Speedboat, the Juan K supermaxi
There are a lot of new, large yachts being built in New Zealand right now but perhaps one of the most exciting is a 30m (100ft) full on super-maxi currently building at Mick Cookson's yard in Auckland. Approriately she's calkled Speedboat. She's not far off launch and a lot of secrecy surrounds her but Cookson (right) is being admirably tight lipped and wouldn't even let us into his shed to see the beast.
Other sources tell us the yacht has been designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian and that her first outing is likely to be the Newport to Bermuda Race in June where the record will clearly be under threat. We're also told that she has double the righting moment of existing super-maxis light Alfa Romeo, Wild Oats and Maximus and in the right conditions will blow them away. Her spars are currently taking up a lot of space at Southern in Auckland where the concensus is that Speedboat will be the fastest sailing boat ever launched.
Maximus, incidentally, is still in Australia awaiting a keel after losing hers prior to the Sydney Hobart. The nod is owner Bill Buckley may be easing out of the programme.
