Sensation

LOA 110.8 feet

LWL 86.5 feet

BEAM 24.2 feet

DRAFT 10.5 feet

DISPLACEMENT 108.5 tons

RIG Cutter

SAIL AREA 6910 square feet

HULL MATERIAL Aluminium

BUILDER Sensation Yachts

INTERIOR DESIGN Winch

YEAR 1989

SENSATION

The design brief for Sensation was that she had to be a yacht of sleek modern appearance, combining the aesthetics of a modern motor yacht with the lines of a high performance sailing yacht. Speed under power and sail were both important. The interior accomodation required two large suites for the owners plus two additional double cabins for family and guests. The saloon and social areas were to be open and spacious.

To get the performance needed, I departed from my earlier designs in two significant ways: firstly rather than have luff furling on the mainsail I opted for a fully battened sail using horizontal composite battens. Although not quite as convenient as the Marquip furling system, the aerodynamic performance of the mainsail is improved and the mast is lighter. The sail is also quieter since it does not flog, even when tacking. Secondly, Sensation was the first cruising yacht to benefit from my experience working on the New Zealand America's Cup design. As a direct result of this the keel is radically different, having a very low centre of gravity, yet with a low resistance form. The combined result of these two developments allows our performance prediction to exceed speeds achieved by any of my earlier designs.

Above deck the most obvious difference for Sensation is the simplicity of her deck layout, quite unlike anything previously associated with high performance sailing yachts. The winches are located below the carefully styled superstructure. The builders, Sensation Yachts, teamed up with Peter Powell of Seaway Products to manufacture special below deck winches with push button control for all the sheets and control lines. This results in the owners and guests being able to enjoy the thrill of high speed sailing with clean, uncluttered decks around them.