SailboatsSouth Africa

Construction Of The New SW105 GT Is Underway

Southern Wind announces that the construction of the newย SW105 GT, the fourth unit of the SW105 miniseries, is underway at the shipyard in Cape Town.ย Showing the versatility of the SW105 platform as penned byย Farr Yacht Designย andย Nauta Design, the yacht is being designed and constructed for a first-time Southern Windย owner.

Just like a classicย Gran Turismoย car is designed for speed across long distances,ย this project is conceived as an elegant and fast bluewater cruiser than can also be enjoyed for shorter jaunts.

The fourth unit of the SW105 miniseries will have a light configuration with aย generous sail plan while still retaining all of the characteristic features of a Southern Wind yacht.ย Jim Schmicker, Vice President ofย Farr Yacht Designย explains: โ€œFor theย configuration of SW105#4 we had the opportunity to install a fully optimizedย lifting keelย with 5.9m draft that includes a reduced bulb weight resulting in a fine-tuned balance betweenย upwind and downwind performance. The SW105 GT has a generous sail area for excellent acceleration and performance in light winds and downwind in all wind speeds. Herย parameters compare favourably with other well-known competitors on the superyacht circuitโ€.

sw105 gt
Image courtesy Southern Wind

Weight optimization

Particular attention was given toย weight optimizationย making for a displacement reduction of over 3 tons compared to her sisterships. In fact, the SW105 GT will have a full carbonย hull and Nomex and pre-preg foredeck and cockpit. The hydraulic and electric power management systems were also carefully engineered and designed for a lightweight andย efficient yacht.

โ€œIn the wake of the performance attitude of SW105#02 Kiboko, some of the special features requested by SW105 #2โ€™s owner have been carried over into the standard specificationย of this new project. The vessel is being engineered for a deeper lifting keel (3.8-5.90m), a higher righting moment and stiffer hull for reduced forestay sag. The increase in rightingย moment opens up options like carrying a square top mainsail, which will be an impressive sight combined with the new deck designโ€, explainsย Paul Dumbell, Technical Coordinatorย atย Southern Wind Shipyard.

sw105 gt
Image courtesy Southern Wind

The exteriors

The SW105 GT will have a completelyย new deckย layout, carefully conceived by Nauta Design to meet the ownerโ€™s brief.

The yacht will stand out for the sleek lines of her carbon coachroof and, in the words of Nautaย Designโ€™s foundersย Massimo Gino and Mario Pedol, will express emotion even at anchor: โ€œBy researching the most efficient ways to sail, both for the helmsman and for the tailers,ย and distilling the most important elements of the deck layout Nauta achieved a very appealing look that expresses performance potential and aerodynamic efficiency,โ€ they say.ย ย 

Compared to SW105 DS and RS versions, this new GT version has a wider cockpit area on a single level. The helm positions have been moved closer to the gunwales for betterย views forward and aloft.

sw105 gt
Image courtesy Southern Wind

The interiors

Theย SW105 GTโ€™s interiorย will feature Southern Wind Shipyardโ€™s most popular ownerโ€™s cabin forward layout with some important custom features that differentiate her from herย sisterships and prove the flexibility of this semicustom platform.

Aft of the saloon SW105#4 has two cabins, an en suite VIP cabin with a walk-around bed and a second en suite twinย guest cabin. Other special features of this yachtโ€™s interior are the day head and studio fore of the saloon. With a deep sofa and a large desk, this space easily converts to an en suiteย double cabin.

The crew area aft is a working environment for five and includes an en-suite Capitanโ€™s cabin. The interior style will be elegant and comfortable but still functional andย seafaring. Particular attention is being paid to sound insulation for guestsโ€™ privacy and comfort.

The yacht is scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2021.

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