Southern Wind a mis à l'eau le quatrième SW105

Fast and comfortable, "Taniwha" is designed to handle long strokes, but also cuts a fine figure in regattas. It is based on a sporty and elegant outline that Farr Yacht Design drew for the SW105 mini-series launched in 2018. The owners massively redesigned the deck layout with Nauta Design. The flat and short superstructure without side windows results in a cockpit that extends over almost half the hull length of 32.27 metres and offers the best working conditions. The steering wheels are positioned directly behind the traveller, leaving space aft for a sunbathing area under which a 4.20-metre tender is stored.

The hull of the SW105GT, which the South African shipyard laminated from carbon on a Corecell core, has two windows on each side instead of the six planned. With a foredeck and cockpit made of Nomex core and pre-preg carbon, "Taniwha" is almost four tonnes lighter than its sister ships that are already afloat. The standing rigging from Future Fibres (ECsix) is also made of carbon fibre. Titanium was chosen as the material for the fittings, the keel head and the anchor system operating below the waterline. The consistent lightweight construction is supported by a sporty sail plan and a lifting keel that extends to a draught of up to 5.90 metres, thus achieving the maximum within the SW105 mini-series. The 3.12 metre long bowsprit rounds off the performance package.

The "Taniwha" owners placed their cabin in the foredeck, following the majority of Southern Wind owners. Behind it is a studio with a sleeping option for two, while four guests and the crew of five sleep aft of the saloon. At the owner's request, the South African shipyard used environmentally friendly and lightweight materials for the interior fittings. Massimo Gino from Nauta Design says: "The interior design is 100 per cent new. It is the result of a well thought-out mix of materials and geometries that we developed for our last yachts. It is elegant and understated, but never predictable."

After intensive trial runs in Cape Town's Table Bay, "Taniwha" can prove her Gran Turismo qualities during the transfer. A fifth SW105 unit is currently under construction at Southern Wind Shipyard and is to be christened "Nordic Cool".