Splendour Under Sail - PAGE 116 
Table of Contents
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Whirlwind XII
LOA 102.9 feet
IWI. 84.3 feet
DRAFT 111 feet
DISPLACEMENT 109.9 tons
RIG Cutter
SAIL AREA 6383 square feet
HULL MATERIAL Aluminium
BUILDER Huisman
INTERIOR DESIGN Sijm
YEAR 1986
Rather than having to live below the deck level where the only contact with the outside was the view through small hull windows, the pilot house allows panoramic views and has proven to be the most popular area of the yacht.
Designing an attractive pilot house is a real challenge. The traditional yachts using this type of arrangement were high and boxy in appearance. The pursuit of a sleek profile requires careful analysis of levels so the conflicting requirements for full headroom, correct eye level through the windows when seated and adequate headroom under the pilot house floor are all taken into consideration. To check this before the design was finalised, the Royal Huisman Shipyard built a full scale section of the yacht through the pilot house area. This allowed us to walk on the deck to visualize the height of the cabin top and to check eye levels for the best view through the windows when seated or standing inside.
This full size model was also used to study styling and construction solutions. The toerail was to have teak recessed into its top. To protect the hull from contact during docking a heavy aluminium strip was incorporated, a detail that had not been built in this way before. Another detail we checked was the arrangement of the recessed handrail on top of the pilot house. This formed a nicely finished margin between the painted surface and the teak laid coach roof.
Wolter Huisman also made an above waterline model of the yacht. Noel Lister was keenly interested in the overall appearance of Whirlwind XII's profile and by studying this three dimensional model I was able to improve my original design and accommodate his personal preferences. A similar level of study and effort went into the interior cabinet making and joinery work.
Whirlwind XII
LOA 102.9 feet
IWI. 84.3 feet
DRAFT 111 feet
DISPLACEMENT 109.9 tons
RIG Cutter
SAIL AREA 6383 square feet
HULL MATERIAL Aluminium
BUILDER Huisman
INTERIOR DESIGN Sijm
YEAR 1986
Rather than having to live below the deck level where the only contact with the outside was the view through small hull windows, the pilot house allows panoramic views and has proven to be the most popular area of the yacht.
Designing an attractive pilot house is a real challenge. The traditional yachts using this type of arrangement were high and boxy in appearance. The pursuit of a sleek profile requires careful analysis of levels so the conflicting requirements for full headroom, correct eye level through the windows when seated and adequate headroom under the pilot house floor are all taken into consideration. To check this before the design was finalised, the Royal Huisman Shipyard built a full scale section of the yacht through the pilot house area. This allowed us to walk on the deck to visualize the height of the cabin top and to check eye levels for the best view through the windows when seated or standing inside.
This full size model was also used to study styling and construction solutions. The toerail was to have teak recessed into its top. To protect the hull from contact during docking a heavy aluminium strip was incorporated, a detail that had not been built in this way before. Another detail we checked was the arrangement of the recessed handrail on top of the pilot house. This formed a nicely finished margin between the painted surface and the teak laid coach roof.
Wolter Huisman also made an above waterline model of the yacht. Noel Lister was keenly interested in the overall appearance of Whirlwind XII's profile and by studying this three dimensional model I was able to improve my original design and accommodate his personal preferences. A similar level of study and effort went into the interior cabinet making and joinery work.
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