Golden autumn has brought a hugely successful close to the first full year of competition for the new Scuderia 65 racer-cruiser. On the racecourse, the full carbon yacht has repeatedly shown her pace, with line honors and podium finishes from the Adriatic to the Aegean. And she has also won a major design gong ashore.
From the pen of wunderkind Harry Miesbauer, the Scuderia 65 was always optimized for form stability and blistering offshore performance. She is simple to sail short-handed, while a powerful rig and the option of a lifting keel give her thrilling pace in strong winds.
“Together with the owner, I opted for a more powerful hull shape,” says Miesbauer. “We knew it would give us an edge when it is breezy, and in some conditions, we are even faster than our VPP velocity predictions. When I was on board we did 21 knots on a broad reach in 20 knots of wind and the two-man delivery crew reported a top speed of 28.7 knots.”
Built for an owner who loves offshore racing, the new yacht has been kept busy this year. From her base in Chioggia in the Adriatic, she has undertaken numerous regattas, including the dramatic Aegean 600 endurance race that weaves around the Greek islands. The season culminated in October with Cinquanta and the Barcolana race.
Results have been superlative. In the competitive local races organized by the Circolo Nautico Port Santa Margherita (CNSM), the boat twice took line honors and was once beaten only by a 76-footer. In the Aegean 600, she was the third boat home and out of all 1,700 boats competing in the Barcolana, she came 14th. It has left the experienced owner with a big smile on his face. “After all the miles I did in this season, I would not change anything on the boat,” he says.
But performance is just one element of this impressive yacht. The sleek hull lines and clean deck are allied with an elegant and minimal interior. At once practical for sail handling while racing and architectural in its styling, this is an interior that genuinely succeeds at combining form and function.
No wonder, then, that the boat scooped a highly sought-after A’ Design Award this year from an international jury of design experts who recognized its aesthetic qualities and sailing abilities. “Winning the yacht and marine vessel category means a lot to me, and it is satisfying to ‘close the book’ on a long story,” says Miesbauer. “Also, because it is awarded by a jury which consists of product and automotive designers, architects, and design journalists.”
Certainly, there are plenty of unique design features on the Scuderia 65, most visibly the low-profile coachroof with a wrap-around window. “It is something nobody else does on sailing yachts,” says Miesbauer. “It is an aesthetic trick to stretch the appearance and to give it a more elegant look.”
He uses a similar trick to play with perspective in the saloon of the boat. If you stand by the keel casing looking aft, your eye sees a companionway stretching up to the cockpit, lengthened by the way the steps become narrower as they go up.
Another point of focus was the controls around the twin helm consoles. The owner wanted hydraulic controls at the side of the console, so Miesbauer sculpted the main surface round the corner of the pedestal and down to take the buttons. The throttle is recessed on the top of the console, where it is less obtrusive.
Scuderia 65, not “only” a racer
In contrast to many fast IRC boats out there, the Scuderia 65 has been designed to provide a comfortable base for cruising as well. The enclosed U-shaped galley to port is well equipped and spacious, and there are three cabins. The master cabin forward is a double with a dedicated sofa area and ensuite shower room. Two flexible twin V-berths aft also have their own shower rooms, all in lightweight moulded composite.
Labor-saving appliances like washing machines and ice-makers are fitted in a modular fashion, so as to be easily removable for racing. “It all goes back to a first conversation I had with the skipper and the owner during the Middle Sea Race a few years back,” says Miesbauer. “Together, we came up with a concept for a larger boat, fast offshore and with sexy lines, but where there was still a place for family cruising.”
“I believe that we have got the balance exactly right, as this is a boat that you would happily cross the Atlantic in. And despite her performance, she is not a complicated yacht. She is simple to handle two-up, and wherever we had the choice between an elaborate technical solution and something more straightforward, we have kept it simple.”
Miesbauer is hoping that more of these boats will be built now she has proved her potential against her peers. With looks that refuse to bow to the trends of the day and an award-winning design, the Scuderia 65 will be as fresh in five years as she is today.
Harry Miesbauer Bio
Sailing since the age of 6, after a mechanical engineering diploma in Austria he did the highly regarded Yacht and Powercraft Design course in Southampton, graduating 1998.
Right after graduating he worked at the studio of Luca Brenta / Milano for 3 years as a senior yacht designer and between 2004 to 2007 another 3 years as lead yacht designer and responsible for regatta projects. In the second period he was also one of the Luca Brenta’s partners. Highlights of this collaboration: Kenora Wally 105, Wally B , Chrisco CNB 100, TP52 C-quadrat , B-yachts B-60 , B-30, B-38 , Nautor 76 etc.
Between 2000- 2004 he worked as a lead designer with Mani Frers at the German Frers office in Milano. In this period he was member of the design team of the Swedish Victory Challange Americas Cup team and member of the Volvo Ocean Race design team of Amers Sports One (VOR 60) He was also involved in various IMS race boats.
Scuderia 65 Specs
LOA 20.050 m
Bmax 5.510 m
Disp ca.19.500 kg – target / measurement trim-
Draft 4.500 – 2.950 m lifting keel
RIG
Total sail area ca. 259.6 m2 – racing –
Main sail ca. 152.0 m2 – racing –
Jib area ca. 110.1 m2 – racing –
Gennaker ca. 420.0 m2 – racing –
Boat yard Adria Sail / Fano / Italy
Sails OneSails
Deck gear Harken
Hydraulics Cariboni / Italy