To infinity... and (perhaps) beyond

Green Marine project manager Adrian Gillitt reflects on the gestation of probably the most exotic IRC racer launched to date

Project set up

Our discussions with the Ran project team started in late 2007, with the owners holding the first design group meeting more than 18 weeks before construction was due to start. Designer, structural engineer, electronics expert, builder, interior designer, project manager, sailmaker and skipper... the whole team were assembled, and the brief was spelt out. Having such a strong team assembled so early in the project allowed time for all the ideas to be thrashed out before construction started. The clean and efficient layout and the co-ordinated paint scheme are a result of work carried out almost a year before launch date.

A light boat is a fast boat. The lighter the structure, the heavier the bulb can be. The heavier the keel bulb, the higher the righting moment and the better the sail-carrying ability of the yacht. For a raceboat builder reliable structure and low weight are everything.

The owner and designer had saved 200kg before we even started the project by eliminating a lifting-keel system and opting for a fixed draft of 4.8m. From that point it became our responsibility to minimise the boat’s structural weight. There are a number of things a builder can do to keep unnecessary weight off the boat...

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