Shaun Carkeek announces two new TP52 boats and talks about the MedCup

[Source: Breitling Medcup] How many groups/owners are you talking to and how many new boats do you think there will be in total for next season, and how many do you expect to do?

We are talking to a number of syndicates of which two have already signed. Mutua Madrileña and CAM are confirmed orders for 2007. I would say we can expect a total of approximately 10 new boats.

How is your TP52 research programme going? What areas do you think will be the refinements/changes/improvements for next year? Any layout refinements? Anyone else looking at tiller steering?

We`re making good progress. The design team has worked consistently since the Punta Ala event and we`ve managed to define clear trends that will help improve our product. It’s been a tough year with winds slightly lower than predicted. We are however pleased with the boats’ overall performance and the teams are working hard to help achieve the results. With the fleet still growing and modifications to existing boats the playing surface is changing all the time. Our job is to adjust to these changes by evolving the existing boats, while at the same time developing new ideas.

We’re committed to strengthening the boats for next season and you can expect to see small mods in most areas and few new ideas which were currently testing. Our job is to work closely with each team to ensure their specific needs are met. Each sailing team has their own ideas on layouts etc and our job is to listen and accommodate as best we can. Valuable insights are gained from working side by side with the sailing teams and usually this results in a win-win situation.

What is the time frame as you see it for new boats, and what is your preferred/optimum schedule. Are there now problems getting build slots with the top builders?

There`s always a tradeoff between design time and sailing time. This usually varies between teams and one needs to assess this on a project basis. The changes to next years MedCup calender helps somewhat, but for us this depends on how the team decides to utilise the time, ie either more R&D or more sailing. It depends on the level of the sailing team.

A typical cycle involves starting construction of the hull and bulkheads during September followed by the hull lines in October. These dates are influenced by the number of boats and construction techniques (ie female or male hull moulds) however could also be influenced by the test programme we’re involved with.

Regarding builders. Growth in the class has placed a demand on the building sector. There`s a shortage of established high quality yards. The demands on accurate construction increase with every design cycle. The speed potential is definitely influenced by the level of accuracy and care.

Is there still the potential for a Med optimised boat to go offshore racing and do well and vice versa?

Yes.. For example this years design is perfect for offshore sailing. In fact we recently delivered a boat in the US for John Kilroy Jr. The orignal brief was for a boat to win the Transpacific race next year. I believe plans have now changed and they will be racing in Europe next year. To optimize the boat further, we'd probably recommend a slightly different rudder. However this would depend on the specifics of the sailing program.

Any interest from outwith countries already having existing TP52's - Scandinavia, France, Eastern Europe, Benelux etc...

Not really.. Maybe this will change as the MedCup circuit matures and possibly if owners see potential in using the designs for both MedCup and IRC events.

Any movement yet on your desire to unshackle TP52 box rule from reliance on points of IMS measurement?

The class would benefit from a re-draft and general shake up. The rule is coming under fire from designers and needs to be adjusted accordingly. This will be discussed at the next meeting in Ibiza. IMS measurement issues linger and need to be addressed as soon as possible. I`m referring to hull measurement and its affect on the calculation of vcg.