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.....

A job well done

With only a matter of hours to go before Team Sanya started Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race, Greg Salthouse and his team of boys were heading to the airport, New Zealand bound, a job well done.
While this type of work is nothing completely out of the ordinary for Salthouse Boatbuilders, this particular project certainly had its challenges, with time restraints being a major factor. The Salthouse team offered their expertise in high tech race yacht construction and with some fantastic organization from Duffy and his Team Sanya shore crew, a huge effort from Ian Lovering and his painting crew and a fair amount of hard work from Greg and the boys, we can safely say that Team Sanya are back in the race with every chance of gaining some great results from here on in.
We wish them well; it's been a privilege to be involved with such a professional and dedicated team.

So here's something to think about....

So - heres something to think about - in 7 days, Team Sanya's Volvo70 has gone from having 8 men standing with their heads inside a gaping hole in the hull, to having this complete shiny, glistening new bow section . Well done boys - all of you!!!

Now with only a matter of hours before the boat goes back in the water this article gives a quick rundown on the repair job as it progressed...

Greg Salthouse and his team of 5 expert boat builders are a long way from home in New Zealand and a long way from that midnight phone call a month ago that had them packing their bags and flying ½ way round the world to help Team Sanya with a major hull repair of their Volvo70.
Team Sanya had damaged their bow section early in leg1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. And while all her crew where unscathed in the incident, the boat certainly was not. Early reports showed a gaping hole in the bow section and after making their way safely to port, the boat was then set on a ship bound for Cape Town for a rendezvous with 'rescue repair team'.
For the Salthouse boys the first 2 weeks in Cape Town where spent building a male plug and laying up the laminate to create an oversize bow section that would ultimately replace the damaged portion. Time was ticking and the pressure was on to have the new bow section completed by the time the boat arrived safely into the hands or her waiting Team Sanya crew.
On arrival and within minutes of the boat being settled on the dock at Cape Town, the Salthouse boys where assessing damage and preparing to cut into the hull. Once the damaged portion was removed, the new hull section was then ‘trimmed’ to fit and ‘voila’ – no more holes!! If only it was that easy!! There has been a lot of work done in a very short period of time with some dirty, dusty and very tired boys from Salthouse Boatbuilders.The aim for Team Sanya is to have the boat in the water by December 7th, ready for the in port race before the start of leg2 on December 11th.

Keep up with reports on www.facebook/salthouseboatbuilders

Long hours and hard work starting to show some results...

It's been a busy time for our hard working team of Salthouse boys in Cape Town. Not only have they managed to build a plug and bow section for the Team Sanya Volvo70 but now that the boat has arrived in Cape Town they have been doing some long hours of messy work cutting away the damaged hull section and replacing with the new.

This article from the Volvo Ocean Race website....
Although only unloaded from a cargo ship just two days ago, amazingly Team Sanya’s badly holed Volvo Open 70 is today a complete boat once more.
“It would be a truly amazing accomplishment to have the boat back so soon” Richard Mason - Team Sanya boat captain.
Although far from ready to sail again, the team have made remarkable progress in such a short time and are still confident of having the boat fully ready to compete in the Cape Town In-Port Race on December 10. A huge team, including a crack squad of repair specialists flown in from Salthouse Boatbuilders in New Zealand, have been working around the clock to cut away the badly delaminated bow and replace it with a new custom made section.Sanya boat captain Richard Mason said: “It is absolutely incredible to be where we are after only 48 hours. The boys are doing a fantastic job and everything is coming together on schedule. “It would be a truly amazing accomplishment to have the boat back so soon.” While the boat builders continue their mission to restore Sanya to her former glory, the sailing crew have been engaged in an intense training program at a local gym to ensure they are in peak condition when the boat is ready to sail, team MCM Andrés Soriano reports.In the early hours of Saturday morning the sailors will run to the top of Cape Town’s Lions Head Peak, a climb of 2,195 feet (669 metres) above sea level, before returning to the team base to prepare their gear in anticipation of a planned training sail on December 7.
See more of the Salthouse boys progress with Team Sanya on our facebook..... www.facebook.com/salthouseboatbuilders

Good progress for the Salthouse boys

Since arriving in Cape Town the Salthouse team have had several very long and hot days work on the male plug that will ultimately produce the bow section to replace Team Sanyas damanged hull portion. Greg and the boys have made quick work of the plug and after a day spent long boarding the surface to a smooth finish have now begun laminating. The piece of boat that is being chopped out and replaced is five metres long by three and a half metres wide by a metre high. That’s the same size as a reasonable sized powerboat, so not an all together pleasant job sanding and longboarding that area in 35 degree heat!!! We can only assume the beer tasted pretty good at the end of that day!!! Good work boys!

Meanwhile the race continues on the water in leg1 as the 4 remaining entries make their way to Cape Town.

Both Abu Dabai Ocean Racing and Team Sanya continue their own race against time to get their boats to Cape Town and ready to rejoin the rest of the fleet for the start of leg2 from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi on 11th December.
Follow race details on the Volvo Ocean Race website www.volvooceanrace.com

Salthouse team in a race against time

So it was one of those late night calls that you just know is going to tell you something is up. And sure enough it’s been all on since then...Team Sanya’s entry into the Volvo Ocean Race had an issue with the bow section on the boat early into the first leg of the race from Alicante to Cape Town and it needed attention, and fast. The following few days at the yard where spent at an accelerated pace sorting possible scenario's and options for a team from Salthouse's to go to Cape Town and help repair the damaged hull. Greg and a team of 5 boatbuilders have now arrived in Cape Town, had their first day of fast paced preparation and now have a big job ahead to get the boat ready for the start of the second leg on 11th December.
Follow the teams progress on facebook or visit back here and we will keep you updated as work on the new bow section begins….

New hope for Windhaven

Windhaven was successfully sold at auction and now has a new owner. With that, we certainly hope to see her some time in the future with her sails full of running and a happy new skipper at the helm. Her refit will obviously take some time and devotion, but what a reward awaits!!!

Unfortunately the September auction for Windhaven just missed reserve and was passed in at $80kNZ.

It appears this surprised quite a few onlookers and we have therefore decided to run another auction (10th November 4pm) in the hope that one of the interested parties steps forward and Salthouse's do not have to resort to dismantling her for parts.

So here we go again folks...

Windhaven goes up for Auction

This once classic lady of Aucklands Harbour is coming up for auction at the Salthouse Yard and for those interested in a quick tour into her past read on......

In 2007 one of New Zealand's most traveled yachts, the 21.8mtr classic yacht Windhaven, began a major refit at the Salthouse yard. While infinite attention to detail was lavished on Windhaven during the refit process, unfortunately her owners fell on hard times and Windhaven has been sitting in wait at the yard for the next chapter of her life to begin.

Designed and built by Col Wild in 1947/48, Windhaven was launched at Auckland's Stanley Bay 1949. This classic motor-sailor was built for a well known local businessman, Berridge Spencer, who loved and owned her for about 10 years. After several New Zealand owners, she was taken to the west coast of America where she stayed for approximately 20 years before being brought back to New Zealand. In her time Windhaven was used as a charter vessel sailing the coast of New Zealand and in fact was once used to transport Queeen Elizabeth from her yacht, HMS Britannia, to shore on a visit to New Zealand in the 50's.

While the refit work completed to date has been to the exacting standards of Salthouse Boatbuilders, and while the new fibreglass sheathing on the 3 skin kauri hull has saved her from the elements, for Salthouses who live and breathe boats, its nothing but a crying shame to see this classic lady without poise or purpose.

It is hoped the auction on the 29th September will result in genuine interest in the vessel and for a new and passionate owner to restore Windhaven to her former glory.

For futher details contact: greg@salthouseboats.com

Ptarmigan wins debut regatta

Ptarmigan has left her new crew with reason to smile after a winning performance at the Block Island Race Week Regatta in Newport. Owner Larry Dickie will be glad to tick yet another box in his successful yachting career, while some crew members have been heard to say the boat was 'scary fast'. Not a bad way to start your season - congratulations Ptarmigan and her crew.