Inspired by AC cat designs, aggressive deck styling and a high overall power to weight ratio should make the MC260 a potent racer as well as cruiser. Photo courtesy Kevin Green

CRUISING CAT with America’s Cup pedigree

Catamarans have never been cooler, reports target boat speed greater than True Carbon finishes on work surfaces adds panache as KEVIN GREEN, as we can see from the busy Wind Speed when reaching in four knots well as weight saving in the lightweight boat. international scene, where the Extreme 40’s, plus). (above left) AC 45’s and D35’s are taking centre stage Galley half way down yet part of the open plan Living space saloon combines function and minimalist design on amid the backdrop of the upcoming America’s the MC260. (above centre and right) 2 Cup cat-fest. The MC 60 is a semi-custom boat so the interior can be tailored to owners’ needs, a major selling point for discerning O IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT cruising sailors, I think. Accommodation in these fast boats are inspiring this first boat comprises of four double performance cruising cabins equally sized between the hulls. board, the forward storage locker can be such as Interestingly, the forward cabin is set up 2 transformed into a crew cabin with a McConaghy’s MC 60. The with bunk beds, with the option of SSydney boat builder is forging ahead in 50 x 50cm entrance hatch on deck and a transforming the lower bunk into a portlight on the inside of the hull for its new foray into building 140cm wide double. The saloon is ventilation. with the announcement of a second intended as an entertaining space but 2 MC 60 sold off the plans to an Australian also built around the navigator. Cleverly The cockpit has a semi-hardtop bimini owner. While up in their offshoot yard in the galley up versus galley down debate to allow clear views of the sails while in China the first boat is underway for a has been solved by an open plan design race mode yet also offers comfortable launch in September 2012. emanating from the starboard hull, so the weather protection when in cruise mode. Twin carbon wheels with sheet winches Design brief cook doesn’t feel isolated while they serve up to eight people seated at the nearby and a transom mounted Despite being inspired by racing mainsheet track keeps the open plan 2 saloon table. multihulls the MC 60 is not an extreme area clear while giving substantial design says Project Manager Raphael Blot, Down in the hulls, the aft cabin offers a downforce and twist on the big main. as it has enough stability to ensure safety double 160cm wide berth, accessed margins adequate for a fast cruising through an entrance area, which has a Construction catamaran. However speed was the key foldable wardrobe over a seat on the The development scale model viewed component, with the cat aimed to inboard side of the hull and a fixed by Australian Multihull World showed a perform well in the light airs typical of SE wardrobe on the outboard side. For low profile, sleek bridge deck, and Asian . (McConaghy’s are quoting a those who want a skipper/crew cabin on reverse angled bow a la Oracle’s

M ULTIHULL W ORLD America’s Cup cat, giving an overall The Lorima carbon rig (on hulls #1 above from left: aggressive exterior styling guaranteed to and #2) has a rotating wing , Project Manager and inaugural owner Raphael Blot stand out in any marina. Down below the intended to enhance performance and is busy at McConaghy’s China yard. 2 facilitate downwind reefing. The square Tooling is now underway for the MC 60 which will external stying brief continues with be McConaghy’s first sailing catamaran. renderings showing a clean and minimalist topped fully battened (from the Twin helms are essential on this supercat, interior, ensuring everything is ultra tidy. Incidences sail loft) has three slab reefs. especially with racing in mind. Standing rigging is Kevlar with the option pic courtesy McConaghy Boats Constructed in epoxy from SP Gurit of carbon shrouds. This interesting with carbon reinforcing, the resin infused Renaud Bañuls design also has the mast hull is intended to be a hard wearing yet nearly aligned with the twin carbon a cruiser-friendly build. Rigidity should be asymmetric dagger boards. assured thanks to all structural beams Safety looks to be key factor in the Deck gear is Harken with two pairs of MC260 with an escape hatch in either hull being carbon which connect the 70.3 STA winches controlling the mainsail plus the optional Ocean Data System Eglass/carbon epoxy foam sandwich hull and headsail sheets with electric 70.3 electronic anti-capsize system. Called and deck. Windward performance will be STEV or carbon 65.3 options as well. UpSideUp the system controls heel and enhanced by the use of twin dagger Halyards run to the Harken 60.2 STEV loads for automatic or wireless release boards and 120-110cm bridge deck electric winch at the mast base which is during times of major stress on the boat clearance should minimise wave friction designed to ensure crew correctly and like a lot of the gear on the MC260 it and allow comfortable sunbathing on the tension the halyards in close proximity to has been used successfully on big multis Dyneema net trampoline. the sails during hoists. such as the 105ft trimaran Sodebo.

M ULTIHULL W ORLD Crichton aboard Alfa Romeo 3 and seeing the amazing standard of finish on this McConaghy built super maxi I was very keen to have the work done by them,” he said. McConaghy’s second order was placed at this year’s Sanctuary Cove Boat Show by an owner with similar needs as Blot – a performance cat that can be enjoyed by the family when not racing. The businessman is planning an extensive racing calendar mixed with cruising, kicking-off with the Brisbane Gladstone race before the SE Asia odyssey north on the Darwin to Ambon cruising rally. Other races for hull number two will include the Rolex China Sea Race, San Fernando Race, Vietnam Race, Coastal Classic and the Auckland to Muscat Cove. They both should have fun, thanks to the MC260’s impressive list of specifications, as this boat is clearly aimed at the discerning cruising sailor with the need for speed.

SPECIFICATIONS French national Blot, who has raced in SE The cockpit will have a semi-protected hardtop bimini so that both weather protection and sailing Asia for the last 15 years, converted to trimming needs are met. (top) multihulls a few years ago after sailing The cat is destined for the tropics so good swim from Yokohama to Hong Kong on the access is important for the owner and his young family. (above left) maxi-trimaran Geronimo and from Taiwan Testing the ergonomics of the cockpit which will to HK on maxi catamaran Gitana 13, be a vast entertaining area and kids’ playground. which strongly whetted his appetite for (above right) performance multis. The Hong Kong based sailor initially Navigation systems will be a B&G Price POA looked at high performance boats LOA 18.28m (60ft) H3000 base system with four 20/20 HV without bridge decks. “But I could not LWL 18.28m displays in the cockpit and single FFDs on picture myself spending two weeks Beam 8.60m each helm location. Other notable gear Draft 1.40/3.20m cruising in the Philippines or Thailand with Bridgedeck clearance 1.10m includes the latest Lithium Ion batteries my family on an open decked cat – what Mast 10m2 from Mastervolt to maximise the power- I was looking for was their elegance and Displacement (light) 9.00t to-weight ratio. Entertainment smarts Displacement (max load) 11.5t speed but with a bridge deck.” His Mainsail 118m2 include a wireless digital music and DVD search for a dream boat in the 50-55ft Solent 56m2 system for distributed media with WiFi Staysail 35m2 category was thorough and involved 2 headsets. Code 0 120m discussions with major names in the Gennaker 165m2 industry before hitting on Renaud Bañuls, Asym Spin 235m2 Owner’s perspective Mast Height 24.80m Project manager Raphael Blot, who will responsible for the naval architecture of Engines 2 x Yanmar 4JH5E 53hp own this first boat, spoke to Australian America’s Cup trimaran BMW Oracle and Design Renaud Bañuls heavily involved in the design of Banque www.banulsdesign.com Multihull World about turning his dream of www.mc2catamarans.com a creating a fast cruising cat with the Populaire V and Groupama trimarans while average performance of a TP52 monohull at VPLP Naval Architects. With a design Suppliers www.hds-design.com yet still able to be handled comfortably brief settled quickly Blot had little www.oceandatasystem.com singlehanded. “I started to look for the difficulty approaching McConaghy, even www.bandg.com ‘perfect catamaran’ for my own use though the Sydney builder had only one www.incidences-sails.com www.lorima-carbon-mast.com almost two years ago, a boat that would multihull to its substantial list of www.karver-systems.com be smart, elegant and fast,” he said. credentials. “After talking with Neville www.gurit.com

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