Grant Dalton joins Mike Hosking after Team NZ launched their new America’s Cup AC75 boat Te Rehutai.
Team NZ boss Grant Dalton will soon be delivered a state-of-the-art $3.7 million catamaran he helped design - complete with a $5200 wine fridge and $10,000 satellite TV.
The boat is being built in a Chinese factory. The chief executive of America's Cup Event will be delivered the firstof the MC63P "power cat" boats from a 12,500 square metre boat-making facility in Zhuhai, China.
The facility with 150 staff is owned by renowned Australian boat builders McConaghy, who constructed the Wild Oats XI maxi yacht which has won the famous Sydney to Hobart race a record nine times.
Managing director of the company Mark Evans said Dalton had been collaborating with McConaghy Boats for the past six months designing the 19-metre multihull motorboat.
"Grant has known McConaghy Boats for many years, and through industry colleagues, he made contact with us. Grant liked the current styling of MC range of sail and power multihulls," Evans said.
The MC63P has custom-made solar panels and glass to charge on-board lithium batteries to reduce the $43,000 generator run times. Photo / Supplied
"We have a MC59p that is a long-range power catamaran, which is a smaller-volume power cat. From there, Grant had a lot of input into developing a new-version power cat, now the MC63p, which has much larger living-area volumes, much more suited to his personal needs and cruising requirements."
The base boat price is $3.7 million and includes a $5200 wine fridge, $10,600 satellite TV, $21,500 for removable carpets, a $31,000 desalinating water maker, $80,000 air conditioning system and a $134,000 hydraulic swim platform.
The MC63P "power cat" boats will be constructed from a 12,500 square metre boat-making facility in Zhuhai, China. Photo / Supplied
Team NZ did not respond to the Herald's questions around Dalton's purchase.
Dalton will be delivered the first of the McConaghy MC63P boats imminently.
A McConaghy Boats representative said they signed a commission for their second MC63p on February 25, and were currently in communication with several other clients.
Team NZ boss Grant Dalton.
"For Grant, it's being built like we would of a custom yacht," Evans said of the collaboration process on the MC63P.
"Once the fundamental GA and overall dimension were finalised, we completed a weight study, then we were into manufacturing."
There are three different interior designs to choose from for the MC63P. This one is called Sweden. Photo / Supplied
The MC63p is able to achieve a top speed of 36kts and has a range of 1500 nautical miles.
It is constructed largely of carbon fibre and has six bedroom cabins.
The interior of the MC63P. Photo / Supplied
The Team NZ boss's enthusiasm for big toys has been well documented.
Dalton will be delivered the first of the $3.7m McConaghy MC63P boats imminently. Photo / Supplied
Evans said the reason the MC63P was being built in their Chinese boat facility rather than their Sydney one was because the yard catered to boats designed for multiple production runs, rather than custom builds.
"The Zhuhai facility is set up more for the semi-production runs with 12,500 sqm of factory and over 150 staff which enables us to build up to 20 semi-production yachts simultaneously, and in turn, due the factory location set up , there is a cost saving," he said.
"The Sydney facility is oriented towards custom built, R&D and refit."
The base boat price is $3.7 million and includes a $5200 wine fridge, $10,600 satelite TV and $21,500 for removable carpets. Photo / Supplied
Evans says Dalton's boat also "has the environment in mind with green solutions".
By achieving a semi-foiling - somewhat like the Team NZ America's Cup race boat - it can reduce up to 30 per cent of its fuel burn.
It also has custom-made solar panels and glass to charge onboard lithium batteries to reduce the $43,000 generator run times.
