Here’s the first photo of the completed Hull AY40, a.k.a. Imagine, from Alloy Yachts. The delivery obviously marks a special occasion, but it’s extra special for another reason. Imagine is being handed over 17 years after the yard delivered a smaller sister, with the same name, to the same owner.
The current Imagine measures 44.18 meters (145 feet), and she’s designed by Dubois Naval Architects. Dubois was also the designer of the smaller superyacht, measuring 33.6 meters (110 feet) and, on a side note, has long considered her a favorite. Among other things, the first Imagine, a fast cruising sloop, won the Nioulargue Regatta Big Boat Series in 1994.
Of course, the current Imagine incorporates racing technology, too. There’s a Code Zero arrangement for the North Sails 3DL sails, for example, a setup commonly found aboard America’s Cup competitors. A Code Zero is a cross between a genoa and an asymmetrical spinnaker, used for sailing close to the wind in light air. Imagine further employs a 58.5-meter Southern Spars five-spreader mast, an 18.6-meter hybrid Leisure Furl boom, and EC6 Hybrid rigging with a split continuous backstay. Alloy Yachts built her with a fiberglass centerboard, custom winches, and a custom helm feedback system as well.
Suffice it to say that if Imagine enters friendly (or not-so-friendly) sailing races, she’ll be a strong contender. But for times when her owner wishes to relax, the master stateroom is just off the cockpit. Two guest staterooms are a little farther forward along a passageway.
Leave a Reply