Speedboat + TEAMORIGIN

Det visar sig att 100-fotaren Speedboat har fått ihop ett hyfsat team. Det är det engelska Americas Cup-gänget som använder båten som tränings & meckarplattform. Nåt skall man ju göra när det inte seglas i AC.

The second of those activities involves a brand new 100-foot long Maxi named Speedboat. Following a 10-month build programme the new Juan K-designed canting keel yacht was launched in early April in Auckland, New Zealand.

This is a significant project for TEAMORIGIN as it has involved many parts of the team and will continue to do so over the next two years. The boat has been designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian and his team. Andrea Avaldi and his group are responsible for the structural engineering, and Mickey Ickert and Gautier Sergent designed the complete sail inventory. Every one of these people are key elements of TEAMORIGIN’s technical team. Team Director Mike Sanderson was involved with Juan K in putting the programme together and will be the Race Skipper for the boat’s varied and exciting racing programme.

TEAMORIGIN sail trimmer Robbie Naismith has been heavily involved with the deck systems and sail inventories and will trim the sails in earnest when the boat is racing. Nick Bice has been a crucial part of the later stages of the build and assembly and will take the role of boat captain on board.

TEAMORIGIN Technical Director Stan Honey has been advising on the boats’ extensive electronics package and has spent much time installing and configuring this important element in the yacht’s equipment list. Stan will also race on board as navigator. TEAMORIGIN rigger Ian Goldsworthy has assembled the running rigging package for the boat.

All in all a lot of useful experience has been gained by TEAMORIGIN with the design, build and commissioning of this racing yacht. But perhaps the most important benefit to TEAMORIGIN is the experience gained by the various individuals in working together as a team on a project that is not dissimilar to the kind of boat that might be used for the 34th America’s Cup.

And finally, eleven members of TEAMORIGIN’s sailing team will form part of the crew that will race the boat in a varied programme of regattas. The first competition will be the Newport to Bermuda Race starting on 20th June this year. This will be followed in July by a possible Trans Atlantic record attempt. Speedboat will then join the Mediterranean racing scene starting with the Maxi Worlds in Sardinia in September.

The full TEAMORIGIN crew line-up on Speedboat will be: Mike Sanderson, Stan Honey, Robbie Naismith, Neal Macdonald, Julien Cressant, Rob Greenhalgh, Mike Mottl, Chris Brittle, Justin Slattery, Nick Bice and Pawel Bielecki.