K-Boat whole new concept

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 76

K-Boat whole new concept

PA Wellington Michael Fay has created a whole new class of boat in his latest challenge for the America’s Cup — the K-Boat — yachting authority, Alan Sefton, said yesterday. The 90-foot super-maxi Mr Fay was building to challenge for the Cup in San Diego next year was not one of the well-known J-Boats of pre-World War II years, but one step on from those ocean racing juggernauts. The new boat which will have a similar 90-foot waterline length, will be a whole new concept and therefore an advance on the J-Boat class.

And Mr Sefton, closely associated with both the present challenge and the 1986-87 Fremantle challenge of KZ7, said by appropriate coincidence the letter which follows J in the alphabet, also stood for Kiwi. The author and yachting magazine editor said that while Mr Fay had taken the America's Cup back to its halcyon days with his big-boat challenge, he had also created something of a problem for himself — getting the required experience in sailing them.

Mr Sefton said that while modem lightweight rigs meant the new boats would handle like a maxi

yacht, they would still be much faster, their masts would tower about 56 metres above the deck and “keeping them in the boat will be a task in itself,” whereas it took two and sometimes three men on the grinders of a 12-metre, up to 17 men would be required to man the winches on the new giants.

The other major problems came back to crew, and especially the skipper, in Olympics year. “David Barnes (who skippered KZ7 at the World Championships in Sardinia) would probably have the inside running, but (cup challenge

skipper) Chris Dickson is by no means ruled out,” Mr Sefton said in an interview.

Barnes, however, is chasing a flying dutchman gold medal at Seoul next year, Dickson is preparing to race in the Olympic 470 class, Russell Courts Is looking to sail in the Soling class, and the round-the-world race skipper, Peter Blake, will be tied up with the Steinlager challenge in the Round Australia race. At the same time the New Zealanders will be preparing to defend the Kenwood Cup off Hawaii and their Admiral’s Cup reputation in a three-boat team.