Frequent dialogue with the owners and captain has allowed valuable experience to be assimilated by my design team. The yacht's systems have been thoroughly tested in all climatic conditions. The layout of deck areas, the success of the pilot house and the general arrangement of the owner, guest and crew cabins have proven to be as impressive as we all could have hoped.

Valuable lessons have been learnt. Electrical generating capacity needed development to meet peak requirements such as evening showers, especially in cool climates when the electrical power demand for cooking, hot water and interior heating coincide. A great deal has been learnt about the sailing capabilities of this pioneering yacht. Whirlwind is always sailed efficiently, a hangover from the owner's and skipper's yacht racing backgrounds. After noticing the speed improved when fully loaded, additional ballast was put into the keel. This enhanced the windward speed and Noel Lister, impressed by this development, proposed adding more weight by incorporating 12-metre style winglets to the keel. The wings can be vulnerable in shallow water, but they considerably improve the windward speed of shallow keel sailing yachts and on Whirlwind they improved tracking as well.