Dockside with CQS - radical, revamped supermaxi up close

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 22 Nov 2016 The revamped supermaxi CQS is currently in Auckland's Silo Marina, ahead of her first race on Friday - the White Island Race which will double as Rolex Sydney Hobart Qualifier.

Originally the 90ft Nicorette designed by South African Alex Simonis, the new project to upgrade to a 100ft supermaxi has been led by Brett Bakewell-White (NZ) and Bakewell-White Yacht Design.

The updated boat was re-created by Southern Ocean (Tauranga) in a year-long project, however about two thirds of the original hull remains.

Spars are by Hall Spars (NZ) and sails by Evolution Sails. The mast is the original one for Nicorette with 50kg of carbon added and a wider stay base to handle the additional power.

CQS' website describes the design concepts and process:

'In order to lengthen the hull a portion of the bow was removed and then very carefully calculated V-shaped cuts were made into the hull so that it is strung apart, a bit like opening the fingers on your hand. The V-shaped indents into the hull were then filled with gussets and a new longer bow created.'

'In order not to have to create a whole new foredeck, a chamfer was then fitted to connect the new bow section of hull to the old deck. This has the benefit of creating a smoother flow of air across the foredeck and onto the headsail.'

'The radical look of the new forward sections of the boat is further enhanced by a reverse bow and a long bowsprit.'

'The yacht has always been a relatively narrow boat and she remains so on the waterline. However, in order to support the much more powerful new rig the shroud base needed to be widened. In order to achieve this, a supporting structure has been put into the boat that is wider at deck level than the hull, so aerodynamic 'wings' have been created to contain the outer ends.'

'While wanting to retain the advantages of a narrow waterline all the way to the stern it became evident, through research conducted at the Yacht Research Institute at the University of Auckland, that for some of the new massive headsails that were planned, a wider sheeting angle would be critical. Hence the decision to run the maximum width all the way to the transom in the form of wing-like structures. An added benefit was also deemed to be the ability to maximize the use of crew weight for stability. Hence the motivation to create a wider platform at deck level.'

'All this has combined to produce a hull that looks radically different from any of the other super maxis.'

'CQS has a DSS aqua foil system installed and she is one of the biggest boats currently using this type of technology.

'The system uses a sliding board that runs across the boat from one side to the other, and protrudes from the hull just below the waterline. The board is deployed on the leeward, or downwind, side of the boat to give lift and added stability.

'The hull, in effect, becomes like an aeroplane with one wing.'