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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
50 That said, there have also been other very fast trips by the Stewarts. Mark Taylor on Pahi 14 hours 20 minutes is not far behind that of Playbuoy’s. In 1988 ChristineWebbandherallgirlcrewonPrism,sailing in much less breeze, crossed the finish line in Russell in 16 hours and 50 minutes. When the Farr MRX, a match racing version of the Farr 1020, arrived on the scene, it was widely expected that it would clean up on the race course. After all, she was designed more than thirty years later specifically for racing, was similar in size to the Stewart 34 and a whopping 25% lighter. Even the most of the smug Stewart owners thought they would be in for a hiding. In fact,this didn’t exactly happen. Stewarts continue to fare well against the MRX’s particularly in light air races where the Stewart’s larger overlapping genoas provided the necessary power keep them moving. Undoubtedly the performance of the Stewart 34, with the advent of modern lightweight construction materials and technology, not to mention exotic sails, could be significantly improved. In fact, some preliminary design work was undertaken by Kiwi designer Brett Bakewell-White on what was to be called the Stewart Sprint. The shape and size of the original Stewart 34 hull was to remain unchanged. Modern materials would have reduced overall weight by at least 10% to 9000 pounds. She would have been fitted with a modern wing keel with a bulb (similar to America’s Cup Class boats), increasing her draft by a full foot to 6.5 feet, while reducing drag and increasing windward performance. She was to be fitted with a higher aspect ratio rig adding 2’6” to the mast height, increasing it to 50 feet above the water and adding 10% to the upwind sail area. The cockpit was to be expanded and configured like a sport boat,with better ergonomics to improve crew efficiency. The deck and cabin top were to be lower and optimized for racing. Sails would be of the latest materials,and not limited to Dacron as they are now in the Stewart class rules. How much faster would the Stewart Sprint go? Well nobody will ever know until one is built, if it ever is. Some Stewart owners feel that they never want to see this happen, claiming they are having all the fun they want right now. Is the Stewart 34’s reputation as a fast boat intimidating to other class racers? Nobody knows for sure, but in 1986 the Royal AkaranaYacht Club proposed a“Teams Racing Contest”for boats from 33 - 35 feet overall. They indicated that at least four one- design classes were keen to enter. The Stewart’s were a bit late to confirm their entry, but when they did, their entry fee was soon returned because no other class would confirm their entry. We often wonder why. This was merely a repeat of the unanswered invitation the Stewart Class made in February of 1979 to the assortedTownson classes of boats between 32 and 36 feet. “Whenitcomestorealspeed,anarticlepublishedinSea Sprayin1969saysitall. “TheStewartscomeasclosetoplaningasanykeel boat and there are great rewards in carrying a big spinnaker in a fresh breeze. The boats are probably driven harder in a blow than in many other classes. Reliable independent observers estimate Lloyd Brookbanks’ Patari clocked over 17 knots in one sustained burstunder kite in last year’s Duder Cup. On this occasion in 1969 the bow wave rose about 4 feet above the deck on either side, beginning level with the mast.” In a Gold Coast Race inAustralia in the 1990’s,the lightweight flyer Pendragon clocked a top speed of 22.84 Knots. To get an idea of just how fast this is, if you were driving a vintage Holden Special, it would be like hitting 300 kilometres per hour on a downhill run. Concept drawing of the Stewart 34 sprint Brett Bakewell-White