SW108 "Gelliceaux": 36-metre carbon yacht launched by Southern Wind in Cape Town

Sören Gehlhaus

· 14.08.2023

With bowsprit, "Gelliceaux" measures 35.51 metres in length. The launch caused quite a stir on the quays of Cape Town's Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

The lift keel lowers hydraulically to up to 6.20 metres. Various windows run through the midnight blue carbon hull. The SW108 was constructed by Farr Yacht Design

The keel bomb undergoes its first practical test at the christening

The propeller is mounted on a conventional shaft system, parts of the transom and the aft deck form the bathing platform

"Gelliceaux" is designed to handle long passages at over 20 knots and generate up to 30 kilowatts of electricity via recuperation

7 Images

Photo: Southern Wind Shipyard

With "Gelliceaux", Southern Wind presented the first representative of the SW108 series. She is 35.51 metres long with bowsprit, has a draught of up to 6.20 metres, is expected to reach speeds of over 20 knots and generate energy via the propeller

There are always yacht names that invite guesswork. In this case, even the pronunciation. "Gelliceaux" is the name of a stretch of beach on the Caribbean island of Mustique, which became famous as Mick Jagger's holiday home. The 35.51-metre slup launched off the Cape Town waterfront is the first representative of the new SW108 series. The South African shipyard's model range is rounded off by the SW96, SW105 and the SW108, which is currently under construction. SW100X. The fully designed platforms are adopted almost one-to-one or, as in this case, heavily modified by the owners. The hull shell then serves as the basis and is fitted with a new deck, rig, different keel or laminate structure; always based on carbon fibres and a sophisticated vacuum infusion process. Southern Wind calls this Smart Custom. For the 108, the Italian management team led by CEO Marco Alberti once again engaged the US designers from Farr and the Milan-based studio Nauta Design for the complete design.

Recuperation required more sailing power

"Gelliceaux" is the first model that the South African shipyard designed from the outset on the basis of a diesel-electric hybrid drive, an elementary point in the specifications of the "Gelliceaux" owners. Southern Wind Shipyard was founded in Cape Town in 1991 after Willy Persico had a sailing yacht built there for himself and, after the shipyard went bankrupt, he took over the business, which was 20 kilometres from the Atlantic, without further ado. The Italian entrepreneur was quick to set up a European site in Genoa to support customers. For the 108, he was able to draw on experience with the fourth SW96 "Nyumba GT" which uses a similar BAE-HybriGen system and generates up to 30 kilowatts of electricity under sail via the propeller.

Most read articles

Jim Schmicker, Vice President of Farr Yacht Design, explains: "The hybrid propulsion system meant additional weight and some propeller drag. Through several iterations, the sail area and keel weight were adjusted to meet the owner's performance requirements as well as stability and sail carrying capacity. In the end, we increased the sail area by 7 per cent and the righting moment by 18 per cent. In 8 knots of wind, we expect a boat speed of 12 knots. Downwind we expect up to 20.8 knots." Yann Dabbadie, Technical Director of Southern Wind, adds: "The owners opted for a deep lift keel (4.0-6.2 m), which lowers the centre of gravity by 40 centimetres."

Southern Wind 108: long passages with the whole family

At the stern of the first SW108, both the transom and part of the deck extend aft to form a bathing platform measuring around ten square metres above the surface of the water. A 5.05 metre long, diesel-powered rib with waterjet drive enters the garage. Below deck, the layout is tried and tested: the largest guest cabin is located forward, with three more amidships surrounding the main saloon, which is arranged on two levels. The crew accommodation is located aft, which ensures short distances when sailing. The shipyard emphasises that the owners are passionate sailors and plan long passages, even with their teenage children on board. They really enjoyed the design of the interior. Southern Wind quotes them as saying: "The process was so much more than just choosing the fabrics, colours and some elements. We had particularly high expectations for the design and quality of the interior, and Nauta developed a completely new design for us that is light and airy and showcases Southern Wind's craftsmanship."

Andrea Micheli, Chief Commercial Officer at Southern Wind Shipyard, cannot hide his satisfaction at this great achievement: "The development process was very inspiring from day one. It's great when you meet owners who trust you and give you the input to do something new. We were happy to be supported in this process by project manager Sebastian Allebrodt from A2B Marine."