{"id":122957,"date":"2019-08-27T08:54:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T07:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/?p=122957"},"modified":"2023-02-15T15:14:19","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T15:14:19","slug":"fujin-carbon-catamaran-caribbean-refit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/extraordinary-boats\/fujin-carbon-catamaran-caribbean-refit-122957","title":{"rendered":"Fujin: The inside story of this carbon catamaran\u2019s Caribbean refit"},"content":"Few yachts, and fewer skippers, become truly famous \u2013 famous in the sense that the everyman on the street would recognise them by a single name. Maiden<\/em> did though, as did Tracy.\r\n\r\nThe controversial all-female team, led by a petite dynamo of a skipper, gained a celebrity status that went beyond the sports pages of the British press. From her christening by HRH The Duchess of York to the team\u2019s final, triumphant return back to the Solent in 1990 as double leg winners (the crew wearing swimsuits), Maiden attracted unprecedented column inches to become one the most famous yachts of the era.\r\n\r\nBut after the race, while Edwards\u2019 remained in the spotlight, Maiden<\/em> was sold on. Eventually, after 24 years under various ownerships, the aluminium-hulled yacht was found languishing in the Indian Ocean.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120770\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"320\"]\"maiden-before-refit-tracy-edwards-sailing-yacht\"<\/a> Large sections of hull had to be cut out and replaced due to metal corrosion[\/caption]\r\n\r\nMaiden<\/em> had been abandoned in Eden Island Marina, on Mahe, in the Seychelles and was corroding into oblivion. When Edwards heard of her plight, she launched a crowd-funding campaign to bring Maiden<\/em> home, which unlocked a surprising depth of affection for the boat. Over \u00a340,000 was raised as hundreds of individuals pledged just a few pounds towards her recovery.\r\n\r\nIt took nearly three years to secure the full funds to ship Maiden<\/em> back \u2013 she was long past being sailable \u2013 with the substantial refit costs covered by the generosity of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan, daughter of King Hussein of Jordan, who had sponsored Maiden<\/em>\u2019s original Whitbread bid. She eventually made it back to Hamble in 2017<\/a>, where she underwent a thorough refit<\/a>, before setting sail on her three-year world tour in late 2018.\r\n\r\nThe refit brought Maiden<\/em> full circle. The yacht had been designed by Bruce Farr and first raced the 1981-82 Whitbread as Disque D\u2019Or III<\/em>, before competing in the 1986-87 BOC single-handed challenge. Edwards shipped her back from Cape Town to Hamble the same year. When the crew motored her from Southampton up the Hamble River, she nearly sank.\r\n\r\nArticle continues below...<\/em>\r\n\r\n[collection]\r\n\r\nHer original refit, in preparation for the 1989 Whitbread, was done against the clock and on the cheap \u2013 her famous grey livery, for example, was never quite the right colour for her sponsors Royal Jordanian Airways because the team used a few pots of end of line paint they\u2019d got free.\r\n\r\nThis time, the paint is the right shade of grey. However, the project has many echoes of the past. Howard Gibbons, who was the original project manager for Maiden<\/em>, returned to manage the restoration and refit.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120775\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"maiden-refit-tracy-edwards-sailing-yacht-crew-reunion\"<\/a> The original Maiden<\/em> crew were reunited with the yacht last year[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAmelia Ralphs, who is the crew engineer and was a key part of the refit team, recalls: \u201cI think what\u2019s fun about this project is that there are so many manufacturers and individuals that were around for the original who have invested in it this time around.\u201d\r\n

Maiden<\/em>'s original specification<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nShe points out a custom bow hatch, which Goiot created for the boat as an exact replica of the original. \u201cWe haven\u2019t paid anything more for that hatch than we would have for a normal off-the-shelf one, but Goiot have invested in the legacy of what we\u2019re trying to achieve here.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe restoration aimed to balance between remaining authentic to Maiden<\/em>\u2019s original glory, and bringing her in line with modern coding requirements. Throughout her world tour, Maiden<\/em> will take paying guests on both offshore legs and day sails, so she needs to meet modern safety and environmental requirements, be easy to handle, and be suitable for publicity and marketing activation activities, as well as transocean passages.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120777\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"maiden-refit-tracy-edwards-sailing-yacht-helm-credit-rick-tomlinson\"<\/a> The original wheels were aluminium with pink leather, but the new ones are custom pink carbon from Carbonautica. Photo: Rick Tomlinson[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAbove decks, the biggest changes have been to the rig, as the runners and vast overlapping headsails favoured by Whitbread racers are not practical for corporate sailing.\r\n\r\nInstead Maiden<\/em> has a new fractional rig with aft-swept spreaders, created by Marine Results and Seld\u00e9n. Hamble designer Tony Castro has also been involved in much of the design work for the refit.\r\n\r\nOtherwise Maiden<\/em> is strikingly similar to her Whitbread layout on deck. The deep working pit area has barely changed. \u201cIt\u2019s really unique because it\u2019s just so old fashioned, but it\u2019s really functional,\u201d comments Ralphs. \u201cThe depth makes it really safe, you feel really secure in it.\u201d\r\n

Detailed study<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nMany of the fittings are in the original positions. For reference, Ralphs found herself studying an incredibly detailed scale model a Maiden<\/em> super-fan had made.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt was in a museum and then it moved to my kitchen \u2013 I\u2019ve been really worried about breaking it for months,\u201d says Ralphs. \u201cAnd that model is so accurate it was genuinely valuable because there are details on that model you can\u2019t find in any picture.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120771\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"maiden-refit-tracy-edwards-sailing-yacht-amelia-ralphs-credit-rick-tomlinson\"<\/a> Engineer Amelia Ralphs has worked to ensure the crew can be self-sufficient in maintaining Maiden<\/em> during the round the world trip. Photo: Rick Tomlinson[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe winch layout is almost identical \u2013 just two backstay runner winches have been removed, leaving 14 still on deck.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got pedestals but moving back to the original set up we\u2019ve got string pulls rather than buttons, it\u2019s all above deck so there\u2019s no risk of leaks down below,\u201d says Ralphs.\r\n\r\nThey will sail offshore with nine crew, inshore with 12, including a permanent team of three. Ralphs says a dip-pole gybe requires eight pairs of hands. There are analogue instruments on deck, all chosen to be as close a match as possible.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe compasses were the last two Plastimo black surrounded with black card compasses I could find in all of Europe \u2013 from two different countries \u2013 because that was the original colour scheme on the compasses.\u201d\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120778\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"maiden-refit-tracy-edwards-sailing-yacht-instruments-credit-rick-tomlinson\"<\/a> Instruments are a mix of retro-style analogue and latest B&G electronics. Photo: Rick Tomlinson[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe entire hull and deck went through a lengthy shot blasting process to strip 30 years of paint, filler and insulating foam back to bare metal. The deck itself had relatively little other work done to it, which has left some areas pooling with water as it\u2019s no longer perfectly fair.\r\n\r\nThe hull, on the other hand, required major structural repairs. The elegant sloped transom was almost entirely rebuilt, and the keel had to be largely replaced. The skeg was found to be almost entirely rotted away, and was removed.\r\n

Up to standard\r\n<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nInterior structural work was needed to both repair corrosion and upgrade the yacht to meet modern safety requirements. Watertight bulkheads have been added abaft the sail locker and galley, as well as a proper forwards heads and fireproof engine and machinery bay.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120773\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"maiden-refit-tracy-edwards-sailing-yacht-bunks-credit-rick-tomlinson\"<\/a> The storage frame and bunk layout is very similar to her Whitbread days, although Maiden<\/em> will sail with three fewer crew offshore. Photo: Rick Tomlinson[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOtherwise the interior changes have been minor, the bunk numbers reduced to double rather than triple stacks as Maiden<\/em> will be sailing with nine, rather than 12-14 crew.\r\n\r\nA pilot berth has been added next to the chart table, and the analogue instruments on deck are supported by full-spec electronics and comms systems from B&G, Inmarsat and Mastervolt, including four on-deck cameras.\r\n\r\nOne area would be the envy of many a round the world crew \u2013 what Ralphs calls \u2018the library\u2019, a convenient space just under the companionway with a single seat, wet locker, small cuddies for personal items and an aft heads.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_120780\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1200\"]\"maiden-refit-tracy-edwards-sailing-yacht-nav-station-credit-rick-tomlinson\"<\/a> The nav station is abaft a new watertight bulkhead and also incorporates a pilot berth for the first time. Photo: Rick Tomlinson[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s a place to store sunglasses and grab bags, or regroup your thoughts before coming on or off watch, separated from the living quarters by a new watertight door.\r\n\r\nMaiden<\/em> may no longer be racing, but her round the world voyage \u2013 from the UK to India then on to Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, the Pacific North West, down to Uruguay, around Cape Horn<\/a>, back up to the Caribbean, through the Panama canal<\/a> in both directions, a transatlantic<\/a> back to Britain, and then a final return to Jordan \u2013 will be an epic endeavour.\r\n

Specification<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nLOA: 17.71m (58ft 1in)\r\nLWL: 15.24m (50ft 0in)\r\nBeam: 5.02m (16ft 5in)\r\nDraught: 3.20m (10ft 6in)\r\nDisplacement: 21,773kg (48,000lb)","excerpt":{"rendered":"

After Fujin capsized during the 2018 RORC Caribbean 600 race it would have been understandable if owner Greg Slyngstad had thrown in the towel and walked away. But Slyngstad resolved to refit his boat and race her again. Not only is this all-carbon, high performance, cruising catamaran an extraordinary boat, but it has an extraordinary story to match it. In 2014, Seattle-based Slyngstad was looking to replace his J\/125 with something he could cruise quickly and comfortably around the Caribbean with his family. He had previous experience of sailing only monohulls but could see the advantages of a multihull and so turned to designer Paul Bieker, a fellow Seattle sailor, for a solution. In a matter of months, a drawing for what became the B53 was on the table. Soon after it was full steam ahead building the new boat in St Croix. With Bieker\u2019s portfolio ranging from foiling Moths to the America\u2019s Cup multihulls, the B53 was always destined to be an interesting boat. Fujin was launched in 2015 and exceeded Slyngstad\u2019s expectations. Upwind she attains speeds of 13 knots with a tacking angle of 90\u00b0, which allowed the cat to keep pace with a Volvo 70 in the Caribbean 600 earlier this year. Reaching, Fujin regularly touches 30 knots. Fujin is an all-carbon catamaran, with Polynesian-style bows, C-foils through each hull, a rotating mast and adjustable T-foil rudders. There are six berths, comprising of three queen size berths, one in each hull and one in the saloon. All cruising kit can be removed for racing with turnaround to full racing trim possible in less than half a day. Article continues below… Eventful night In 2018, on his second attempt at the Caribbean 600 in unusually strong conditions, Slyngstad and his experienced team were caught out by a gust while rounding Saba during the first night of racing. Slyngstad explains: \u201cWe came out of the lee of Saba, and were getting some big gusts coming down, it was very dark. There was one big stinger, we didn\u2019t dump the sails quickly enough and went beyond the point of no return. It flipped over and laid on its side for about five seconds, then the rig broke.\u201d Fujin turned turtle but, fortunately, the team were all able to swim out from under the boat and no one was injured. Personal AIS devices alerted surrounding competitors and soon the message was relayed over VHF. Nicky Johnson, a fisherman from the tiny island of Saba, heard events unfolding over the radio and in the absence of any rescue services launched his own fishing boat to help the crew. Nicky came out with just one crew and in a mammoth effort towed the upside down Fujin five miles back to Fort Bay Harbour in Saba. The tow was difficult. In strong headwinds they were making less than two knots; it took over ten hours. Once in the harbour the small Saba community pulled together to help right the catamaran, hiring in a crane …Continue reading »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":464,"featured_media":122952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[976,140],"tags":[336,919,312],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122957"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/464"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122957"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143688,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122957\/revisions\/143688"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122957"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=122957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}