She’s a few weeks from delivery, and she measures 163 feet (49.7 meters). She’s Ohana, the newest flybridge sloop from New Zealand-based Fitzroy Yachts. The images here were taken as Fitzroy’s team toted her via truck to the water, where sea trials soon followed.
Ohana’s owner, from Europe, personally approached the yard in 2010 about building the yacht. Though there are other examples of owners taking the initiative, it’s pretty unusual to not have a middleman, so to speak. Certainly one of the reasons he went to the yard is its reputation for building competitive regatta participants. Ohana is set to debut at the 2013 New Zealand Millennium Cup, being held in February. Her owner may take heart knowing that Fitzoy Yachts have entered and/or won events like the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta and St. Barths Bucket.
The all-aluminum Ohana has naval architecture and exterior styling by Dubois Naval Architects, marking the eighth megayacht from this builder-designer combination. Though it’s hard to tell in the photo, her hull is painted grey, accented with yellow. She’s fitted with a fixed bulb keel and has a draft of 18 feet (5.5 meters). The 370-ton-displacement yacht also has nearly 43,971 square feet (4,085 square meters) of sails and a Southern Spars rig. As impressive as that sounds, imagine how Ohana will look when the winds fill them and she’s at an anticipated 12-knot cruise speed (top end should be 18 knots).
Inside, Ohana features interior design by her owner and Fitzroy Yachts. Whitewashed oak adorns the aft master and five guest staterooms (four aft and one forward), plus all other relaxation spaces. The light tone of the wood, plus sunlight streaming inside, should enhane the feeling of the 32’6” (9.96-meter) beam.
UPDATE, NOVEMBER 2, 2012: Ohana’s mast has been stepped, and she’s been out on some initial sea trials. Here you can get a much better look at her profile and color scheme.
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