Introduction

Andy Adams – Editor

I wonder how many of our readers, at one time or another, dreamed of being able to design their own boat? My guess is, everyone!

It’s impressive how many of the leading designers in the industry today, include education through Westlawn Institute of Technology in their resume, so we thought Boating Industry Canada magazine should feature some of the innovative thinking and design work that Westlawn graduates have produced.

For those who do not know, the Westlawn Institute of Technology is the not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC).

The first boat we are featuring is a 12 Metre Outboard Power Cat designed by Corentin Bigot. Here is the story of this new yacht, as provided to us by Westlawn.

This pleasure craft was designed for production in series and was ordered by a local shipyard in New Caledonia. The design is ideal for weekend sailing in comfort for a family and friends. She has good autonomy, excellent maneuverability and low draft. These make her the perfect coastal cruiser. The seaworthiness of her catamaran hulls, makes her also suitable for high-seas. Thanks to her lightweight and optimized hydrodynamics, fuel consumption is estimated to 2 liters per nautical miles for a cruise speed of 13 knots.

Design:

The hull shape is drawn from a recently-built 78-foot, wave-piercing catamaran with inverted bows. The aft end of the hull forms are wide to reduce squat. Particular attention has been paid to centering the weights (tanks, batteries etc.), which is crucial to reduce the pitch to handle rough seas.

The interior is designed to fully integrate the outside into the interior thanks to large hull opening ports and a saloon with 360-degree view. The flybridge allows excellent visibility.

Designed for conviviality and to share good times in comfort, she is equipped with two luxurious staterooms including separate showers in each head. The galley is fitted with plenty of working space, a fridge and many storage compartments. The saloon allows flexibility of use for day or night. The exterior deck offers deep storage areas, a large platform for fishing, great access for bathing.

Construction:

The design was fully executed in 3D on Rhino from the hull design to the cleats, to the water piping system, to the structural calculation of the bulkheads. The modeling allows extremely precise assembly of the parts and provides a solid integration of any systems required on board. The 3D process also offers excellent detail in the materials purchasing stage of the project since all the material lists are automatically created, which represents a gain on the planning for the shipyard.

The hull material selected is the M foam sandwich reinforced with glass and epoxy resin. All bulkheads, frames, and storage areas onboard are made with this material. The joining of all these parts contributes to the overall strength of the structure. This assembly gives excellent rigidity to the hull with low weight.

The flat-panel technology reduces the usage of special tools by the shipyard, reducing the construction time for a semi-custom project without using moulds. The vessel is thus quick to build which can offer a higher profit margin for the builder.

12 Meter Outboard Power Cat – Specifications:

Length:                       11.98 m (39.3 ft.)

Molded breadth:       5.25 m (17.2 ft.)

Engine power:          2 x 225 HP Outboard Yamaha

Displacement:          7.4 Tonnes (7.3 tons)

Max. Speed:              25 Kts

Material:                    Gurit Panels M Foam/Glass/Epoxy

Designer:

Corentin Bigot

Bigot Yacht Design

44 rue de la riviera,

Noumea, New Caledonia,

corentin@cbyd.fr

www.cbyd.fr

Founded in 1930, the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is the only nationally accredited distance-learning school of small-craft design in the United States. Westlawn is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), in Washington DC, and is listed as an accredited school by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As the not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat and Yacht Council, the mission of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is:

• To provide our students with the skills and knowledge required to build a rewarding career in the profession of yacht and small-craft naval architecture via distance learning.
• To support continued growth of the recreational and small-craft marine community through the development of well-trained, safety-oriented, boat designers developing better products for the benefit of the boating public.
• To provide continuing education to marine-industry professionals.

To learn more about Westlawn, please call (207) 853-6600(207) 853-6600 or visit the Westlawn website at: www.westlawn.edu.

Photos:

Photo 1:  The Azure 40 by Corentin Bigot

Photo 2:  Bow view of the Azure 40

Photo 3:  The cabin roof and flybridge structure of the Azure under construction