Gleam

LOA 102 feet

IWL 83.9 feet

BEAM 22.3 feet

DRAFT 9.5 feet

DISPLACEMENT 100.3 tons

RIG Ketch

SAIL AREA 5608 square feet

HULL MATERIAL Aluminium

BUILDER Southern Pacific

INTERIOR DESIGN Inscape

YEAR 1987

GLEAM

Tne of the most interesting designs I have worked on was a speculative project for South Pacific Yachts which sprang from Lion NZ, my Maxi design that competed in the 1985 Whitbread Round the World Race. Michael Fay, one of Lion's backers who has since become known for his New Zealand America's Cup challenges, decided to keep the building team alive. He got a group of investors to finance the design, building and promotion of a high quality luxury sailing yacht aimed at the North American and European markets.

The design brief required that the yacht had not only to be of top quality but must appeal to the widest range of potential buyers, thus of necessity incorporating some features which might not normally be required for a one-off custom design.

To get a feel of the market requirements I discussed the project with several influential yacht brokers. Tom Corkett in Newport Beach, Craig Cadwalder and Stuart Larsen in Fort Lauderdale, Bill Sanderson in Palm Beach, and George Nicholson, the most successful European broker. They were unanimous on several points. The yacht must be built and finished to the highest possible standards with only the best equipment. The interior should include an owner's spacious stateroom with two guest cabins of equal size and a third for occasional use. The saloon must be spacious and well lit by day and night with large ports. The cockpit must be large enough for relaxing or dining. A pilot house superstructure was preferred to a low flush deck, with an efficient second internal steering station.

Her sailing trials in Auckland were completed satisfactorily. After a trouble-free Pacific crossing Gleam passed a thorough survey and was bought by a prominent businessman for use on the east coast of the United States and the Caribbean.