SUPERYACHT #10
Autumn 2006
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
and most luxurious boats with information, interviews, technical
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Article by
Angelo Colombo
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VAN DAM 100' NORDIA TRADITIONAL
The biggest and most sophisticated sailing yacht in the long
series built by the Dutch shipyard Van Dam Nordia is the 100'
Nordia Traditional. Recently launched, she was created to satisfy
the requirements of an owner who wanted a comfortable vessel for
long cruises. She had to be high performing, with classic lines,
and easy to handle without an overlarge crew. Certainly not an
easy task, but the yard's experience, together with the selection
of materials such as Alustar for the hull - an alloy with high
mechanical qualities and reduced weight - and carbon for mast and
boom , contributed to achieving the owner's objectives.
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TECHNICAL DATA
LOA: 31.12 metres
hull length: 30.50 metres
length on waterline: 25.00 metres
beam: 7.58 metres
draught: 3.00 metres
light displacement: 95 t.
sail area: mainsail 217 square metres, genoa 267 square metres,
staysail at 100% 216 square metres, storm jib 96 square metres,
MP-S 630 square metres
fuel tanks: 7.800 litres
water capacity 4.400 litres.
For further information: Van Dam Nordia Shipyard; Helling
49; 1430 AA Aalsmeer; The Netherlands; tel. +31 297 324517; fax
+31 297 323620; sito web www.nordia.com; e mail vandam@nordia.com.
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This yacht
is currently still at the yard since the owner was no longer able
to take delivery, so she is waiting for someone who can take her
across the oceans. We had the chance to go aboard and appreciate
the numerous qualities of this yacht, which lie mainly in her
correspondence to the preliminary requirements of the person who
commissioned her. First off we should underline that this is a
totally customised design, slightly outside the current big boat
sector trend which goes increasingly towards the semi-customised
in order to reduce costs and delivery times. The Van Dam yard,
recently granted the title of Royal which is reserved for Dutch
companies with a long tradition and important activity behind
them, was established in 1881. With great mastery it combines
tradition and innovation, building boats between 15 and 37 metres
LOA. Van Dam production mainly concerns classic form sailing
boats, and the 100 footer we're talking about is one of the most
important examples, if not the most important one, of the yard's
abilities. As we were saying, the hull is in Alustar, which means
that weight distribution can be managed with great precision,
leaving considerable freedom for the interior layouts since there
are no limitations of a structural nature. The marine architecture
is the work of Robert van Dam while the internal and external
layout was carried out by JLS in tandem with the Van Dam Nordia
Design Team. The yacht is cutter rigged so she can be handled by a
minimum crew but without losing high performance. The powerful
sail plan - about 484 square metres between main and genoa - is
borne by a carbon mast and a boom in the same material, with
automatic roller reefing for the mainsail. Combined with an
innovative bulb keel, all this succeeds in achieving the
performances requested by the owner. The running rigging is all
handled by automatic systems whose controls are on both bridges
(indoor and outdoor) and activate electro-hydraulic mechanisms for
sheets, halyards and winches. The many Lewmar winches are
positioned in such a way as to make for rapid, efficiently
manoeuvring. The deck is all in teak and there are numerous vents
in the forward section to ensure air circulation in all the
inhabited areas aboard, also giving an older-style appearance to
the whole. As for the interiors, before describing them it should
be pointed out that they are spacious and well divided in order to
guarantee comfort even during the longest and most demanding
voyages, especially in the amidships relaxation area and the
section forward which is a continuation of the latter, providing a
really spacious area on different levels. The owner's cabin
occupies the entire aft portion and includes a central double bed,
a relaxation area on the starboard side with L-shaped sofa and
coffee table, an office area on the port side, a dressing table
corner and, again on the port side, a spacious bathroom. This
cabin is accessed from a corridor on the starboard side from which
there is also access to a guest cabin with bunk beds and private
bathroom. The central zone of this area of the boat, and part of
the aft zone on the port side, are occupied by technical rooms for
the propulsive apparatus, electrical systems and on-board plant.
Amidships on the port side there's another guest cabin with twin
beds and private bathroom, accessible from the saloon on the lower
deck. The zone forward of this saloon is entirely set aside for
the crew's quarters: a double-bed cabin with private bathroom on
the port side, opposite the large galley, a crew mess with sofa
and dining table and, forward, another cabin with bunk beds and
private bathroom. Going back to the main deck, the spacious
deckhouse contains a saloon and dining area. Forward on the
starboard side the very well equipped bridge is complete with all
necessary electronics for safe ocean voyaging, as well as electric
controls for the main running rigging. It should be mentioned that
this yacht has a monitoring system for all on-board plant. So in
the case of malfunctioning or alarm from one of the sensors
situated in the most vulnerable places, the crew are warned
immediately by sound and visual signals, and also informed about
the type of anomaly. The interiors are in teak, the sober style
emphasised by the use of polished steel, for example as
reinforcement for chairs, while the deckhouse is finished in white
which emphasises the sensation of space and brightness. The
outdoor bridge, aft of the deck saloon that extends into a cockpit
lined by seats around the perimeter, includes a single wheel
positioned in such a way that the helmsman can always efficiently
check the set of the sails on all points of sailing. Here too
there's a panel with numerous electronic apparatuses for rigging
control and handling, plus controls for the electro-hydraulic
systems. So the whole rig can be handled by just one person. A
very well built yacht, above all the result of very careful
design. Her classic lines give her an aesthetic appeal that we do
not hesitate to call fascinating. With the high technological
standards employed in her construction, she is also a fine
performer even in light winds. As for motoring, the yard has
chosen a sophisticated engine made by Lugger, a six cylinder 425
HP, while the generators are Northern Lights (33 and 16 kW).
There's a great deal of latest generation technology aboard the
100' Nordia Traditional, in accordance with the yard's objective
of creating a yacht that best combines classic and modern.
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