IRC/ORC 4213m2009

LOA: 42’ / 12.81m
Year: 2007 & 2009; refit 2020
LWL: 38’11” / 11.87m
Beam: 12’9” / 3.89m
Draft: 9’10” / 3m
Displacement: 4,012kg / 8,844lb
Hull Material: Carbon Composite
Engines: 1 x Yanmar 3YM30
Designer: Botin & Carkeek
Builder: Longitud Cero Composites
Location: Hamble, UK
2023 IRC TCC - 1.269

Construction:
RCD Status: Our understanding is that the yacht is exempt from the essential safety requirements of the Recreational Craft Directive as a craft designed solely for the purpose of racing.

Hull, Deck & Superstructure Construction:
• Carbon composite hull and deck. Built by Longitud Cero in 2009.
• Hull shape as per the original yacht, deck has been substantially remodelled and optimised in 2020 for inshore racing. Construction drawings originally by Carkeek and local professional and engineering by a local specialist.
• Internal forestay fitting reinforced 2022.
• 2 x Custom padeyes fitted to foredeck 2023

Keel & Rudder:
• 2016 rudder, slightly smaller than original, and moved forward 400mm. inc rudder bag
• New rudder 2022 – remodeled existing rudder to increase area/grip. Inc rudder bag
• Extended draft keel to 3m.
• Single bolted keel in tapered box – easy to fit and remove for transport.


Development History

DARK N STORMY started life in 2007 as a groundbreaking design in the GP42 Medcup fleet. Originally called PUERTO CALERO, she was a step away from the other GP42 class - with more volume aft, increased form stability, but with also a reduction in wetted surface area and associated drag reduction. She was designed alongside the all-conquering team Emirates New Zealand TP52 and shared many of her attributes.

She impressed, along with her stablemate MADRID CASER ENDESA, and brought a new way of thinking into the GP42 class. Sadly though, the financial meltdown hit the MedCup and the GP42 class was lost. Towards the end of the series, in 2009 the yacht returned to Longitud Cero for optimization and increased beam in the hull shape.

PUERTO CALERO was eventually bought and went to Germany where she was renamed HISPANIOLA and sailed reasonably, but without any optimization in the ORC fleet for a few years. She was then hunted down and bought for the growing Fast 40+ fleet on the South Coast of the UK, and after a large refit and IRC optimization, was launched into the fleet as ZEPHYR. She sailed with a largely Corinthian crew from Scotland. She showed occasions of blistering pace; along with her stablemate MADRID (again hunted and refitted, optimised and then called TOKOLOSHE).

Deck layouts in grand prix racing yachts have not changed substantially in the past 20 or 30 years, with a type form coffin shaped cockpit, giving some headroom below, with the trimmers typically placed in front of the helm and mainsheet trimmer. However with the aforementioned increase in volume in the aft end of the hull, crew placement has moved further and further aft, to balance form stability, and rudders have also moved further forward to allow higher angles of heel without ventilation. It makes a lot of sense then, to swap the position of the helm and trimmers to effectively sail the yacht and stay in position, keeping the crew weight in the right place and giving the helm the best view.

Known previously as Jean Genie she underwent a large refit in 2020, with a new deck design and build from the transom to the forward hatch. A lower volume cockpit with raised cushioned floor gives a comfortable and efficient working platform, along with a centrally located pit winch driven by the pedestal, which is mounted aft. Spinnakers are now ground up, and a drop line is used to grind them down, much like a dinghy. No requirement for any crew below for a drop, speeding up the process significantly and saving precious seconds on the racecourse.

DARK ‘n’ STORMY has a very comprehensive sail inventory, which covers both windward / leeward courses and reaching and coastal courses.

A simple inshore electronic setup works well on the yacht, with a deck screen linked to a laptop below, plenty of readouts around the deck for different positions, no hydraulics onboard, (apart from the integral mast jack) makes the yacht very simple to sail, manage and look after.

Rig:
• New High modulus Hall Spars rig in 2018.
• Reinforcement around the shroud terminals for use with HELIX jibs.
• New Maffioli Runners in 2023. Plus older spare set
• EC6 standing rigging in 2018.
• Internal mast jack and external hyd pump, serviced 2023 – not for use while racing.
• Custom Wheel system for deflectors. New deflector cable 2023
• New deflector legs 2023.

• Fixed length forestay with attachment point above deck. (3 rake positions achievable)
• Tack shuttle for Jib on forestay.
• Halyard locks for Jib, Mainsail and 7/8th Code 0.
• Waterproof halyard tubes at deck to slow water ingress.
• Twin spinnaker halyards, zero halyard and main halyard all new 2023
• Zero and G/S Halyards
• Customs mast brackets for 5 x B&G 20:20 & 1 x B&G GFD
• Original boom, with cascade outhaul purchase inside.
• Bowsprit with 1:1 and 2:1 tacklines. Inc S/S Bobstay
• Spare bowsprit (same length). Inc spare S/S Bobstay

Running Rigging:
Fitted downwind Jib sheets (under-deck)
Hobble strop and traveler line
Jib sheets
Spinnaker sheets
Staysail sheets
Many new spectra strops 2023
3 x Spinlock XX0812 Power clutches 2023
Many spares

Sails - All North Sails. All upwind sails in 3Di RAW:

Mainsails
• Main 3Di 870 2023
• Main, 2020 3Di
• Main, 2019 3Di

Upwind
• J1 3Di 870 HELIX (August 2022)
• J1, 2020.
• J1.5, 2019.

• J2 3Di 870 HELIX (August 2022)
• J2, 2020
• J2, 2019.

• J3, 2020
• J3, 2019.

• J3+, 2020
• GS 2020.
• Storm jib.

Downwind

• A1 2020

• A2 2020
• A2, 2019
• A2, 2018.

• A2+ 2020
• A0 with furling gear.
• S/S, 2018. With furling gear

Engine & Gearboxes:
• Yanmar 3YM30 engine with SD20 saildrive.
• Fully Serviced early 2023, inc new water strainer and fuel strainer.
• New water pump belt 2023

Propulsion & Steering:
• Saildrive SD20 New gear oil 2023.
• Tiller steering with new Spinlock tiller extension 2023
• Carbon tiller with upside down hockey stick shape, as low as possible on the cockpit floor.
• Spare tiller in storage bag.
• Saildrive fairing.

Electrical Systems:
• Victron Blue (Lithium Ion) battery charger 12 V:30 Amp.
• Service: - Lithium-Ion battery re-vamped 2023
• Engine: - Lithium-Ion start battery new 2023
• 2 x 12v power sockets
• Switch panel
• Ammeter

Lighting:
• LED strip lighting below.
• LED nav. lights at bow and stern.

Alternators:
• Alternator on main engine. New belt 2023

Bilge Pumps:
• Four electric bilge pumps below, with manual and auto switching.

Fuel:
• 28 Litre plastic diesel tank. With shut-off valve.

General:
• Side deck and forehatch deck covers.
• Cockpit floor cover
• Fenders and warps.
• Boom tent / bimini.
• 2 x 1Kg Dry Powder Fire Extinguishers new 2023
• Anchor & warp
• Lifelines – 50/50 stainless steel/ Spectra
• Dinghy hatches with socks for line storage whilst racing
• Boat Cradle with Custom Hull Forms

Navigation Equipment:

• Panasonic Toughbook laptop computer with Deckman and Expedition (license to be retained).
• Deck screen wireless / Bluetooth.
• A&T ATPWDC HF01 system fitted 2021
• 4 x A&T repeater GFD on cockpit sides, 2 x new 2023. 2 x refurbished 2023.
• 5 x B&G 20:20 on mast & 1 x B&G GFD
• Diverse forestay loadcell pin, serviced 2023
• Jib cunningham purchase Cyclops loadcell. (secondary)
• Router
• B&G Clinometer
• String pot rudder indicator, new 2023
• Fixed compass
• Portable VHF
• Nav Bag

Winches:
• 7 x Harken winches in total.
• Pit and 2 x primary winches driven by pedestal in aft of yacht.
• Pedestal has overdrive and dropline controlled with lines and cleats.
• Winches and gearboxes fully serviced in 2023, with many new parts.
• Winch handles.
• 7 x Reelers
• 4 x Magic wheels