Tonnerre wins again

Piet Vroon's Ker 46 Tonnerre de Breskens 3 is the RORC's 2010 Yacht of the Year. 

Take a bow, Piet Vroon and the Tonnerre team! Congratulations on an impressive year.
Click here to view the full report.

New TP52 hits the water

TeamOrigin get their new weapon after a successful build.
The latest project to leave the Salthouse yard is TeamOrigin's TP52, designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian.   An extremely tight build schedule meant meeting every target along the way was crucial for getting the boat in the water on time. It's therefore been hugely rewarding to see the boat go into the water several days ahead of plan as well as on budget and under weight. The TeamOrigin sailing crew were able to test the boat over several days before shipping to Europe for the Audi Med Cup Series.

David Duff, project manager for TeamOrigin, had this to say about his experience with Salthouse Boatbuilders.... "We chose Salthouse Boatbuilders to build our new TP52 for the Audi Med Cup Circuit as we knew we would get a very good boat. Timing wasn't ever on our side due to the late coming of the new rules, but Greg and his team managed to get the boat built to a very high standard, and completely on time. Full credit has to be given, as day one of the sea trials saw the boat sailing in 15 – 20kts and it couldn't have gone any better. All of us at TEAMORIGIN want to say a huge thanks to Greg and the boys, as they have really done an outstanding job for us."

Thank you to TeamOrigin, it's been a thrill to be part of this project and we look forward to seeing some exciting results from the new weapon!

Vaka project combines modern boatbuilding with traditional methods

Who would have thought that Salthouse Boatbuilders would be the hub of creation when it comes to Vakas?
But when offered the chance to be involved in this exciting Pacific Voyagers Project, we gladly took the opportunity of producing seven twin hull vessels.
The aim of the Pacific Voyagers Project is to develop the awareness and preservation of the ocean environment and marine life by recapturing the Polynesian traditions of ocean voyaging between the island nations of American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti, New Zealand, Tonga and Western Samoa.

Needless to say, building twin hull Vaka's has been a little out of the ordinary for the Salthouse yard but it has been a fascinating process to combine today's modern technologies of boatbuilding with those traditional methods of the Polynesian culture.
Each hull is constructed of e-glass and foam using advanced infusion processes. In contrast to these modern methods, tradition remains clearly visible with each hull lashed together using wooden beams and ropes. Authenticity has been maintained with the Vaka adorned in traditional carvings, colourings and insignia of each individual nation, resulting in an impressive fleet for the Pacific Voyagers to be proud of.

It has been a true honour for Salthouse Boatbuilders to be part of such a unique project and to have the opportunity to witness the cultural and traditional connection the island nations have with the sea and each other.