Thursday, September 26, 2013

IMOCA 60 Shape and America's Cup 2013

                                                   
- Ellison: "Sailing has been changed forever".
When sailing is more like flying, with such sophisticated machines, how are the technologies adaptable to more mundane venues?
America's Cup boats have a way to continuously improve elements of sailing, and even cruising. But, when we have all of sudden such a leap forward, where new boats; catamarans, wing sails, and foils are thrown into the mix, what is going to happen?
The obvious is that the benefits are going to go to cats and trimarans. But, what about regular sailboats? I will leave alone the articulated wing sail, they are not manageable, because of reefing problems, but I think there are possibilities in the foiling area.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Dick Carter. 1928-


- I could not believe it today. I went with my daughter to the crowd gathering at the New York Yacht Club to celebrate the many accomplishments of Ted Hood, the sailmaker, entrepreneur, and yacht designer.

- One is dead the other, Richard E. Carter is resurrected.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Newport Boat Show 2013.

View of the Newport Brokerage Boat Show at the Shipyard.
Few places in the world where you can see so many boats with very tall masts; all painted white.
I think the Sail and Power Boat Show was smaller this year, not too surprising, while the second hand market was full of very large sailboats for sale, not surprising either. Quite a display as a matter of fact and I had the pleasure to see again old Brokers friends pushing hard quality  merchandise.
I am not fond of Boat Shows for new boats; it is actually depressing. The present form of going on the water is more alike buying a condo, yes here and there you pick one idea or two, mostly from a construction detail which I like, but the rest is plastiky. It might  also be because I do not have boats in shows anymore, yes this must be it!
A little side story.
After a Newport Show, taking slowly the boat back to my mooring under power and reaching a point  half way in the harbor, my eyes caught something white bobbing around in the water. Approaching, I notice a mooring buoy with its pennant obviously separated from its supposed  location. Surprise, my number 722 displayed on the side. Now it is clear that given a few hours one way or the other this incident could have turned into a disaster. Luck, destiny, what?

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Porto Cervo 2013.

 Ran, the Mini Maxi ran the clock with Rolex on this event. Photos by Dominique Tanton.

A little side story.

In 1973, yes you read well! Porto Cervo was the brand new resort created by Karin Agha Khan on the Northern tip of Sardinia. With a man who receives his weight in gold each year (a religious thing); Porto Cervo is to this day, the ultimate resort in the Med. That year the One Tonners gathered there for their World Championship. I delivered one of the Carter 43 to this amazing place to cover the event and serves as a base. Our own Ydra, a Carter One Ton was the boat to beat, having won the previous year. We know the story. Ydra won again, but a small boat Ganbare stole the show with a newer concept about designing boats to the relatively new I. O.R rule. That is not the part I want to write about.
Sailmakers have been influencial to direct potential clients to boat designers. They needed boats for their product. But, none did better at it than Lowell North of North Sails, a relatively small outfit at the time, soon to become the one Logo to have aboard. Here in Italy, rubbing shoulders with Ron Holland (with no boat there, but having just won the 1/4 Ton Cup) and Doug Peterson we could sense the wind of changes. Hood did too and certainly at Carter offshore. North Sails created the marketing momentum, to push customers for Doug, Ron, Dubois and others with talent, to deliver new boats with large inventory required to sail those I.O.R boats and in the process, establishing a new era with new blood.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Les petits Bateaux..


- qui vont sur l'eau.

- If the emphasis of TYD is to concentrate on the custom aspect of the boat design business, nevertheless there is also room to capitalize on dozens, maybe hundreds of boat plans that can be sold to amateurs, individuals, or companies.
Within the past few months, several of those "old " drawings have been purchased, amongst them:

- A steel 37' Pen-Gwyn in Texas.
-
A 33' Steel Green Peace in Canada.

- The drawing is about the Marconi rigged "Belle Ile" built-in Switzerland for a German owner.



- TYD#225 Wood to Turkey.



- TYD#229 Steel to Turkey.



              
                                                                         



- A 33' Steel Iletan to New-Zealand.






- I encourage you to inquire about purchasing plans at a very reasonable price; what I call "for food money". Heck!  some of the frames for my oil paintings cost more than a complete set of drawings. In other words, you are not paying for the drawings, but for a lifetime of consultancy coming with the Plans!

- Want to see more about the body of work? Drawings, pictures, renderings, etc. see:

boatdesign.net  50 pages (600 illustrations) at the Gallery. Click on Top Poster bottom right.

- Google and Bing. Yves-Marie Tanton. Images. (countless).

- On this Blog Search: The List.

- Do not hesitate to contact me for more information.
tantonyachts@aol.com
Just mention what you are looking for.





Tanton Yacht Design is 50 years old!

  Very hard to believe.  - From being 27 years old to now and to the future. - Making me, in my field one of the oldest Design Firm in Ameri...