North Design Suite, a powerful set of analytical tools that allow sail, rig and yacht designers to analyse loads and improve boat performance.

M2 Atelier, the international architecture and interior design studio, will provide the sleek styling and finishing details.

The BlackCat brand is strengthened substantially with this group of premium suppliers and together with Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design, one of the world’s most successful superyacht designers, BlackCat Superyachts aims to produce the next generation of sleek, state-of-the-art and high performance multihull superyachts.

Malcolm McKeon, BlackCat’s chief designer, said: “We are extremely pleased to announce the partnership of BlackCat with these leading superyacht design and engineering companies. Bringing in the vast experience of these well-respected establishments enables us to further push the boundaries of innovative bespoke solutions and to create the yacht of our clients’ dreams in a design that is unique in the market. The BlackCat combines an enormous, stable platform with exhilarating performance, resulting in a high-performance carbon-fibre ‘supercat’ where the latest building technology and materials will be used.”

“There is no such thing as a production yacht and each owner is looking for something that matches their vision,” said Jeremy Elliot, North Sails designer. “North Design Suite makes it possible to find solutions to problems unique to each build. The North Technology Group structure allows North and Southern to share design resources to deliver the most progressive sail and rig plan possible.”

“We are very proud to be part of this extraordinary team in such a unique project", added Marijana Radovic, BlackCat interior designer from M2 Atelier, “We try to integrate and connect the interior design with the lines, characteristics and performances of the exterior design in order to achieve a continuous atmosphere and energy throughout the project. Contemporary, lightness, comfort and luxury blend together in these one-of-a-kind spaces that any superyacht owner expects to see. Technology and craftsmanship are balanced in every aspect of the design to create exceptional spaces, where details typically used on superyachts are combined with residential solutions and generous proportions to create the most unique ‘Sea-Loft’ of all time”.

BlackCat now offers a turnkey package on the 50 Metre version - the largest single structure carbon-fibre yachts in the world. The long period of design, engineering, construction study, materials and pricing is now complete and ready for production. This package provides the client with an accurate pricing and transparent build process in order to save time and money. There are still possibilities to custom design the internal layout of each BlackCat 50 and a variety of external features to give every boat a custom made distinctive style and finish.

BlackCat Superyachts will be present at the Baltic Yachts QH33 exhibition stand at the Monaco Yacht Show from 28 September to 1 October.

Published in Boat Sales
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Hot on the heels of its F1 A-Class catamaran, DNA Dutch builder has announced the F4, the first foiling offshore one-design catamaran.

The DNA F4 is a full carbon 46-foot foiling catamaran designed and built to push the boundaries of distance one design racing offshore. Built in Lelystad, the boat is the result of an 8-month design project spearheaded by DNA’s engineer and Shannon Falcone. The plan is to launch and commission in Newport, RI in summer 2016 and spend the remainder of autumn in New England testing the boundaries of the boat’s capabilities in preparation for a busy winter racing season in the Caribbean.

Aimed at those looking for America’s Cup technology without the need for large shore crews and being washed from trampolines, the F4’s cockpit offers ample room for passengers in the heart of the action with a pilothouse providing sheltered area for long passages.

“With the design cycle of the F4, the focus was all on performance and the result is stunning, a bigger and faster all-out racing machine which every speed freak should at least have a look at,” says Pieterjan Dwarshuis.

Published in Boat Sales
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With an aim to make a mark on the future of foiling sailing, the British foiling Vampire catamaran project has already reached peak speeds downwind of 30–knots.

The project is a collaboration between catamaran sailor William Sunnucks and boat builder Graham Eeles to develop a new breed of foiling catamaran in Brightlingsea Essex. The design, they say, is based on the the International Moth foil design which is quite different to the America's Cup line of development.

 

 

Published in News Update
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On a day that proved exciting for all, Timbalero III was flying on the downwind leg of the course at the Voiles de Saint Barths regatta on the east side of the island when the bright orange, futuristic foiling cat tripped up and capsized.

"It was such a silly mistake," said Peter Johnstone, Gunboat's founder and G4 crew member. "A gust hit us and for some reason we didn't dump the mainsheet and she just carried on heeling."

More on this capsize here by Matthew Sheahan in Yachting World

Published in News Update

#Capsize - Three people are reported dead after a tourist catamaran capsized off Costa Rica, as the Guardian reports.

The incident, which occurred yesterday (8 January) some nine miles off the Central American country's Pacific coast, is thought to have claimed the lives of a Briton, an American and a Canadian.

Survivors from the boat, carrying nearly 100 tourists and 10 crew on a day trip to Tortuga Island, say it was swamped by strong waves that quickly filled the vessel with water.

The Guardian has more on the story HERE.

Published in News Update

#londonobatshow – A first for tomorrow's London Boat Show is the real-time build of a 5.9m sailing catamaran with a cutting-edge hydrofoil system developed by Southampton Solent University. Afloat first reported on the new British foiling cat last September when she made her UK debut.

The first production model of the 'Solent Whisper', which has already turned heads at both the PSP Southampton Boat Show and the Paris International Boat Show, will take shape before the eyes of the media and the public. The retail version of the craft, which comfortably achieves over 25 knots and incorporates a revolutionary new hydrofoil system, is being manufactured by White Formula UK Ltd.

Helena Lucas, Paralympic Gold medallist and graduate of Southampton Solent University, has sailed the prototype boat and will be on hand at The Datatag Lab to help 'launch' the catamaran building activities on Friday 9 January at 1.45pm.

Visitors will be able to watch all the stages of production from the preparation of the moulds, to the final infusion of resin into the carbon fibre of the boat.

The new hydrofoil technology is the brainchild of Ron Price, a Southampton Solent University yacht and powercraft design graduate who is now Senior Lecturer in Naval Architecture at the University's Warsash Maritime Academy.

Published in News Update
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Irish Fishing industry 

The Irish Commercial Fishing Industry employs around 11,000 people in fishing, processing and ancillary services such as sales and marketing. The industry is worth about €1.22 billion annually to the Irish economy. Irish fisheries products are exported all over the world as far as Africa, Japan and China.

FAQs

Over 16,000 people are employed directly or indirectly around the coast, working on over 2,000 registered fishing vessels, in over 160 seafood processing businesses and in 278 aquaculture production units, according to the State's sea fisheries development body Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

All activities that are concerned with growing, catching, processing or transporting fish are part of the commercial fishing industry, the development of which is overseen by BIM. Recreational fishing, as in angling at sea or inland, is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

The Irish fishing industry is valued at 1.22 billion euro in gross domestic product (GDP), according to 2019 figures issued by BIM. Only 179 of Ireland's 2,000 vessels are over 18 metres in length. Where does Irish commercially caught fish come from? Irish fish and shellfish is caught or cultivated within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but Irish fishing grounds are part of the common EU "blue" pond. Commercial fishing is regulated under the terms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983 and with ten-yearly reviews.

The total value of seafood landed into Irish ports was 424 million euro in 2019, according to BIM. High value landings identified in 2019 were haddock, hake, monkfish and megrim. Irish vessels also land into foreign ports, while non-Irish vessels land into Irish ports, principally Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Killybegs, Co Donegal.

There are a number of different methods for catching fish, with technological advances meaning skippers have detailed real time information at their disposal. Fisheries are classified as inshore, midwater, pelagic or deep water. Inshore targets species close to shore and in depths of up to 200 metres, and may include trawling and gillnetting and long-lining. Trawling is regarded as "active", while "passive" or less environmentally harmful fishing methods include use of gill nets, long lines, traps and pots. Pelagic fisheries focus on species which swim close to the surface and up to depths of 200 metres, including migratory mackerel, and tuna, and methods for catching include pair trawling, purse seining, trolling and longlining. Midwater fisheries target species at depths of around 200 metres, using trawling, longlining and jigging. Deepwater fisheries mainly use trawling for species which are found at depths of over 600 metres.

There are several segments for different catching methods in the registered Irish fleet – the largest segment being polyvalent or multi-purpose vessels using several types of gear which may be active and passive. The polyvalent segment ranges from small inshore vessels engaged in netting and potting to medium and larger vessels targeting whitefish, pelagic (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting) species and bivalve molluscs. The refrigerated seawater (RSW) pelagic segment is engaged mainly in fishing for herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting only. The beam trawling segment focuses on flatfish such as sole and plaice. The aquaculture segment is exclusively for managing, developing and servicing fish farming areas and can collect spat from wild mussel stocks.

The top 20 species landed by value in 2019 were mackerel (78 million euro); Dublin Bay prawn (59 million euro); horse mackerel (17 million euro); monkfish (17 million euro); brown crab (16 million euro); hake (11 million euro); blue whiting (10 million euro); megrim (10 million euro); haddock (9 million euro); tuna (7 million euro); scallop (6 million euro); whelk (5 million euro); whiting (4 million euro); sprat (3 million euro); herring (3 million euro); lobster (2 million euro); turbot (2 million euro); cod (2 million euro); boarfish (2 million euro).

Ireland has approximately 220 million acres of marine territory, rich in marine biodiversity. A marine biodiversity scheme under Ireland's operational programme, which is co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Government, aims to reduce the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on the marine environment, including avoidance and reduction of unwanted catch.

EU fisheries ministers hold an annual pre-Christmas council in Brussels to decide on total allowable catches and quotas for the following year. This is based on advice from scientific bodies such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. In Ireland's case, the State's Marine Institute publishes an annual "stock book" which provides the most up to date stock status and scientific advice on over 60 fish stocks exploited by the Irish fleet. Total allowable catches are supplemented by various technical measures to control effort, such as the size of net mesh for various species.

The west Cork harbour of Castletownbere is Ireland's biggest whitefish port. Killybegs, Co Donegal is the most important port for pelagic (herring, mackerel, blue whiting) landings. Fish are also landed into Dingle, Co Kerry, Rossaveal, Co Galway, Howth, Co Dublin and Dunmore East, Co Waterford, Union Hall, Co Cork, Greencastle, Co Donegal, and Clogherhead, Co Louth. The busiest Northern Irish ports are Portavogie, Ardglass and Kilkeel, Co Down.

Yes, EU quotas are allocated to other fleets within the Irish EEZ, and Ireland has long been a transhipment point for fish caught by the Spanish whitefish fleet in particular. Dingle, Co Kerry has seen an increase in foreign landings, as has Castletownbere. The west Cork port recorded foreign landings of 36 million euro or 48 per cent in 2019, and has long been nicknamed the "peseta" port, due to the presence of Spanish-owned transhipment plant, Eiranova, on Dinish island.

Most fish and shellfish caught or cultivated in Irish waters is for the export market, and this was hit hard from the early stages of this year's Covid-19 pandemic. The EU, Asia and Britain are the main export markets, while the middle Eastern market is also developing and the African market has seen a fall in value and volume, according to figures for 2019 issued by BIM.

Fish was once a penitential food, eaten for religious reasons every Friday. BIM has worked hard over several decades to develop its appeal. Ireland is not like Spain – our land is too good to transform us into a nation of fish eaters, but the obvious health benefits are seeing a growth in demand. Seafood retail sales rose by one per cent in 2019 to 300 million euro. Salmon and cod remain the most popular species, while BIM reports an increase in sales of haddock, trout and the pangasius or freshwater catfish which is cultivated primarily in Vietnam and Cambodia and imported by supermarkets here.

The EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983, pooled marine resources – with Ireland having some of the richest grounds and one of the largest sea areas at the time, but only receiving four per cent of allocated catch by a quota system. A system known as the "Hague Preferences" did recognise the need to safeguard the particular needs of regions where local populations are especially dependent on fisheries and related activities. The State's Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, based in Clonakilty, Co Cork, works with the Naval Service on administering the EU CFP. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and Department of Transport regulate licensing and training requirements, while the Marine Survey Office is responsible for the implementation of all national and international legislation in relation to safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution.

Yes, a range of certificates of competency are required for skippers and crew. Training is the remit of BIM, which runs two national fisheries colleges at Greencastle, Co Donegal and Castletownbere, Co Cork. There have been calls for the colleges to be incorporated into the third-level structure of education, with qualifications recognised as such.

Safety is always an issue, in spite of technological improvements, as fishing is a hazardous occupation and climate change is having its impact on the severity of storms at sea. Fishing skippers and crews are required to hold a number of certificates of competency, including safety and navigation, and wearing of personal flotation devices is a legal requirement. Accidents come under the remit of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and the Health and Safety Authority. The MCIB does not find fault or blame, but will make recommendations to the Minister for Transport to avoid a recurrence of incidents.

Fish are part of a marine ecosystem and an integral part of the marine food web. Changing climate is having a negative impact on the health of the oceans, and there have been more frequent reports of warmer water species being caught further and further north in Irish waters.

Brexit, Covid 19, EU policies and safety – Britain is a key market for Irish seafood, and 38 per cent of the Irish catch is taken from the waters around its coast. Ireland's top two species – mackerel and prawns - are 60 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, dependent on British waters. Also, there are serious fears within the Irish industry about the impact of EU vessels, should they be expelled from British waters, opting to focus even more efforts on Ireland's rich marine resource. Covid-19 has forced closure of international seafood markets, with high value fish sold to restaurants taking a large hit. A temporary tie-up support scheme for whitefish vessels introduced for the summer of 2020 was condemned by industry organisations as "designed to fail".

Sources: Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Marine Institute, Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Department of Transport © Afloat 2020