The launch marks the start of the system tests for the sailing ship. This marks the beginning of the decisive phase for the owner, as it will now become clear whether his idea of a comfortable long-distance cruiser with excellent sailing characteristics has actually come true.
International design team
Several companies from the yacht building sector worked together on "Ouzel". The design was provided by Langan Design Partners from Newport in Rhode Island, while Mark Whiteley from Lymington in the UK was responsible for the interior. The yacht was built using a special wood composite technique from Rockport Marine - a mix of cold-glued wood, carbon and glass fibres plus a foam core.
MCM Newport took on the project management for the owner. The customer deliberately decided against the trend of having his superyacht built in Europe and chose a US shipyard instead.
Video conferences and meetings at Rockport Marine
Throughout the construction phase, the design and construction partners met weekly via video conference. In addition, Peter Wilson from MCM and the owner met on site at Rockport Marine to assess progress and provide feedback to the site team.
This close coordination ensured a smooth construction process. The regular face-to-face meetings ensured that the high quality requirements for the yacht could be met.
The advantages of wood
After the launch, Sam Temple, President of Rockport Marine, said: "Of course it was a challenge, but we had a strong team." Looking to the future, he noted an increasing acceptance of wood composite construction, "which requires as little maintenance as any other composite vessel, but offers all the technical and aesthetic benefits of wood."
Designer Mark Whiteley: "Rockport's wood composite construction technique improves the aesthetic, acoustic and even aromatic atmosphere of the interior." The wood in the composite process gives the yacht a pleasant indoor climate and a natural damping of noise - properties that are often lacking in yachts made purely of plastic.
Top quality from the USA
Peter Wilson, President of MCM, emphasised the importance of the project for American yacht building: "There is a widespread perception that you can no longer build a yacht like this in the United States. But "Ouzel" shows that you can build a world-class superyacht that is on par with European designs." A look at the Spirit 111 "Spirit".
Technical data "Ouzel":
- Length: 95 feet, approx. 29 metres
- Construction method: Wood-composite
- Design: Langan Design Partners (Newport, Rhode Island)
- Interior fit-out: Mark Whiteley Design (Lymington, UK)
- Shipyard: Rockport Marine (Rockport, Maine)
- Project management: MCM Newport (Rhode Island)
- Construction time: 3 years
