Yachting: Innovative 30m maxi defies belief

The 30m Maximus at its launch at the Viaduct Harbour yesterday. Picture / Brett Phibbs

A slick silver-coloured yacht aptly named Maximus was launched in Auckland yesterday, its owners Bill Buckley and Charles Brown confident they have built the fastest and most innovative supermaxi in the world.

A staggering 30m (100ft) long with an estimated worth of between $6 million to $10 million, it is the biggest racing yacht built in New Zealand.

Designed by Greg Elliot and Clay Oliver and built by Cookson's boat yard, two of the yacht's distinguishing features are its retractable canting keel and revolutionary rotating wing mast, the first of its kind on a maxi yacht.

Canting keels or swinging keels are a natural progression in yacht design, however there has been much debate over their safety following the capsizing of Australian supermaxi Skandia in the Sydney to Hobart race, which occurred after a mechanism in the canting keel failed.

Skandia's failure did not put them off the concept but prompted them to have another look at it, Brown said.

Brown and Buckley's friendship spans more than a decade. They met at a regatta in Kawau and are now the proud parents of what should be one of the fastest machines on water. While Brown is an experienced ocean racer and has previously owned a range of yachts, Maximus is Buckley's first.

"Some might say this vessel is a little over the top for his first but that is Bill," Brown said.

The boat's name originated from the design brief which stated maximum power to weight ratio.

"We pray for maximum speed, maximum impact and maximum success on Maximus," Brown said.

"We are proud Kiwis and we will proudly fly the New Zealand flag on the international supermaxi circuit."

There are around 20 supermaxis in the world and it has been predicted that at least five new 30m boats will be on the start line in this year's Sydney to Hobart.

Konica Minolta, owned by Wellington businessman Stewart Thwaites, has flown the supermaxi flag for New Zealand in recent times.

Thwaites was in Auckland yesterday and appeared as spellbound as most who attended the launch.

"It just looks beautiful," he said.

However the two Kiwi yachts are not expected to meet head on for some time. Maximus will be shipped to Antigua in mid March for Antigua race week which kicks off a tough schedule that will culminate with the Sydney to Hobart in December.

Konica Minolta will remain in the Southern Hemisphere until later this year when it will be fitted with a canting keel and then taken to Cape Town for the race to Rio, bypassing the Sydney to Hobart.

About Maximus

* Owners: Bill Buckley and Charles Brown

* Designers: Greg Elliot and Clay Oliver

* Length: 30m (100ft)

* Cost: between $6 to $10 million

* All New Zealand designers, builders, engineers and sailors

* Features: Light displacement carbon fibre construction, rotating wing mast, retractable canting keel, maximum power to weight ratio, 500 square metre upwind sail area, 800 square metre downwind sail area.