DESIGN COMMENTS:
Earthrace (aka Ady Gil) 24m Wavepiercer Trimaran
The team at Craig Loomes Design Group are the proud designers of this
radical wave piercing trimaran that is the current UIM ratified circumnavigation
record holder.
The record was challenged by Earthrace - a New Zealand based organization
who now hold the current UIM powerboat record for an equatorial circumnavigation
via the Panama and Suez canals. A significant twist was that the boat was
powered by biodiesel, showcasing the environmental benefits of this emerging
fuel technology. It also highlighted ongoing issues relating to the
sustainability of fossil fuels and the impact of conventional fuels on
the world’s oceans during major spill events.
Visit
Earth Race's website for more details.
Since breaking the record mid 2008 the boat was renamed the Ady Gil
and leased to Sea Shepherd, an environmental group, who took her to the
Southern Ocean to observe Japanese whale research vessels. In January 2010
the Ady Gil was in a collision with one the Japanese vessels and subsequently
lost at sea.
More information about this vessel is available on LOMOcean.com,
following the renaming of Craig Loomes Desig Group to LOMOcean.
Powering
is by twin Cummins QSC 540 diesel engines with propellers pitched for the
record attempt. With this configuration and fully fuelled and provisioned,
the boat motors at around 25 knots. At more sedate passage making
speeds in the order of 15 knots, the boat will have sufficient range
for large stretches of open ocean involving up to 2500 nautical miles between
refuelling stops - the slender central hull and tuned sponsons offering
excellent fuel efficiency.
The construction of the trimaran is in keeping with its styling and
pedigree – advanced composites including carbon fibre and aramid reinforcements,
toughened epoxy resins and lightweight foam cores.
Part of an ongoing research and development program into this relatively
novel hull type, the Earthrace project has the CLD team focussing on optimisation
of fuel efficiency to minimise refuelling stops and also on ride comfort,
allowing the crew to maintain high average speeds in adverse sea conditions.
Common to all of the power trimaran design work from this office, the entire
boat is intended to wave pierce, minimising pitching motions and preventing
slamming or pounding of the bottom shell.
Tests conducted on a 6m manned and powered test
model fitted with pitch/heave/yaw accelerometers show significant improvements
in ride quality in comparison to conventional monohull designs, representing
a major step forward in yacht design technology.
CLD has also been working on initial concepts for a stunning148m super
yacht that shares the dramatic styling of the Earthrace boat and promises
to shatter many “world firsts” in super yacht design. A more modest
30m concept design has also been produced, offering more realistic chances
of a private individual owning something as dramatic and crowd stopping
as Earthrace.
More information about this vessel is available on LOMOcean.com
,
following the renaming of Craig Loomes Desig Group to LOMOcean.
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