[english] Sailing Yacht STORMVOGEL (outside)

Read more: STORMVOGEL inside!

Read more: STORMVOGEL technical specification

Our sailing yacht STORMVOGEL is a „one -off “ KOOPMANS 48. „One-Off “ means that there is only one version of this in the world. Although we have now discovered three other KOOPMANS 48 hulls, but they are either not completed or completely different set up and expanded .

The Dutch designer Dick Koopmans (senior) has almost 1,000 yachts designed and himself laid many, many miles aboard his boat back. Sailing practice instead of floating apartments.

Of course we find our STORMVOGEL very nice – otherwise we would not even bought it. But others find it beautiful, too: We are often approached with the words „what a beautiful boat“.

Exactly! 😉

STORMVOGEL has a displacement of 19 tons , is 14.50 meters long and 3.90 meters wide, so she is pretty slim!

With the swing keel , the boat has a variable draft from 1.50 to 2.70 meters . With the extended swing keel the boat runs very well on the wind height, otherwise it is not needed.

STORMVOGEL at the yard in TAHITI

Through the ingenious long keel propeller and rudder are protected against maximum groundings and in the water floating objects. The swing keel hydraulics has a pressure relief valve so that it automatically retracts when touching ground .

The combination of aluminum and teak is sometimes a technical problem, but looks incredibly good! In addition, the teak is of course much more pleasant if you like barefoot running – because by the wide treads on each side you can really go over the top 😉

The mast height is 19.00 meters above waterline 17.20 meters above deck. The cutter rig with two always to use headsails facilitates sail handling enormous, as much smaller sail areas need to be moved, as in one large Genoa.

The mainsail is served on the mast – two „granny bars“ (mastheads) ensure maximum safety for the work on the mast.

Besides the two forestays for YANKEE (first, high -cut sail) and Jib (second , smaller headsail), there are still a baby forestay attaches to the height of the first spreader. To port and starboard , there are three shrouds which hold the mast laterally. In addition to the two running backstays distribute the aft load.

In our experience, you reef best as follows :

• First (always) the mainsail (first, second, third reef).
• Decrease the YANKEE accordingly and take all away at the end.
• The JIB stays always and is reefed or taken away as a last resort.

With the pole theYANKEE could be adjusted in any position. The pole is mounted with a rail at the mast so fattening side always safe.

Downwind take the mainsail to the opposite wind side and fixed the boom with a preventer – we now lie on both sides of permanent lines with snap hook.
The YANKEE is than poled on the other side.
In order to reef the mainsail downwind, you have to luff short to take the wind pressure from the mainsail – while the ball bearings at the main sail takes care that the main falls in any position – but you reef usually only in strong winds and there the mainsail can sometimes get stuck in the lower spreader, if you want to reef flat from the wind.

The classic hull design ensures a narrow tail and thus for very good control behavior on any course. Furthermore, the cockpit offers at any time protection, supporting and holding facilities.
The modern yachts with a broad tail might run faster on the wind and have a larger space (!) – But does it really count on the long journey?

The amenities of a deck salons are described elsewhere, the superstructure adds very well into the torso line. On us sometimes affects the spray hood visually disturbing, but the one you can fold them (eg races) away and on the other a good spray hood on a long journey is absolutely necessary.

Peter.

Read more: STORMVOGEL inside!

Read more: STORMVOGEL technical specification