Sail trials successful for Ouzel - a modern classic sailing superyacht
by MCM 1 Jul 14:57 UTC
Under cruising sail plan, the custom 95-footer sailed easily at 12+ knots in modest breezes, meeting expectations of project collaborators Langan Design Partners, Mark Whiteley Design, Rockport Marine, and MCM.
Several days of sailing trials on Penobscot Bay proved the concept of SY Ouzel, a 95-foot (29-meter) contemporary classic sailing superyacht. While Ouzel is a luxurious, comfortable, and aesthetically stunning yacht, her sail trials demonstrated that she tilts the scales toward performance as a sailing thoroughbred, ready to take her owners to higher latitudes and far-away islands at a good pace. This was achieved with a sail plan from Doyle Sails that is deliberately kept simple: a mainsail, Yankee (a high-cut jib), and staysail, plus a Code Zero headsail for off-wind sailing.
Designer Tom Degrémont of Newport, Rhode Island-based Langan Design Partners sailed aboard the boat and described the fourth day of trials, in a building afternoon sea breeze. "First impressions are very positive," Degrémont said. "The boat responded and behaved in the ways we expected. The impression of power, the speeds we reached, the feeling of control at the helm, the balance of the boat — everything felt exactly like I'd hoped it would feel. I couldn't be happier. In picture-perfect conditions, we hoisted the Code Zero a few times and powered across Penobscot Bay, surprised by how quickly we reached the other side. I'm delighted we matched all the performance goals we had."
Also aboard Ouzel was interior designer Mark Whiteley of Mark Whiteley Design in England. He described his first impression on seeing Ouzel in the water, ready to sail: "She's a big boat! Walking down the gangway to the dock, there were all these pretty, beautiful wooden Concordia yawls and other boats, but Ouzel is a magnificent and towering yacht in her own right. Her freeboard is obviously quite a lot higher, so she stands out and looks stunning. I had two spectacular days of sailing, and I was lucky enough to helm for a day. As it happened, we hit a particularly nice stretch of strong wind, and she briefly did over 13 knots. It's a lovely feel to the yacht that goes with her modern classical style."
Sam Temple, Rockport Marine president, reflected on the build process while sailing Ouzel: "Today at the helm, feeling the rig drive the hull, and later, sitting in the upper saloon with the group of partners, I thought of the early mockups we made and the conversations about sheet leads, sight lines, and systems. In Ouzel I see the product of so many well-considered choices. It's a joy to see that the best of our combined abilities has delivered a balanced yacht where each of our disciplines find full expression."
Peter Wilson of Marine Construction Management (MCM) said "After years of design debate, discussion, inspections and testing, to hoist the main and headsails and heel the yacht over for the first time was a profoundly rewarding milestone. Sam assembled a highly competent team of sailmakers, hydraulics technicians, PLC engineers, sparmakers, riggers, electrical and mechanical techs to be on board - all experts in their relative fields. It came as no surprise to me that Ouzel performed excellently. A short punchlist of items to address as usual, but a resounding success on every level. Steering the yacht was effortless and super responsive. Simply put - Ouzel ticks all the boxes."
Degrémont said the owners' decision to choose a deeper-draft keel (12 feet) and a powerful sail plan (more than 4,500 square feet of sail upwind) reflected their performance goals set from the beginning: "Our client decided to go with the deeper draft and favor performance because there's real pleasure in sailing a better-performing boat," Degrémont said. "Also, you can get somewhere, or get out of harm's way, fast. Today was a perfect example: going upwind at 10 knots, tacking through less than 90 degrees with a Yankee and a staysail, and doing 12 knots in 15 knots of breeze while reaching. It's a great cruising combination and a really pleasurable experience. For close-winded sailing in a race or when maneuvering frequently inshore, Ouzel also has a blade jib to replace the Yankee and staysail."
Built at Rockport Marine, Ouzel is a collaboration with major partners Langan Design Partners, Mark Whiteley Design, and MCM Newport.