Crusader Blasts Old Records

The recently launched E35ss 'Crusader' has come storming onto centre stage with an outstanding performance blasting 2hrs off the previously held 35ft record for the Coastal Classic.
We think crew member Josh Tucker just about sums it all up with the this report... 
   ....the onboard footage does the rest...  http://vimeo.com/51989160

The Coastal Classic is our biggest race of the year in New Zealand with often over 200 boats on the start line. This year was set to be a record breaker with a 35-45kt SW forecast which would be a fast 110-130TWA reach.

I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride on the brand new Elliott 35ss canting keeler ‘Crusader’ after we decided to pull the pin on my brother's 8.5m trimaran due to the extreme forecast.

Man what a ride, I had never sailed on the boat before but were good friends with a lot of the crew and had a bit to do with the full North Sails inventory that we had just put on.
We had a conservative start, opting to 2 sail to north head and be one of the first to gybe towards rangi light. The other boats that had set big gear to try and get away were either on their side down and kicking or blasting off in the wrong direction in the 25-35kt breeze.

After our gybe we set the fractional furling A5 (with a reefed main) and I instantly got a real feeling of the potential of this boat as we leapt up to 22-24kts of boatspeed comfortably. At this stage we were amongst the 50ft fleet and having a ball. We watched a 40kt squall come down and flatten most of the fleet but opted to hold on and try and ride it through as we felt pretty comfortable. When it hit we were underwater. 42kts with a kite on is not really ideal so we bore away and furled it. Still sitting on 18-24kts 2 sail reaching towards tiri with 30-35kts at 125TWA.

Further down the track we changed from the #4 jib to the J2 with a reef point and from then on it we went between the reefed and full jib in the very changeable 25-45kt breeze. We decided on going outside the hen and chicks, slightly further in distance but a more steady breeze and didn’t see the point coming up 20 degrees to go inside. It think was the best route as it often is in a planning boat in SW conditions.

The boat was just incredible, sitting on sustained speeds over 20 and regularly hitting 24-25kts with a peak of 25.8kts although we might have gone faster in the first big squall with the A5 on, no one really had a chance to look.

We went past the poor nights island by 3:10pm which was an average over 17kts for 5hrs. From there to cape Brett was a bit lighter and we shook out the reef in the main and carried on under full sail. A few tacks to get through the light and fluky gap between Brett and Percy island to finally be around just after 5pm. That's around a 15kt average for 7hrs 2 sail reaching down the coast in a 35ft monohull.....

We managed to hold off the class 40 ‘Buckley Systems’ for the 15nm beat into to the finish even with a few small technical issues we had and finished at 8:02pm still in daylight smashing 2 hrs off the previous 35ft record and 30minutes off the 40 ft record with an overall record time of 10hrs 2min 51seconds. We only had a kite up for a total of about 15minutes for the whole 10hr race and the wind was generally around 100-120TWA so a pretty tight 2 sail reach.

Overload the smaller Elliott 9 super sport canter still holds the record for under 30ft of 10hr 23min 56seconds that they set in 2009 and were not far behind in this race when they had rudder issues and withdrew from the race.

Worth noting that until the 100ft Supermaxi ‘Alfa Romeo’ smashed the overall race record in 2009 the overall monohull record was also held by another Elliott designed boat the radical 50ft Schooner ‘Primo’ which held the record since 1996.

Well done to the Orma 60 ‘Vodafone’ who also set a new overall record.

I was seriously impressed with the Eliott 35ss it was extremely FAST, easy to sail and I was also surprised to hear how affordable it was. I imagine there will be a few more of these built in the near future.

Our video of the race https://vimeo.com/51989160. And a photo album with some great shots of us just after the start.

Chris Salthouse talks about chasing the big cats with 1200 horses

Chris Salthouse talks about the Emirates Team New Zealand Chase1 tender

http://www.cupinfo.com/en/etnz-ac72-chase-boat-chris-salthouse-12064.php

Salthouse Updates

Things don’t seem to stand still for too long at the Salthouse yard these days. 

No sooner has the ETNZ Chase boat left the number 1 shed than out comes the mould again for a sister ship to be built.  This second chase boat is for an overseas client who was impressed with the power, speed and functionality of this new design.

From one powerboat to another; Salthouses have begun work on a new Southstar37.  This is number 5 of these great little coastal cruisers and proving the versatility and adaptability both in layout and powering options; will be driven by jet engine and used predominately as a commuting vessel.

Across the yard in the number 2 shed, or what has affectionately become known as ‘Vaka Land’, is  a 72ft traditional Vaka Moana near completion.  This Vaka will go on to join the fleet of previously launched catamarans currently doing their tour of duty in the Pacific Islands and beyond.  The shed space will then remain empty long enough to have a good sweep out before 4 of the 7 original Vaka return to the yard after 3 years for some well deserved maintenance.

Meanwhile, right next door is a group of men clad in white paper-suits, crawling like ants over a soon to be finished Elliott35 SuperSport, due for launch early September. With the launch of this exciting new canting keel race boat – we will have photo’s and footage with feedback from designer Greg Elliott and her new owner.  

Watch this space….

And just to top things off, we also have our slipways packed full with our local boaties coming up for their winter maintenance.  Most notable of these is the old classic Trinidad which was built by Salthouses back in 1964. Trinidad is having a complete strip down with 20years worth of anti-foul being removed, and a new breakthrough anti-foul product applied.  Check back for our next news update for a story on this.

Emirates Team New Zealand Chase 1 Video Footage

Designed by Morrelli & Melvin, built by Salthouse Boatbuilders, the new ETNZ tender takes to the water at pace....

Emirate Team New Zealand Chase 1

July saw the launching of Emirates Team New Zealand’s latest chase boat from the Salthouse Boatbuilders yard.  The new chase boat is powered by four Yamaha F300B V6 four stroke engines. With the advent of the new America's Cup, the whole format of the race has changed. The competition has moved from traditional mono hull yachts to massive 72 foot (22m) catamarans. These catamarans are capable of achieving speeds of up to 40 knots. This new format provided some unique challenges and requirements when it came time to look for support craft, as previous boats used for this purpose would not be sufficient.  Emirates Team New Zealand approached the challenge head on by designing a totally new craft in house with input from Chris Salthouse, from Salthouse Boat Builders.  The new 14m Cat that has resulted exceeds the required design speed of 50 Knots with an impressive top speed of 58 Knots (107km/h) – amazing performance for a boat of its size.

With limited days allowed for testing between now and January 2013 this Chase boat will need to be capable of being on the water and operational on these set days from dawn until dusk. That requires long range fuel efficiency - an area where the big Yamaha F300Bs excel. The reported fuel consumption of these engines at mid range cruise speeds is 100 Litres per hour at 30 Knots (56 Km/h). That’s only 25L/h per engine. At this speed the boat has a range of 510 nautical miles (926 Km).

The boat is expected to carry a range of support crew during this important preparation period. Among the staff onboard will be sailing coaches, boat builders, sail makers, riggers and on-board systems experts monitoring the finest details of boat and crew performance to get the most out of Emirates Team New Zealand. For added comfort for all on board, suspension seats have been added to smooth the ride in rough conditions, a feature that has been especially well appreciated by the crew. The success of this new chase boat design has not gone unnoticed and Salthouses are already in discussions for another 2 boats.

Salthouse Updates

Salthouse Boatbuilders launch the new Emirates Team New Zealand tender -
more info and footage to follow....

                                                     http://youtu.be/DigyAA-7tZ8

Salthouse Updates

Increasingly, we are hearing of the troubled state or our oceans and how we as users of the sea as our playground and workplace, have an added responsibility to act as minders and care takers of our planets oceans.

Salthouse Boatbuilders currently have the privilege of working with a man named Dieter Paulmann, who with his foundation, Okeanos for the Sea, was searching for the best way to convey an urgent message of marine protection.

Dieter was inspired by Pacific Island culture and their stories of ocean voyaging.

As Islanders, people of the Pacific have an intimate understanding of our dependence on the surrounding environment. Although Pacific nations are amongst those contributing the least to climate change and environmental damage, they are some of the first to experience the consequences.

Through one man’s inspiration has come a fleet of 7 Vaka Moana (ocean going canoe) and a Vaka Motu (inter-island canoe).  With more on the way, and thousands of ocean miles already traveled fueled by nothing but the wind, sun and our struggling sea, the crew of these traditional vessels, aim to spread the word of ocean conservation.  As direct witnesses to the effects of pollution on our environment, Pacific Voyagers are voicing the immediate need for change, the need for a new story, a new sail plan.

Salthouse Boatbuilders will keep you posted so you can follow their journey and help change the tide on ocean pollution…

Salthouse Updates

Salthouse Boatbuilders are excited about the soon to be launched, Elliott35 Super Sport.

Read the latest info on our new 'Production Boats' page and check out detailed specs on the Elliott35ss PDF link

Emirates Team New Zealand Tender

The first of the new Emirates Team New Zealand chase boats is currently being built at Salthouse Boatbuilders. It will be launched in mid-June. A second has been ordered by a private buyer and interest is being shown by others.

Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton is impressed with the new chase boat. “It will be rugged, nimble and powerful enough to do the job. It will do the work of the big tender and a chase boat. 

There’s more to the multihull world of the America’s Cup than meets the eye. There’s the design challenge, figuring out how to launch and retrieve a big cat and learning how to sail them fast and safely.

But what about the chase boats? When the yacht can reach speeds of 40 knots, the chase boat has to be able to keep up and stay on station with the yacht for as long as it’s sailing.

When sailing conditions are favourable, the crew will spend a lot of time on the water. The chase boats will have to carry enough fuel for long days and have enough power and stability to stay close in fresh winds and choppy seas. And it has to be capable of righting the big cat should it capsize.

Wear and tear on the people also had to be considered. Twelve or more hours on the water slamming into a Hauraki Gulf chop is very hard on bodies. 

The familiar Protector RIBs with the big Yamaha engines that have served Emirates Team New Zealand so well for many years were not designed and built with the AC72 in mind. Even now, the Protector RIBs will not be retired. They’ll also be out on the water with the yachts every day, carrying spares and equipment. They have served the team well, maintenance free, for a number of years and up to four of them will remain in use in the future.

The team also needed a vessel to replace the big 60ft ASB tender of 2007. Team designer Pete Melvin came up with a 45ft catamaran, powered by four 300 horsepower Yamaha outboard motors. It’s lighter than the old chase boats and more fuel efficient. Just like the old RIBs its composite hull will be topped by inflatable tubes so that it can go alongside the race yacht.

With a centre console and enclosed cabin, team members will be well protected from chilly winter and spring weather and the spray that will be thrown up when travelling at speed.

It will have the endurance to stay out all day and will achieve speeds of more than 50 knots if necessary. With suspension seats to smooth the ride, it will be kinder on its passengers - the sailing coaches, boat builders, sail makers riggers and on-board systems experts.

Grant Dalton says, “When it’s at work on San Francisco Bay it will be another good advertisement for the capability of the New Zealand marine industry.”
 

BUSY TIMES MEANS MORE STAFF

Salthouse Boatbuilders currently have a busy schedule and require new boatbuilding staff.
Our existing team of qualified boatbuilders are all skilled in both woodwork and composites and all have a keen and motivated work ethic - we are looking to add 5 new members to our team.
If you are a qualified boatbuilder with references - please apply to info@salthouseboats.com

All go in the Salthouse Sheds

2012 is off to a busy start for Salthouse Boatbuilders. Both sheds are full of noise and action as several new build projects get under way.

Salthouses continue their work on the production of 72ft and 45ft Vaka's for a German philanthropist who is establishing a fleet of Polynesian Vaka within the Pacific Islands nations. The project, now in its fourth year, has already seen the construction of seven 72ft ocean going Vaka Moana, and the smaller 45ft Vaka Motu. The intention of this project is to give back to the pacific island people, their independence in commuting between their island neighbours without the need for expensive fuels and rundown vessels. In the process, the island people are rediscovering their history and connection to the ocean round them. See this video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR_nk7ZEKcE&feature=player_embedded

In contrast to the Vaka, yet still in the multihull vain, Salthouses are also producing Emirates Team New Zealand’s latest high speed multihull tenders. With the ever increasing speed of the new multihull race yachts now used in Americas Cup racing, teams have been struggling to find a support vessel that will keep up with the 40+ knots of the catermans as they hurtle around the race track. Emirates Team New Zealand designers have developed a new tender design that will not only be able to keep up with the fleet but be large enough to carry equipment & personal while still running efficiently with two 350hp Yamaha outboards. The 14mtr twin hull tenders will be in the water later this year. Check back soon for the latest graphics .....

As the books continue to fill up, Salthouses have another Southstar37 booked in for production later this year - this will be the 5th Southstar37 to come from the Salthouse yard - see the latest Club Marine Magazine for the Southstar37's most recent boat test.

Last but certainly not least is the news of an exciting new project with designer Greg Elliott. Elliott Marine and Salthouse Boatbuilders have collaborated to produce a package deal for an exciting new 35ft carbon fibre, kanting keel race yacht. This new design (as pictured above) is going to offer an exhilarating yet uncomplicated solution to yachties wanting to get out and be competitive on the local & international circuit.
Check back soon for full details.....