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84-87 NATIVE 38_MM175-US_essai 14/01/16 14:12 Page84 TEST How could you not fall for such graceful lines? g The trimaran which is Native 38 going back to the future Richard Newick’s trimarans have become the stuff of legend. But is their number limited to the existing collectors’ fleet, or are we likely to see them back in build in boatyards? Only the future will tell, but we have wanted to see the launch of a Text and Photos: restored Native 38 model to get a positive response to this hypothesis and pro- Philippe Echelle ceed to test it, (almost) as though it were a new model. THE WIZARD OF MAINE (NEWICK’S NICKNAME) (12 meters long, weighing 1,200kg, she came third in the ’68 WAS AN OCEAN SURFER! OSTAR with Tom Follet). His drawing board was alive with the designs and the amazing creativity of this gifted character. His In 1979, following receipt of the order for Moxie (the 50 foot win- “formulas” are difficult-to-understand shortcuts, but some of ner of the 1980 Transat and Newick’s third trimaran after them have become well-known, and in a way express the ideas Gulfstreamer and Rogue Wave), Dick left St.Croix in the Virgin which led the way in this art. “Fast is fun” expresses his taste Islands where he had honed the naval architect skills which had for speed, but this also needs to go hand in hand with reliability given rise to his first trimarans. He later moved to Martha’s and a boat which is at the same time, smooth, precise and Vineyard where he was to encourage architects, sailors and buil- enjoyable. “Small is beautiful” is not necessarily to be taken lite- ders along the US east coast, the creative melting pot of the rally, for in Newick’s language, a 15 meter trimaran can be period. By the late seventies, Newick was universally known “small” if it is light on gimmicks and unnecessary complexity, among the racing elite (specifically American and French) around and skims the water without making waves. “Keep it simple stu- whom there gravitated a few specialist journalists and a core of pid”: Dick’s creations were fiercely Spartan and dismissed com- enlightened talent. Newick only enjoyed partial racing success however, as this wasn’t necessarily the architect’s primary aim. promise (the paradox was that this made them difficult to build!). For him it was more a question of personal accomplishment. His He avoided “modern discomforts” like the plague and didn’t go visionary interpretation of designs originating in Polynesia, both much for fitting out the interiors. What was important was sur- intuitive and calculated, were combined with real on-water expe- fing for its own sake! rience (in 1955 Dick Newick toured northern Europe by kayak!). The immediate and spectacular use of possibilities offered by the NATIVE, AN INCOMPARABLE DESIGN Gougeon brothers’ new West System technique (wood-molded glass epoxy) pushed the synthetic materials of his plans to the Is it exaggerating to say that Dick Newick’s contribution can be limits of art and technology. The perfect test for his designs confused with that of the West System? Yes and no, because came with the building of the outstanding Atlantic proa Cheers although the American designer was far from being the only one 84 84-87 NATIVE 38_MM175-US_essai 14/01/16 14:12 Page85 g A cruiser-racer trimaran which offers all the comfort of a family multihull to use the possibilities offered by the technique, he was certainly A TWO-YEAR RESTORATION the most talented and innovative user. The design of the Native (N° 37 in the architect’s design book) is dated September 11th Magnificently constructed in red and yellow cedar on spruce and 1977. A design which has breathtaking elegance, and translated with the keel in mahogany, the whole epoxy-impregnated and his brilliant intuition into the new shape of a multihull which has glass-sheathed, Native is structurally sound. It was, however, come of age. The aft cabin, the acceptable volume midships necessary to sand back all the paint system and remove all the (later, with the N° 2, the space in the wings) blended with the deck hardware. Next, the vertical light-wells had to be removed, dynamic efficiency of the hulls and the clever structure, brought which affected the aesthetics of the aft cabin, the folding rudder credibility to the cruiser-racer idea of these models. In 1977, housing had to be removed as well as a section of the dagger- Newick was ten years ahead of the rest! 35 years on, the Native board casing. is still at the cutting edge. AT FIRST GLANCE 10,000 MILES TO BE RE-BORN Early July 2015, I discovered a brand new boat, with white shim- mering lacquer giving a gleaming skin. The imposing splendid Damian MacLaughlin’s builds are lightweight yet indestructible, if wing-mast clearly announcing the relationship between the boat they are well-maintained. Damian has built many Newicks, inclu- and the wind. Seen from ahead, the fineness of the bows is ding the Three Cheers Mk2 Rusty Pelican, another Native of the amazing: these daring shapes are looking for a pact with the sea same name, and the proa Eterna with Christian Augé for Jean- and the waves, instead of wanting to take them on. It is they Marie Vidal. Native came out of the Massachusetts yard in 1978, who set the pace, the ability and the agility of the boat. The and then had a checkered history: no trophies to add to the cabi- fusion of the lines between the hulls and the crossbeams shows net, as the boat was seized by Customs for drug trafficking (on a rare elegance, with the proportions being pure gold of an board, substances destined for the Californian market of the day almost alchemic nature. The forward faces of the crossbeams were found!). When Stephen Marcoe bought her, she had been are turtleshell-shaped, so they also play an aerodynamic role and on the hard in Los Angeles for over 10 years! Once back in the keep the boat on the water by optimizing its movement through water, he won the Round San Francisco Bay race ahead of 375 the air. The vertical cabin sides are broken by neat hatches with boats of all sizes. Dick sometimes joined the crew. She was sold a characteristic shape. The slope of the deck of the aft cabin again, and was once more immobilized ashore at Huatulco, on maintains the lines and the interior volume, like with Third Turtle the west coast of Mexico, when Charles Michel decided to take (Mike Birch’s Val 31 which came 3rd in the 1976 OSTAR). This her on. After a month’s preparation, they were en route for the idea of an “aft house” has been successfully re-used by VPLP on Panama Canal! Coming back upwind across the Caribbean Sea the 30 meter trimaran, Macif. went well, but on departing Jamaica, the stainless forestay tog- gle exploded and Charles just managed to save the mast. INTERIOR: ALL YOU EVER NEED, EXCEPT THE PIANO! Alerted by Craig Alexander (Moxie’s former owner), Dustin, a rig- ger from Fort Lauderdale, headed for Mayaguana with a newly Nothing better describes the interior comfort of a Newick than made-up wire. Still sailing single-handed, Charles crossed to the this quip from Tom Follet, talking about his proa, Cheers, whose Azores in May 2013, returning to Sète, in the South of France central section is narrow, to say the least. Dick always maintai- with his family and without a daggerboard (that failed off ned that, at sea, a boat’s comfort is derived from a gentle motion Gibraltar!). On arrival at the boat, I found her to be in good shape. rather than internal volume, and seen from this angle, there can She needed, however, 2 years’ worth of hard work to get her be little argument! Native is nonetheless a cruiser-racer trimaran, back into concourse condition. and interior volume has been maintained. Midships, around the With the Native, there is no such thing as calms. This magical g platform is agile in all conditions, and will make you love going upwind Our test Native is the double crossbeam version, with the wings being only an illusion, carried on by the designer to later models g 84-87 NATIVE 38_MM175-US_essai 14/01/16 14:12 Page86 The Native’s cockpit is deep and safe, with a rustic “All you ever need, except the piano”. Note the charm. Very comfortable at sea for long spells on the Newick’s hatches and the open daggerboard well g g helm (including the locking wedge) daggerboard casing (which remains open with the depth of the well offshore, and a bit of tacking was needed to get us home. board being adjusted from the inside by the use of a timber Tacking along the beach, we made our way up the Camargue wedge!), is a small galley, with shelves, sink and stowage, oppo- coast. What would be unbearable on many boats in these condi- site the chart table. A bench seat serves as the salon and a tions (close-hauled in a chop, with current against and a wind of watchkeeper’s berth. Forward, you pass the crossbeam bul- 11-12 knots!), the Native on the other hand, gives a rare sense khead which gives access to a double bunk. The companionway of enjoyment. Graceful and at ease with the speed, the feel of is fine, and allows for exchange with the cockpit which is com- the helm is sublimely delicate, and this transforms the expe- fortable even for long watches.