Davidson-designed yacht may carry Aust. hopes

Press, 31 July 1986, Page 30

Davidson-designed yacht may carry Aust. hopes

NZPA-AAP Sydney Australia’s challenge for the 1987 Admiral’s Cup could rely on the prototype of a boat that has gone on show in Sydney. The sleek one-tohner ‘Blue Max’, designed by the New Zealander, Mr Laurie Davidson, and built by Performance Yachting, of Melbourne, was unveiled to the Sydney yachting public at the Cruising Yacht Club at Darling Point It was officially launched in the Vic-

torian capital last week. The revolutionary 12.2 metre craft, with an international ocean racing rating of 30.5 feet, will be displayed at the Sydney Boat Show at Pyrmont from tomorrow. The boat’s design is good enough for two of its type to be included in Australia’s three-boat Admiral’s Cup challenge to be sailed off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in August, 1987, according to Performance Yachting’s technical director, Mr David

Gough. “The minimum collective team handicap for an Admiral’s Cup challenge is 95 feet,” said Mr Gough. “We could conceivably have two- of our designs and a 44-footer in the challenge team." Australia’s team will be named after selection trials to be sailed off Melbourne during March and April next year. Selection of the design in the team would serve a two-fold purpose for Mr

Gough, and the co-direc-tors of the. Australian company that was launched to design and construct an Australian product for the export market. “We could launch an assault on the Admiral’s Cup, and the World One Tonne championship to be sailed off Germany next year,” he said. A Blue Max design would cost about $NZ266,800, including sails, on the current market