SUPERYACHT #501
January 2004
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
and most luxurious boats with information, interviews, technical
articles, images and yachting news
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Article by
Angelo Colombo
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ROYAL HUISMAN "MARIA CATTIVA"
Everyone who loves the sea, and experiences deep feelings
in their relationship with this marvellous natural element,
sooner or later dreams of a voyage aboard a sailing ship
with an old-time feel to it. We may define this as an image
in the collective imagination of those sailing enthusiasts
who know what it means to see land on the horizon after
days and days of seeing only the thin line where sky meets
sea. But if we were to dig deep into the dreams of any
pleasure boater we would discover that this same fantasy is
shared even by those who have never let the coast disappear
astern and cast their fate to that blue line which seems to
flee ahead of the bows.
A sailing ship, more than anything
else, takes us back to the days of great seafaring
enterprises: the first Atlantic crossings; the merchants of
long ago with their adventures that seem unbelievable
today; and those fascinating unarmed duels that led to the
establishment of the America's Cup. Well, the Dutch
boatyard Royal Huisman's creations are aimed precisely at
enthusiasts who, stimulated by such dreams, want a sailing
ship that can evoke the original sensations of the early
navigators, but with present day technological content. In
short, a "modern classic" in the words of Bruce King,
designer of "Maria Cattiva".
The yacht we are presenting on
this occasion is a 40 metre cutter designed, as we said, by
Bruce King and with interior design by the Dick Young
Design studio. Why design a cutter in the 21st century?
Firstly because this type of yacht was developed in the
late 1800's in France and England, and then because the
propulsive efficiency of the cutter rig, especially to
windward, is decidedly greater than that of others. This
performance is mainly due to the two headsails which, with
the Venturi effect they generate, optimise propulsive
efficiency of the whole sail area. Maria Cattiva's designer
Bruce King was born in 1964 but already has many successful
designs under his belt, having won international
recognition in 1990, '93, '94, '99 and 2000.
In '90 and '93
he received the International Super Yachts Design Award for
the best sailboat over 23 metres and over 36 metres
respectively. In 1994 he won the Show Boats Award for best
sailboat interior and in 1999 the Maine Maritime Trade
Association rewarded him for his contribution thereto.
Lastly, in 2000 he received another Show Boats Award for
best sailboat up to 38 metres. Bruce King reacted
enthusiastically to Dutch boatyard Royal Huisman's
proposal: design a sailing yacht suitable for round the
world cruises in absolute safety and with maximum comfort
for owner and guests. King stylised the deck design with
oval forms for the two cockpits and numerous typical
details harking back to the past.
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TECHNICAL DATA
Overall length: 39.92m
Length on waterline: 28.00m
Beam: 7.95mDraft: 3.82m
Displacement: 180.000 Kg
Hull speed: 13.1 knots
Construction material: aluminium
Engine: 1 x 640 HP MTU DDC 8V 2000 M70
Fuel tank: 11.550 litres
Water tank: 4.035 litres.
For further information contact Royal Huisman Shipyard B.V.;
Flevoweg 1, Postbus 23; 8325 ZG Vollenhove; tel. (0527) 24
31 31; fax (0527) 24 10 64; e mail: vacatures@royalhuisman;
website www.royalhuisman.com.
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But for the rig he chose
the most modern things the market could offer, which is to
say mast and boom in carbon fibre with a "full batten"
mainsail to obtain maximum sail performance. Classic forms,
then, and a very powerful sail plan by North Sails, a
combination of design elements made possible by the
materials used for the hull and superstructures, chiefly
carbon fibres, light alloys and other materials that
combine high mechanical performance with relatively limited
weights. The finishes simulate wood, those timbers which in
bygone days would sigh in complaint when the wind was
gusting.
As already mentioned, the boat is cutter rigged,
meaning with mainsail and two headsails (jib and staysail).
The jib head and clew are higher up than those of the
staysail which is hoisted on a parallel forestay aft of the
jib. The hull features a clipper stem post, reverse sheer
and stern bar lengthened with inclined transom. "Maria
Cattiva", in the tradition of the ships of long ago, has
her owner and guest accommodation in the quarters. For the
owner, a suite with two double beds, office corner, private
bathroom with separate shower and independent entrance from
the stern cockpit. For the guests, two twin cabins with
private bathroom and separate shower. Amidships the engine
room separates the sleeping and living areas, the latter
furnished with a C-shaped sofa, a table and a second sofa.
The saloon receives natural light from the side ports and
from a wooden wheel-spoke framed skylight in the deck. A
stairway connects it to the deckhouse saloon amidships,
creating a single spacious area on two levels. The crew's
quarters and service area are farther forward: four cabins
for skipper and hands, relaxation area, galley, laundry and
bathrooms. The interior which, as we said, was designed by
the Dick Young Design studio, features rare wood
throughout, in a traditional style in line with the boat's
overall appearance and with the objective of creating a
"modern classic". Numerous details such as polished metal
ventilators, a wheel that is large in spite of being power-
assisted, the teak deck whose form makes you want to call
it by some old and obsolete name: all these things
contribute to making "Maria Cattiva" an incredibly...
modern yacht. Modernity perceived in analysis of the
structure of her aluminium hull, the materials and
techniques used for hull and deck, the accessories and
navigation aids installed, the cleanliness of the spacious
engine room, controlled and run by computerised systems,
and the handling of a considerable sail area. Everything,
in fact, but her classic and fascinating form. The engine
is a 640 HP MTU DDC 8V 2000 M70, coupled to a ZF BW 550A
gearmotor and a four-blade variable pitch screw. For easy
manoeuvring in restricted waters the boatyard has given her
two powerful manoeuvring screws: 72 HP retractable at the
bows and fixed 56 HP at the stern. "Maria Cattiva" steals
looks from everyone, enthusiasts or otherwise. For some she
will simply be an elegant sailing craft, while other more
careful observers will see a splendid combination of
classic and modern, a yacht that is both traditional and
technological, where wood (worked to the dictates of master
shipwrights of the past) coexists with latest generation
electronic systems and accessories to offer owner and
guests the very best in terms of comfort and safety.
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