Cookson Boats: Speedboat

Hi,
Just thought I'd post a link to some videos of Cookson's Speedboat. Not sure if its all old news, I haven't heard of seen much from it, does anyone have any news of it lately? I heard its owned by Alex Jackson a hedge fund manager, and designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian.

Here are the videos:
http://www.cooksonboats.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=80

Heres a Sail World article tipping it to be the worlds fastest monohull.
http://www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=46263

It looks like an awesome boat. Anyone have any more info on the design? Or some critical analysis, I'd be particularly interested in any hull design notes.

Thanks
Adam

 

I narrowly missed seeing the latter stages of construction, would have been fun watching the roll-over.

Occasionally I do some work for a customer that has an office directly opposite Cookson's main shed, but I started that project the same month that Speedboat was launched.

 

My understanding is that the boat is "on blocks" because her owner can't afford her and there are no buyers for a 100' canter. Too bad, she has never had a chance to show what she could do. At this point, the sailing world has probably passed her by with the move to a one-design 70' tri class. Who wants a 100' sloop if it's less than 1/2 the speed of a 70' tri? Not many folks.

 

I did a little more research, and found that Richard Branson bought it. Not sure who owns it now though. I wouldn't think that Branson would run out of money in a hurry. He did attempt a monohull transat record in it, but had to pull out.

 

I believe that Branson only chartered it. The boat is off of its' keel and strapped down to the hard for hurricane season. Crackerboy Boatworks Riviera Beach FL. Very awesome boat. The Virgin money is just an applique, not paint David www.boatsmithfl.com

 

But almost no one actually chooses their boat because it's the fastest thing around. Even when the 100' canters were still a concept, everyone knew a multi was a faster option. They just don't care, in the same way that Lance Armstrong doesn't care about the fact that his Tour de France time trial bike is slower than a cheap dirtbike or a recumbent bicycle.

It's not about being faster than everyone, it's about being faster than those in the same competition.

 

Oh maybe....

I think you'll find that as events like the Jules Vern and other ocean crossing records continue to be crushed by the multi-hulls, the interest amongst the big-money guys is starting to shift. Sure, there was "supposed to be" a 100' class. A hand full of boats got built, but only two or three are actually sailing.

I think my real point would probably be better expressed: If you're going to have a single purpose uncomfortable wet racing boat, why not something a heck of a lot faster, like Groupama 3?? As opposed to a 100' canter that will be crushed by the big multihull.

Rich dudes don't really like coming in third, fourth, last and the multi-hulls, especially now that the French have the really fast foiling multi going, are so much faster they make the big monohulls look dumb.

Now, if you wanted to specify that you had to carry a cargo, or had to carry an interior with hot and cold water, comfortable beds, furniture etc... then the Monohulls would have a chance again.

 

Far be it from my to defend the 100' canter class, because as you say it's been the least successful maxi monohull class we've seen in 50 years. And sure, if you want to go fast then a multi is the way to do it - no doubt about it.

But as the relative lack of numbers among the 100' canters demonstrates, most people don't want maximum speed - they want more relative speed.

The 'mini maxis' (60-70' without canting keels) are more popular at the moment than the big canters, because they are easier to run, cheaper and have better fleets. So are the big cruising monos. In fact I think there's been more recent build in the J Class replicas than in the 100' canters!

Rich dudes in monos don't seem to mind getting beaten by the 60' tris in the Fastnet, which has been going on for about a decade or more. Rich dudes in monos don't seem to mind getting beaten by 40-50' multis in the Brisbane-Gladstone down here, or in many other races. There has been almost no switch from the rich owners into offshore multis, despite the fact that many of them are quite innovative in other fields.

Isn't the Gitana team the ONLY big multi outfit run by a rich owner who has moved from monos in decades? Over the (very) long run, I can think of at least as many owners of leading edge (at the time) multis who have gone to monos as the other way around. That's not knocking multis, just pointing out that there's little sign of a move to them (in fact in the USA and Australia, there seems to have been a considerable drop in small cat racing).

The multis have been faster than the monos for years, as they showed in the '50s and '60s, but for the majority who enjoy monos despite their lack of speed, that's not all that relevant. Being first of your type of boat is what's fun.