img13041Looks like I was right about one thing. I did foresee that the King of Spain, greatly admired and followed, would be very influential in the future of IMS and what would happen next - and so it was...

In the absence of a Grand Prix rule, as promised (and wouldn't we love to know what really happened there ), and a mismanaged IRM (which could have produced an even better boat), something had to happen; when the TP52 appeared it simply fitted the void better than anything else currently available.

Grand Prix rule or no Grand Prix rule the appetite for One-Design racing is clear (look at the success of the Farr 40 and Swan 45 classes), and a box rule does come close while still giving some freedom for individuality and design changes. The important thing is that the racing world has more or less accepted the TP52 rule and there is already a healthy momentum towards a world fleet with the prospect of high-level, truly international competition. Truly very exciting indeed.

It has been a few years since we did our last IMS design. We have since been very happy designing all sorts of boats, from the new Laser SB3 to very large superyachts, but the racing bug is impossible to extinguish. We still enjoy competing against the best and frankly we fancy our chances.

With regards to our new TP52 design, the rule is very typeforming and as a result the boats will all look quite similar. That is in fact partly the purpose of a box rule, as it is intended that the yachts shall sail effectively as one-designs with no time allowance. It is very difficult to come up with something shockingly different (and probably unwise), but there is still plenty of opportunity to create different hull/appendage shapes. To some extent it is a pity that the rule still hangs on to the coat-tails of the IMS Rule, restraining and limiting our options and influencing the aesthetics. Hopefully when other TP rule sizes come to be developed then we can free ourselves of all that stuff.

The major decision for designers/owners is to decide the purpose of the yacht and where it is likely to be campaigned. To a certain extent the design will be tailored to a specific wind range, depending where the owner will race, not unlike what used to happen (if we are honest) in the IOR days!

It is our belief that the next crop of TP52s will primarily be configured for inshore racing. This means most will hit all the maximum and minimum measurement points to maximise performance: minimum freeboard, VCG and displacement; maximum LOA, beam, mast height and sail area. However waterline beam, stern overhang and volume distribution are other variables that can and will be optimised, and a fraction of a knot here and there will make a boat sufficiently faster to make the difference in a quasi One-Design fleet.
Structurally the TP52 class is similar to IMS except that a Nomex core is likely to be widely used, as saving weight is crucial to lowering the VCG to its allowed limit.
On our overall TP52 design work we have teamed up with Efva Willén (ex-Prada) who will be working with us on CFD analysis and 3D modelling of the mast and sails. She will also be involved with our VPP analysis, feeding the most realistic coefficients possible into the main program from the CFD analysis. This kind of input is very important today, and is best delivered by someone working on CFD all the time. A budget permitting tank testing and wind tunnel work will also be useful for validating the core design tools.

I think that in the TP52s we will quickly see a step up in terms of design effort compared with IMS. However, we find it easier to design to this new rule than IMS and very much more enjoyable.

Our approach will involve looking into the hull, together with sails and rig, very closely as a single unit. As with the best one-designs, matching boat with rig and sails takes on a new dimension and that demands dedication and more work. This effort will continue on the water where we hope to offer further support to continue initial development.

Every week that goes by it becomes more difficult to get a boat out racing in time for the 2005 season, but there are no teams in Europe that are yet very far ahead, with the first boats only now being built. Meanwhile some of the existing American boats remain quite Transpac oriented, and so could prove somewhat less than ideal for typical European conditions. On balance the world fleet is still young, and the sooner a new owner joins in the further up the learning curve he will be next season.

While we have not been active in the past couple of years of IMS we believe we have the design flair and ideas, a good number of world titles to our name and a design team combining experience with fresh talent. Given the chance we will deliver the results!

Tony Castro Yacht Design:
www.tonycastro.co.uk

Transpac 52 Class Association
www.transpac52.org