comanche sailboat top speed

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

Comanche – the 31.5m sailing superyacht built to win

Sailing superyacht Comanche is a boat that belongs at the front of the racing pack. Comanche _surprised everyone watching the Sydney Hobart race in December 2014 when the brand new 30.5 metre Hodgdon Yachts-built speed machine was pictured tearing along ahead of Sydney Hobart legend Wild Oats XI. It was an advantage that _Comanche was able to maintain all the way to the Bass Strait during the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart. But when 30-knot winds failed to materialise, the more slender Wild Oats XI slipped past Comanche and into the lead, a position she held all the way to Hobart for victory and her eighth line honours. Second place is never going to be good enough for Comanche ’s owner, software mogul Jim Clark, but it was a minor miracle his yacht was there at all. She was only launched in September 2014, so the famously brutal race represented a kind of masochistic shakedown for a yacht designed for just one thing – to win.

Comanche : built to win

Think Laser dinghy or 49er morphed with rocket ship and you’ll get some idea of the qualities of_ Comanche_. At the yard, the racer was partially hidden behind two larger yachts with immaculate pedigrees, _Meteor_ and Artemis , but Comanche ’s square bow and carbon sprit jutted out beyond them, drawing the eye away from the varnished teak of her neighbours to a lean sailing machine intended to go as fast as possible powered only by the wind.

Sailing legend Ken Read, who also happens to be the president of North Sails, managed the project from day one for Jim Clark. Built at Hodgdon Yachts in Maine, US, Comanche had a hand-picked design and engineering team of international experts. It also had a construction schedule that raised eyebrows from the first day Jim Clark talked to Boat International about the radical project during the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta in San Francisco, September 2013.

Comanche launched one year later and after stepping the mast in Newport, Rhode Island, and just two weeks of sailing trials, including a 600-mile qualifying sail to Charleston, South Carolina, the boat was packed aboard a cargo ship and sent to Australia to compete in the Sydney Hobart, which starts each year on Boxing Day.

Jim Clark and his Australian wife, Kristy Hinze-Clark, met the boat in Sydney for its short re-commissioning, Hinze-Clark racing aboard Comanche in a harbour tune-up event on 9 December 2014, where the yacht placed second despite poor conditions. The tabloids had a field-day, captioning photos with, “The supermodel and the supermaxi” and “She’s got legs” in reference to Kristy Hinze-Clark’s modelling career. These days she is a businesswoman, director for the Australian Nature Conservancy and the mother of two girls.

Boat International speaks exclusively with Comanche ‘s owner, Jim Clark

In our exclusive interview with Jim Clark, shortly before the race begins, we ask simply: “Why?”

“It’s a hobby,” he says, “I like the supermaxis, they are like Volvo 60s on steroids.” Jim Clark appears to be done with the J Class and is not a huge fan of what he calls the “multihull phase” of the America’s Cup with its reduced crew numbers. “The old sailing community is in monohulls and it’s nice to keep the guys engaged – there are lots of good sailors in the supermaxis and the guys are a lot of fun.”

When Jim Clark decided on a supermaxi, his plan was to go for line honours rather than wins on corrected time, and speed/distance records that could be set for yachts with human powered winches. “I don’t want any of that record stuff with an asterisk that says push-button winches,” Jim Clark scoffs. With this target, Jim Clark and Ken Read embarked on a “design experiment” for a yacht that could sail 30 knots or more on a broad reach. The experiment pushed them to some extreme stats, which Jim Clark says were run through CFD tests and simulations time and again.

“The 25-foot (7.6 metre) beam saves weight,” Ken Read says. “By going wider, we can have less weight in the keel to keep the same righting moment, thus we will go faster.” This thinking is carried over into the keel itself, which is solid stainless steel and not welded. With a 6.7 metre draught, the keel can be two tonnes lighter than a comparable keel on a boat with half the draught. The governing factor was the depth of Rhode Island’s Newport harbour where the boat will be based when not chasing records. “With the keel canted to one side we can just get to our berth,” Read says.

The downside to beam is increased surface drag when sailing flat in light air. “Being considerably wider than other boats, we need to be heeling at 11 to 13 degrees to present the same beam,” says Jim Clark. “In light air, we are at a disadvantage. When the wind cooperates, there is no question the boat is explosive.”

Hodgdon, the oldest boatbuilding business in the US, might seem like an odd choice if you don’t know that part of the yard’s annual output is high-tech military vessels and another part is carbon fibre limo tenders. In fact, Hodgdon is quite skilled at innovative construction techniques and when Tim Hodgdon agreed to build an oven to cook Comanche ’s carbon fibre hull, the deal was struck. The yard’s location also made it a good gathering stop for its far-flung team.

Is_ Comanche_ too powerful to handle?

Some critics have said Comanche is too extreme and too powerful to handle, but Jim Clark just laughs at this and suggests we “ask Kenny”.

“Yeah, it’s still an unknown but I’m not overly concerned,” he adds. “The hull is well baked and it’s been ultrasounded and X-rayed. There is a fuse in some of the loads so that nothing super bad can happen. But you can’t have a fuse in the rigging… Some of those termination points on the rig are kind of scary,” Jim Clark says.

That rig, which rises 47 metres above the waterline, is more than 50 per cent of the length aft from the bow, a surprising configuration but based on model testing for best all-around performance with the foil and appendages.

Innovation through design

Also innovative on _Comanche _are the daggerboards outboard of the mast and slightly forward of it. By canting the keel and putting the lee side daggerboard fully down, the boat generates enough lift to keep the angle of leeway to a minimum or crab up to a mark.

Comanche ‘s wide cockpit, full of grinder pedestals, hydraulic sail controls and sophisticated LED panels, gives the impression of a workhouse with modern instruments of torture. In a way, that is what they are. Grinders will work these six pedestals to turn the Harken winches. The only push-button winch on board is used to raise the mainsail. Once that sail is up the halyard is locked off and the winch isn’t used.

The winch pedestals are set slightly inboard and Read explains that when sailing on other 30 metre yachts he found that waves coming inboard at 30 knots or so would sweep the helmsman or winch grinders off their feet. “I have fetched up in the corner of the cockpit with pieces of steering wheel in my hands,” he says. Thus, by having 10 feet more beam than other 30 metre boats, there is space to put people and gear in a safer location with the added benefit of space for sails to be temporarily stored outboard of the pedestals on the high side.

Another interesting option is set right into the deck. Small black plugs cover screw holes that allow a dodger to cover both hatches. “On long distance races, we wanted the option to erect a dodger to keep the crew safe when on deck,” Read says. A slot in the cockpit sole just aft of the dodger allows the steering wheel to be moved forward, allowing the helmsman to stand behind the dodger for more protection.

Step below and you can see how much weight has been saved on Comanche . The single-skin carbon fibre hull and foam cored framing is fully exposed. It is mostly black with white non-skid patches. The forward end of the vessel is totally open, to store sails. Directly under the cockpit on either side are the crew berths, which keep the crew centre of gravity aft, close to the position they would be in when on deck; thus the trim of the yacht is not affected by off-watch crew moving around.

Directly under the cockpit sole is the navigator’s area with barely space to sit up. “The only requirement that navigator Stan Honey had was that we made the navigator’s seat 1.8 metres long so that he didn’t have to fight the crew for a berth,” Read says.

Talking to Read one gets a sense he is completely at ease with a project of this magnitude and the commitment it will take to sail Comanche to her potential. He has sailed around the world with several of his present crew and all had input into the new yacht’s design. That counts for a lot of experience, in addition to the French design team of Guillaume Verdier and VPLP (Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost). “Without the designers we would probably have built a far more conservative boat,” Read says, “but with their help we have taken a leap forward.”

On deck, Comanche is also radically different. All halyards go to the masthead, where they are locked off in the same style that was pioneered in the 12 Metre Class. But on Comanche , tension is applied on the sail luff by hydraulic rams mounted on the foredeck and by pulling on the sail at the tack. “It reduces weight aloft,” Read explains, “and allows complete sail adjustment from the [safety of the] cockpit.”

Another advanced feature not often seen on smaller craft is that the jib tracks run transversely instead of fore and aft. “The clews for each headsail are in the same place and we might use the same sail for going hard to windward and when easing off onto a reach. With this arrangement all we need do is ease the track car to leeward when coming onto a reach. This enables us to keep power on without altering the shape of the sail when changing course relative to the wind,” Read notes.

The deck-stepped carbon fibre mast has swept spreaders to eliminate the need for adjustable running backstays. In some ways this is a disadvantage in that the masthead cannot be moved fore and aft when sailing up and downwind, but it eliminates the need for checkstays and runners. The masthead position is controlled with backstays to each corner of the transom and lines that are led into the mast from the backstays to control the rig bend.

“I started this boat thinking I could race it,” says Jim Clark wistfully. A degenerative condition in his ankles that makes standing uncomfortable has recently cropped up in his wrists as well. “They made a seat for me where I can drive it,” he says, but he opted out of the Sydney Hobart to make room for America’s Cup-winning skipper Jimmy Spithill to assist Read on the helm.

“I feel confident we’ll start getting line honours and next summer we’ll do the transatlantic race and see how that goes,” promises Jim Clark. “I’m optimistic.”

Sign up to BOAT Briefing email

Latest news, brokerage headlines and yacht exclusives, every weekday

By signing up for BOAT newsletters, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy .

More stories

Most popular, from our partners, sponsored listings.

• AROUND THE SAILING WORLD
• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Email Newsletters
• America’s Cup
• St. Petersburg
• Caribbean Championship
• Boating Safety
• Ultimate Boating Giveaway

Comanche Smashes Transatlantic Record

• By Sailing World Staff
• Updated: July 28, 2016

At 12:19:41s GMT today, Thursday 28th July, Comanche passed Lizard Point (UK) to complete the 2,880 nautical miles from West to East across the Atlantic and smashed the monohull transatlantic record. This illustrious record had been held by Mari Cha IV since 2003 and stood at 6 days 17 hours 52 minutes and 39 seconds. The talented crew of world class sailors beat the previous record by 1 day, 3 hours 31 minutes 14 seconds in a total elapsed time of 5 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes 25 seconds at an average speed of 21.44 knots.

Comanche’s owner Jim Clark said: “ Comanche was built to break ocean records and the guys have once again powered our fantastic fat-bottomed girl to another title. I am so proud of the entire team and everyone involved in the entire program from top to bottom, the best in world, getting the best out of Comanche . Perfect harmony, and Kristy and I are over the moon.”

The experienced team left New York (USA) on Friday evening July 22nd at 20:58 UTC and headed East aiming for the South West tip of England.

Comanche had been on standby for a number of weeks waiting for optimum conditions to slingshot across the Atlantic, managing a fluid rota of over 30 world class sailors on standby over a three month period, primed to be ready at a moment’s notice. On Thursday the team were moved to a ‘green’ as world class navigator Stan Honey alongside skipper Ken Read, agreed that this was the time to go.

With Comanche skipper Ken Read committed to TV commentating at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in England, the world class crew was led by team leaders Casey Smith, Tony Mutter, Richard Clarke and Navigator Stan Honey. Due to other commitments, Comanche was also missing regular crewmen such as Kelvin Harrap, Warwick Fluery, Jimmy Spithill and Ryan Godfrey (see full crew list below).

Ken Read concluded: “This latest record is testament to Jim and Kristy’s vision. This is the culmination of six years of hard work and a huge team of experts offshore and onshore all working as one. I never had any doubt this crew would deliver the goods – the boat was in perfect condition and the only thing that would scupper the record would be Mother Nature. Luckily she didn’t throw a spanner in the works and this team have once again proven why they are some of the best in the business.”

The weather window promised fast conditions with strong winds, great angles and flat seas all the way to Europe. And overall it delivered, enabling the team to tear across the Atlantic in record time, using only manual powered winches and hydraulics. But it wasn’t all plain sailing, the crew encountered some cold, foggy and squally weather with some nail biting lighter patches that kept them all guessing and hoping that they could stay in the same weather system for the duration of the crossing. They also encountered the danger of ice ensuring the team remained on high alert making the trip, and the record, even more of an achievement. Stan Honey used all his experience to identify this unique weather window, once again showing his colours as the best navigator in offshore racing.

Quotes from the boat:

Casey Smith: “What a boat! Now we have got the 24 hours record, the Sydney Hobart, and now the transatlantic. What a boat! Awesome!”

Stan Honey: “There are only about two weather windows a year where a monohull can make it all the way across the Atlantic in one system, and we found one of them. Beating this record by more than a day is above my expectations and I am delighted.”

Tony Mutter: “To achieve something like that, it is important to be fast and reliable. I am happy for all the people involved in this project from the very beginning up to now.”

Richard Clarke: “Delighted. Awesome trip, I have been loving every minute of it. Now I am proud of the accomplishment for the boat and for the team.”

Pablo Arrarte: “I think this is something big. I don’t think anyone will beat it in the near future.”

Shannon Falcone: “This was sort of the Everest of the whole Comanche program, and I am both proud and delighted to be part of it.”

The record continues to illustrate Comanche’s pedigree since the Supermaxi was launched in October 2013. Comanche has taken line honors in all races but one entered and currently holds four ocean records.

Record still to be ratified by the WSSC (World Speed Sailing Council)

Comanche crew for the transatlantic record attempt:.

Casey Smith (AUS), Boat Captain Stan Honey (USA), Navigator Tony Mutter (NZL), Trimmer Dirk de Ridder (NED), Main Trim Chris Maxted (AUS), Boat Crew Jon von Schwarz (USA), Grinder Juggy Clougher (AUS), Bow Julien Cressant (FRA), Pit Nick Dana (USA), Bow Pablo Arrarte (ESP), Runners Pepe Ribes (ESP), Bow Peter van Niekerk (NED), Trimmer Phil Harmer (AUS), Grinder Richard Clarke (CAN), Runners Robert Greenhalgh (GBR), Main Trim Shannon Falcone (ATG), Grinder Yann Riou (FRA), Media

• More: Comanche , News , press release , record setting , Sailboat Racing , transat
• More Racing

A Dynamic and Proving Day 6 of Louis Vuitton Cup

America’s Cup Match Racing at High Speed

Alinghi Red Bull Racing Bags First Louis Vuitton Cup Point on Electric Day in Barcelona

Barcelona Breeze Increase Spikes Intensity

Luna Rossa Dominant on Busy Day in Barcelona

One and Done on Drifter Day of Cup Challenger Series

Shocks and Drops At Louis Vuitton Cup Start

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

By Product Categories

Small Boat Blocks

Big Boat Blocks

Complementary Hardware

Travelers & Genoa Leads

Mainsail Handling

Headsail Handling

Mooring Solutions

Spare Parts

Accessories

Harken Canvas

Sportfishing

Fly Soft-Attach Blocks

Carbo Air Blocks

Small Boat Classic

Flip-Flop Small Boat

GP Catamaran Ceramic Mainsheet Systems

Protexit™ Exit Blocks

Through-Deck

Wire High-Strength

Dinghy Vang

Small Boat Deck Organizers

Midrange Classic

Midrange Deck Organizers

Zircon Blocks

Element Blocks

Black Magic Air Blocks

Cruising ESP Blocks

Megayacht Blocks

Stainless Steel Blocks

Black Magic Air Runners

FlatWinder Powered Blocks

Mastbase Blocks

Over-the-Top

Crossover Blocks

Big Boat Deck Organizers

Cam Cleats & Kits

Cam Cleat Accessories

Cam Cleat Bases

Stand-Up Bases

Deck Organizers

Spinnaker Pole Cars

Soft Attachments

Fixed Padeyes

Removable Padeyes

Bolt-Down Fairleads

Grand Prix Jib Leads

Halyard Tensioners

Tiller Extensions

Peter's Desk Drawer

Dinghy Jib Leads

Crossbow Pivoting Self-Tacking Jib Traveler

13 mm Micro

22 mm Small Boat

27 mm Midrange

32 mm Big Boat

Windward Sheeting

42 mm Mini-Maxi

T-Track Genoa Lead

Access Rail System

13 mm AA Battcar System

22 mm A Battcar System

27 mm B Battcar System

32 mm C Battcar System

18 mm Switch Battcar System

26 mm Switch Battcar System

26 mm Trysail Switch

32 mm Switch Battcar System

32 mm Trysail Switch

40 mm Switch Battcar System

40 mm Trysail Switch System

Furling Mainsail Outhaul Systems

Single Line Reefing

Harken Vang-Master

Carbo Racing Foil

Small Boat Furling

Small Boat Underdeck

Reflex Furling

MKIV Jib Reefing & Furling

MKIV Underdeck Jib Reefing & Furling

Furling Accessories

Powered Furling

MKIV Ocean Furling

SnubbAir (Not a Winch)

Grand Prix Winches

Air Winches

Circuit Breakers

Analog Switches

Digital System Switch

Aluminum, Chrome & Bronze Winch Handles

Carbo OneTouch Locking Winch Handle

Service Kits

CLR Mooring Winches

Electric Captive Reel Winches

Hydraulic Captive Reel Winches

UniPower Radial

Single-Acting Integral Backstay Adjuster

Single-Acting Cylinders

Locking Cylinders

Double-Pull Cylinders

Grand Prix Cylinders

Hydraulic Cylinder Rod End Blocks

Hydraulic Cylinder End Fittings

Control Valves

Control Manifolds

Control Panels

Compact Control Panel

Rotary Pumps

Hydraulic Pump Handles

Power Systems

Repair Kits

Ball Bearings

Block Spare Parts

Traveler Cars

Furling Spare Parts

Winch Spare Parts

Winch Service Kits

Blockheads Gear

Promo & Gifts

Marine Grip

Blue Performance

Jeep/Truck tops

Garage storage

One-design Covers

Boat accessories

Canvas bags

By Type of Sailing

Dinghy / One-Design

Offshore Racing

Coastal / Day Cruising

Bluewater Cruising

Megayachts / Custom

Service Guide

Tech/Service

deck layouts

Data Sheets (SDS)

How to choose

System diagrams

Calculators

Reeving diagrams

Traveler Purchase Selection Guide

How to Choose

Testimonials

Hoister Videos

Request a Quote

Request Samples

Fabric details

Cover Styles

Canvas Videos

Contract Services

Materials and Components

Our Equipment

Contract Cut-and-Sew Project Spotlight

• Harken at the front
• Safety & Rescue

Harken at the front /

Andoo Comanche

Let’s tour the vplp / verdier maxi 100-footer with skipper john winning before the 2023 sydney hobart race..

One of the most well-known monohulls, originally built to win the Rolex Sydney Hobart on line honours (it was her first race in 2014), and to break records, now known as Andoo Comanche, under her current team, she is still breaking records, and is the current line honours holder for all major Blue Water Pointscore Races on the East Coast of Australia.

"The boat is what it is because it is built the best way, with the best tools and the best equipment, and so a big shout out to Harken for all their stuff. I can guarantee you when we have always gone out we are not looking to save money. Price is always what you pay, but value is what you get.”

Product Categories

• United States
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom

Published on December 29th, 2014 | by Editor

Comanche: Strengths and weaknesses revealed

Published on December 29th, 2014 by Editor -->

The racing debut of the 100-foot Comanche from designers Guillaume Verdier and VPLP Architects confirmed a few things. She is sticky in light winds, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race could reveal this, and she is explosive in the right conditions.

The right conditions were revealed early in the race as she lead the fleet out of the Harbour in one of the most spectacular, high speed starts in the race’s history. Designed for fast broad reaching, the 15 knot plus south-easterly breeze on the harbour was made to order for the big red and black hulled yacht owned by American Jim Clark and his Australian wife, Kristy.

After a brilliant start slightly ahead and to leeward of Wild Oats XI, Comanche swiftly unfurled her giant spinnaker and took off, quickly ‘rolling the Oats’, causing skipper Mark Richards to exclaim from the wheel of Wild Oats XI “She’s smoking – look at that thing go.”

But a ridge of high pressure in the Bass Strait highlighted Comanche’s weakness, as light air and a bumpy sea gave Wild Oats XI the opportunity to pass and extend to win line honors by 49 minutes.

“Both boats sailed a flawless race; but they had their day,” noted Comance skipper Ken Read. “They had 12 hours where they had Wild Oats’ weather, but that’s racing.”

So after this first race have they identified any changes they will make to the boat?

“It’s brand new, we’re just starting,” admitted Read. “Before this race started, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. We knew we had a good boat right off the start line, the way it just took off on that windy reach. Unfortunately we’ve always known we had that one blemish in light air, and that became a dominant feature in the race, so that’s unfortunate for us.”

America’s Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill, one of six helmsmen on Comanche, shared that the boat reached a top speed of 32 knots.

“Everybody got to see the true potential of this boat at the start. I remember looking up at Kenny and he just had this huge grin from ear to ear. Unfortunately we just didn’t see those sort of conditions again until the end of Bass Strait.”

Designer Xavier Guilbaud said he couldn’t take his eyes off the yacht tracker, keeping notes as Comanche changed angles and the wind circled the compass.

“On top of my own list, what I can see, is work on the weight of the boat to try to lighten her up a bit more, to increase performances in light winds,” he said.

“I’ll discuss with the guys here, a little later, the little bits and pieces on the deck to improve manoeuvres, how the boat is sailed. Then on the sail configuration; how to use each sail, in which condition and improve the sail shapes.

“I think we do have a record breaker on our hands. The real answer will be in June next year when it does the Transatlantic Race. I think the boat is really fast.”

By Bruce Montgomery, RSHYR media

Event website

Background : One hundred seventeen teams entered the 628 nm Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Starting on December 26, the fleet exits Sydney Harbor and heads down the south-east coast of mainland Australia, across Bass Strait, then down the east coast of Tasmania. At Tasman Island the fleet turns right into Storm Bay for the final sail up the Derwent River to finish in Hobart.

Tags: Comanche , Sydney Hobart

Related Posts

Double win for two-handed team in Sydney Hobart →

VIDEO: Sydney Hobart Race 2023 →

Alive claims overall Sydney Hobart title →

Victory to LawConnect in Sydney Hobart →

© 2024 Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. made by VSSL Agency .

• Privacy Statement
• Advertise With Us

Get Your Sailing News Fix!

Your download by email.

• Your Name...
• Your Email... *
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The Yacht Owner

Choose Smart for Happy Sailing!

Comanche – A Fast Racer

October 18, 2015 By Daniel Mihai Popescu 2 Comments

Comanche is a 100ft (30.5 meters) sailing yacht, which has been built with the scope to break every yachting record possible, winning prestigious yacht races, and meaning that it will probably become the fastest. The beautiful yacht, a Super Maxi class, has been commissioned by the Netscape creator, James H. Clark and his wife, the former Victoria’s Secret’s Australian model, Kristy Hinze.

The sleek black and red yacht has been built under a contract with a lot of confidentiality clauses by Hodgdon Yachts from Maine. Comanche has one of the largest single-infusion hulls constructed in America, and even globally. The oven used to cure the hull and superstructure is the largest one in the United States, and has been built by Hodgdon Yachts itself. They have been using advanced composites for several years, both for yachts and for military projects.

Super Maxi Class Yacht, Comanche

The naval architects are Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) and Guillaume Verdier, acknowledged names in the racing world. The 150 foot mast has been constructed by Southern Spars and the sails are from industry leader, North Sails , including a spinnaker of more than 11,000 square feet. Launched in September 2014, Comanche is the result of studies of the IMOCA Macif and Banque Populaire, first and second in the 2012 Vendee Globe. Different from her other 100′ rivals, like Wild Oats XI or Perpetual Loyal , with her large beam, her mast far aft and a boom directly over the transom, Comanche has a much larger sail plan. The cockpit has been designed for manual maneuvers rather than hydraulic and therefore saves weight. Comanche has a powerful hull shape and a maximum draft of 6.5m in order to enter most ports. With a low freeboard and lateral ballast the center of gravity has been lowered to gain power.

Comanche and its crew, downward view

Comanche is commanded by renowned US skipper Ken Read, and raced by a world-class crew of twenty-one international sailors.

Her performances, like what Ken Read has explained that happened during the Transatlantic Race 2015, an average speed of 25 knots per total, a top speed of 38.8 knots, and large distances passed in the mid 30’s knots, are things which will make me to dedicate more space to this kind of posts. I am thrilled by what man can achieve with a good boat, and pure racing, like this, using just the power of the wind and the ability to float over the furious waves, even to brake them if necessary.

Comanche Sails!! FAST!! from Onne van der Wal on Vimeo .

Above is a very short (too short) video made by Onne van der Wal, which shows Comanche sailing. Before publishing this, I have been looking for more videos, maybe more relevant, like I wish for this website to be, a better compilation of related sources on different matters.

So, I found this on YouTube, posted by sailingshack, where Ken Read presents the magnificent boat.

It really is a great boat, a very expensive one as well, it took $15 million to be built, and many millions more for the rest (called “campaigns”), and it made second place in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, losing to Wild Oats XI , and also second in the Transatlantic race 2015 (TR 15), loosing to Rambler 88 with a difference of only seven hours, which is really incredible, because in such a competition, they arrive at days distance. More on racing, in future posts, maybe I’ll make a new category.

I hope you like it and I’ll tell you more about yacht racing in general. What do you think, are you speed racers?

If you like what you read, please subscribe to this blog by completing the form . If you want to help more, start by following us on Twitter , and like our page on Facebook . You don’t know what good things may happen. To lighten your day, check our pins on Pinterest , we can be friends there too. Oh, and if you need a really good looking blog attached to your site, or just for fun, to express your feelings more competitively, read this Own Your Website offer! Thank you very much.

Copyright © 2015 The Yacht Owner – Comanche – A Fast Racer

If you liked this article, tell someone about it

Follow Us on Twitter!

About Daniel Mihai Popescu

Daniel Mihai Popescu is a ship engineer with background in sea transportation, real estate, yacht brokerage, construction, entrepreneurship. Avid reader, traveled the world, explorer of the human nature. Never stopped learning, now I create and manage Wordpress based sites . • Twitter • Facebook • LinkedIn • Instagram • Pinterest • Goodreads • Medium •

January 7, 2016 at 14:04

Buna ziua, Mi-as dori un articol scris de dvs. despre velierele cu chila leagan, swing keel sailboat cum sunt cunoscute. Multumesc.

January 7, 2016 at 20:31

Am să caut mai multe informații despre ele, mie tipul ăsta de chilă mi se pare o complicație inutilă deși îi văd utilitatea. Mi-ar face plăcere dacă v-ați abona la newsletter, șamd…

  Comment Policy : Be polite even if you disagree, and be nice and helpful if you can. Please use only your real name and don't post unrelated links in your comment. Keywords instead of your real name will be modified or the whole comment will be deleted as spam! As much as we want to help, only comments related to the subject are really appreciated. Using a non-existent e-mail address will lead to deleting the comment as well.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• AMERICA'S CUP
• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

100-foot supermaxi Andoo Comanche returns to Australia

Related Articles

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser .

• Media Accreditation
• Photo Galleries
• Video Galleries

Comanche on the warpath for Transpac record

Article by Dobbs Davis, Photo by Hodgdon Yachts

Los Angeles, CA -- Jim Clark’s 100-foot Comanche has recently joined the fleet of 62 entries currently preparing for the 49 th edition of the Transpacific YC’s biennial LA-Honolulu race, with one goal: to set a new race record. This 100-foot carbon fiber ocean greyhound designed by VPLP/Verdier and built by Hodgdon Yachts in 2014 was created to be quite simply the fastest sailing yacht in the world, with a design brief s to not only capture offshore race line honors – as she did in the 2015 Sydney Hobart Race – but also set race records, as she did last year in the Newport-Bermuda Race.

And without the structured timing of a race start, Comanche has also set out and won new course records as well: such as last summer when she knocked off a full day from Mari Cha IV’s Transatlantic course record set in 2003 for the Sandy Hook to the Lizard sailing course. The new mark stands at 5 days 14 hours 21 minutes 25 seconds, and may be there for a while.

She also holds the current monohull 24 hour speed record of 618.01 miles – an amazing average of 25.75 knots of boat speed.

The 2225-mile Transpac is next in her sights, with the goal to get to Honolulu in less than 5 days 14 hours 36 minutes 20 seconds, a mark set in 2009 by Neville Crichton’s Reichel/Pugh 90-foot Alpha Romeo II . To achieve this level of success its no surprise both boats had on board one of the most successful ocean racing navigators in the history of the sport: Stan Honey.

Stan’s success as a navigator in transpacific races (Transpac, Pacific Cup, Victoria-Maui) is unparalleled: in 22 races he and his teams have won line or class honors 10 times – an impressive record in itself. And he may have made that 11 had he not sustained a head injury while on board Comanche shortly before he was due to compete on Wild Oats XI in the 2015 Transpac, and was ably replaced by Nick White who guided the mixed Pyewacket /Aussie crew to line honors - but no record due to the light weather in that year’s race.

We spoke with Stan about Comanche’s prospects for the Transpac record while he was cruising the coast of Mexico with his wife Sally on board their Cal 40 Illusion .

“I think this record time is achievable without having to have unusually windy conditions, but just stable breeze along the course,” he said. “The year we did this on Alfa the breeze was not particularly strong, it was just relatively steady throughout the trip.”

This is not just a hunch. Not only is Comanche capable of stunning speed – her 24 hour record of 618 miles dwarfs Alfa’s record on the Transpac course of 480 miles – but using weather data and routing software, Stan came to this conclusion after an exhaustive analysis of digitally sailing this race over the past 13 years.

“I’ve routed Comanche on the race course using historical GFS weather data for 143 starts. I ran routes starting every day 1 July through 11 July, from 2004 through 2016. Statistically we’ve got a reasonable shot at it starting on any given day, but obviously there could be rotten enough weather to make it pointless to start on the 6 th ”… meaning, there is a scenario where Comanche might do what the 104-foot trimaran Lending Club II did in the last race: sail the course on a different start day in order to optimize their chances of achieving a course record, thereby giving up the opportunity to win any race trophies.

“Given that Comanche is out of the hunt on handicap or for the Barn Door, if we had terrible weather for a start on July 6 th it would be fruitless to just sail the course for no reason,” he said. “If the weather forecast was much better for a nearby day, giving us a good shot at the passage record, I suspect that Ken and Jim would go for that.”

Comanche’s unusually wide hull form is different than both Oats and Alfa , since she is designed to be more stable to carry more sail area in a wider variety of windy conditions. Comanche also has an unusual multiple option sail plan that can carry a large and diverse array of headsails and even spinnakers on furling systems on the foredeck. The position of the mast very far aft in the boat allows for this powerful feature.

Her wide hull form, however, also makes her trim sensitive to weight and can be a limiting factor in her performance should the air go light. “We will be on a strict weight budget for this race, and have to make important sail and crew selection decisions in order to optimize performance for weight.”

One sail in the inventory that is particularly effective when in its range of reaching angles is her A3 sail, which is too narrow to be recognized as a spinnaker but also too wide to be a rated as a headsail in the ORR rating rule system used in Transpac. Comanche petitioned TPYC to allow them to use this sail nonetheless, and permission was granted with the application of a significant rating penalty. Not interested in corrected time honors, this was acceptable to the Comanche team since their only interest is in going as fast as possible to the finish at Diamond Head, regardless of rating.

TPYC Technical Committee Chairman Alan Andrews said “These ‘large width headsails’ are common in oceanic racing designs, but not used in general fleets like we have in Transpac. TPYC wants to keep a level playing field within the rest of the fleet and not ignite an expensive sail development war shortly before the race. However, we have been historically supportive of innovation and speed, so Transpac would rather allow the fleet to use these sails with the addition of a significant additional rating assessment than not allow them.”

This was good news for Commanche . “That A3 has proven to be an extremely versatile and fast sail for us,” says Honey, so its likely it will make the cut when deciding what to have on board when they start off Point Fermin on July 6 th .

Stan also said the array of foils and boards on Comanche will also get evaluated carefully to find trade-offs in their weight and addition to performance through the course of a “typical” Transpac, which includes a small amount of beating, a little more reaching, and a lot of running. The decisions the team makes on this and the sail selections will very much depend on Stan’s expertise in weather forecasting and route modeling to simulate what the team will encounter on the race.

Armed with the right sails and foils, a world-class crew, Stan’s experience, and the right weather, Comanche will have a very real shot at taking another scalp by putting a new time on the beautiful Transpac Honolulu Race Elapsed Time Record Trophy (aka, the “Clock Trophy”) donated by one of its winners and long term patron of the race, Roy E. Disney.

“Winning Transpac is not an easy achievement by any measure, and setting records is even more difficult,” says TPYC Race Chairman Bo Wheeler. “This is what makes this race have such enduring appeal for offshore sailors from around the world, and we’re pleased to have a superb team like Comanche come give this a try. We wish them and all our entries good luck in their preparations during these final few months remaining to the start.”

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2024

Andoo Comanche

Arguably the fastest monohull on the planet, Andoo Comanche returns to defend her Line Honours title in the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.  Skipper John “Herman” Winning Jr and his exceptional team including tactician Seve Jarvin, Sam Newton, Iain Murray and Richard Allanson have captured every major Australian offshore line honours title since they chartered the yacht in 2022.  With a new inventory of sails by North Sails, Andoo Comanche will be hard to beat in 2023, with John Winning Jr looking to cap off his impressive run with the maxi yacht.

Competitor Details

OFFICIAL ROLEX SYDNEY HOBART MERCHANDISE

Shop the official clothing range of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in person at the Club in New South Head Road, Darling Point or online below.  

From casual to technical clothing, there is something for all occasions. Be quick as stock is limited!

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Video: Comanche – Matthew Sheahan gets aboard the world’s fastest monohull

• Matthew Sheahan
• August 15, 2015

It’s rare that yachts look bigger on board than from off the boat, but I was bowled over by Comanche, admits Matt

Setting the start line ends in your chart plotter two days before the race may seem a little over eager, but on the 100ft super maxi Comanche it was essential. She might be the world’s fastest monohull after having a set a new 24 hour record of 620nm during her recent race across the Atlantic, (subject to ratification by the World Speed Sailing Council), but when it comes to close quarters manoeuvring she needs space and plenty of it.

Yet by Sunday’s Rolex Fastnet Race start, with a record breaking fleet of 370 boats on the line plus spectators, you can be sure there won’t be much of that.

But there are other problems that the big red supermaxi and her crew have to contend with that you and I might not have considered. Before the race, all competitors are required to pass through an identifying gate, a simple procedure for most.

“There are three gates, but only one will have enough water for us to get through,” explained navigator Stan Honey, “and even then we’re going to have to take it carefully, so I’d like to have look at that a little later on.”

Her draught of 6.50m (21ft 4in) severely limits where she can safely go, making the Solent feel more like a shallow river estuary than the wide expanse of water that it is for most. Even in the deep water channels, traveling at double figure speeds that are her norm, it doesn’t take long to get to the edges.

But it is the sheer size of this boat that grabs you most.

It’s rare that boats look bigger on board than from off the boat, but from the moment I stepped onto her aft quarter where the freeboard is lower, I was bowled over by the expanse of deck in front of me.

Clearly there are other 100 footers around. Two weeks ago I raced aboard Mike Slade’s Leopard, a few years back I sailed Speedboat, (that became Rambler 100 before losing her keel) and yet Comanche feels significantly bigger than both of these and is easily the most impressive.

For starters it is the combination of her 7.80m (25ft 6in) beam and her flat almost featureless foredeck with no coachroof, that sets the scene and confirms immediately why she has been nicknamed the aircraft carrier.

Her mast is set much further back in the boat than is typically the norm making her foredeck look more like a runway, while her giant carbon boom extends all the way to her transom. None of her overall length goes unused, a feature that is driven home when the crew hoisted the first of several sails that were on test for the day.

The carbon, masthead A3 is tacked on the bowsprit while her clew comes pretty much all the way to her stern and presents a giant black wall of sail. Looking to leeward is challenging at best.

In just 8 knots of breeze we were doing 13-14knots at a true wind angle of 135 degrees. Downwind, with the new larger mainsail with it’s huge square top head and the 1,100m2 (11,840ft2) A3 sheeted in and with so little visual clues on the water, it took a while to get orientated. Cranking sails on, to go fast downwind is more like multihull behaviour.

“One of the big things we’ve learned is that we sail this boat like a multihull,” said Read as we gybed our way down the east Solent towards Portsmouth. “It’s one of the misnomers that a wide boat can’t work in light airs. But we heel her over a fair bit as if sailing on the leeward hull and we are fully powered in 6-7 knots.”

This heel angle is also something that takes a little getting used to and that once again emphasizes the size of this boat. From the usual weather rail hiking position we towered above the Solent’s surface and yet strangely I still had a sense of speed as she sliced upwind at 11 knots. Perhaps it was the driving rain that added to the sensation, or maybe the view of the long drop to the leeward side. It was like peering over a balcony at her wake several stories below.

And when talking of views, one of the strangest on Comanche is from her bow looking back to the cockpit where her significant reverse sheer means that you can see little of the cockpit deck gear and only the upper torsos of the crew. It’s like looking over the brow of a hill.

You also realise how little you can hear from her bow. While this is one area in the boat where you can’t hear the huge generator that powers the hydraulics working away like a digger on a building site, you can’t hear the crew either. Hand signals and experience is what counts.

Her deck design has incorporated some new ideas to help with the handling, the most noticeable is an alarm system that kept blaring out just before the noise of the generator eased down.

“We have an audio alarm system for the halyard locks,” explained Read. “We also have a light system to tell us when the halyards are on the locks, but the audio system is a big improvement for us. Everyone can hear it and it’s not only making us more efficient, but it’s saving damage on the locks and wear on the halyards.

Such systems undoubtedly help her 21 strong crew to throw sails up and down as if she was a modern forty footer, even though each sail is so heavy that it has to be craned up onto the side deck.

With powered pit winches this doesn’t involve too much sweat, unlike the sheet and runner winches which are manually driven from the batteries of pedestals, yet each manoeuvre requires careful co-ordination. When it comes to handling, this is a well drilled but relaxed crew. A few words from the back and things just happen with little or no discussion making it easy to underestimate the skill and professionalism that is required. Even Read is surprised by this.

“I spend so much time out on sail trials aboard a wide variety of boats that it knocks me out when I sail with these guys,” he said. “Even when you’ve spotted something, they’ve seen it first and are already dealing with it.” Staying on top of things is clearly crucial aboard such a potent behemoth. Getting out of control doesn’t bear thinking about.

During the course of our morning trials the crew hoisted, trimmed, checked, logged and packed six or seven different sails, some of them fresh out of their bags for the first time. This in itself was impressive to watch.

Below decks she’s a cavernous carbon shell where once again her massive beam is what strikes you immediately.

Having descended one of two giant companionway entrances set either side of her centreline, the main engine/generator takes centre stage in the accommodation. Further forward lies the galley and beyond that the first of the collision bulkheads.

But what grabs you is how low the headroom is for a boat of this type. That and the number of large transverse structural members that make going forward more of a hurdles event than you might have expected.

Elsewhere there are eight hinging pipe cot bunks either side, strung up as far outboard and as close to the underside of the deck as is possible while the navigation station is wedged under the cockpit sole and behind the companionway steps.

On deck I had joked with Honey who was wearing a caving type head torch that the English summer may not be that good but that it also wasn’t night time just yet.

“It’s always night time down there,” he replied.

I could see what he meant.

But for me the highlight of the day was when Read offered me the helm.

“Just don’t hit anyone,” he joked.

Easy for him to say, as we barreled towards a wall of sail strung out across the entrance to the western Solent. With various fleets sailing downwind with their kites set while others beat off their line, you may get a good view of the task ahead but it’s a daunting one when you’re traveling at three times their speed.

Nevertheless, helming Comanche was an intoxicating experience. While you’re acutely aware of her size as you thread your way through ‘normal’ boats, she also feels like she’s shrunk as she picks up speed. Light and responsive there is little sense of her 31 tonnes through either of her carbon wheels, just a feeling of power and urgency as her speed changed with every subtle move of the helm.

Once you get used to the more neutral feel of her twin rudders, it takes no time to get into the groove.

It takes even less time to see why 20 of the world’s top sailors who have ‘been there/done that’ on many previous extreme boats, still seem as excited as teenagers on a field trip.

I had been excited all week at the prospect of just sailing her, now the only thing that I was disappointed about was that I wasn’t joining them for the race.