Launch of A48 "Horizon" – On Time and On Budget!
Southern Cape Yachtbuilders is launching a Chris White designed Atlantic 48, "Horizon," on Tuesday, November 18 in Cape Town Harbor - on time and on budget
November 18, 2008 - Cape Town, South Africa - Southern Cape Yachtbuilders, based in nearby Strand, South Africa, will be launching a Chris White designed Atlantic 48TM catamaran at the Cape Town Harbor on November 12, on time and on budget. The owners of the semi-custom boat, Philip and Kristin Zhivago, will be present at the launch. They plan to sail the boat from South Africa to the Caribbean, then switch to cruising mode and slowly make their way to their home in New England.
"We are completely satisfied with how the boat turned out, and the process of working with Southern Cape Yachtbuilders, from start to finish. It was an experience not to be missed," said Philip Zhivago, co-owner and captain of Horizon. Kristin Zhivago, co-owner, added, "The professionalism of the managers, the quality of the work, and the way that the project proceeded has been a positive experience."
The Zhivagos chose to have a Chris White Atlantic 48 built after looking at dozens of catamarans. They have extensive sailing experience - Philip has sailed for 57 years, Kristin for 32. "We looked at, and sailed on, a number of catamarans, but nothing came close to the 'performance cruiser' that Chris White has created with the Atlantic 48," Philip said. "He has managed to hit the sweet spot in the difficult tradeoff between cruising and performance, and has continued to refine the design over the years. The boat's slender hulls allow it to slice through its own displacement waves, accelerating away from heavier, beamier cats that are trapped behind their own bow waves. Yet there is plenty of carrying capacity required for cruising. The Atlantic 48 has a well-deserved reputation for performing well over a broad range of conditions. I particularly appreciate the boat's seaworthy combination of great strength and light weight."
The couple was attracted to the full cockpit forward of the pilothouse, and the duplicate steering station, complete with engine controls, inside the pilothouse. "We sail in all conditions, especially in New England," Kristin commented. "The idea of being able to enjoy an unrestricted view from the cockpit in good weather, and having a warm steering station when sailing in less-than-ideal conditions, was one of the reasons we loved the Atlantic 48."
"I'm pleased to see another Atlantic 48 hit the water," said Chris White, designer. "I'm especially proud of the way the classic Atlantic layout fits perfectly into the Atlantic 48. Nothing is stinted. There is elbow room in the engine rooms. The galley, pilot house, cockpit and afterdeck give you the room to entertain in style." The boat has a reputation for powerful performance. "Over the last year, as the boat was being built, we went to several boat shows," said Kristin. "When we mentioned that we were having an Atlantic 48 built, salespeople selling other catamarans would get a dreamy look in their eye," said Kristin. "Then they would look around to make sure no one else was listening, and say, 'If I were having a boat built for myself, that's the one I'd go for.'"
Southern Cape Yachtbuilders
Southern Cape Yachtbuilders was co-founded by Piet Human and Albertus Heydenrych, both involved in the boating industry for many years. Piet Human is a well-known business consultant, university professor, and boatbuilding investor. Albertus Heydenrych has been building boats - including Chris White catamarans - at a number of builders in the area. The company's production manager is Dirkie Uys. Dirkie was previously with Gunboat,TM and he, too, has years of experience working on large custom catamarans.
Southern Cape Yachtbuilders employed a team of experienced artisans, specialized in the various aspects of boatbuilding, to build Horizon. "We ended up with a boat that is made to world-class standards, for a very affordable price," Kristin said.
Keys to a successful project
"We were well aware of the pitfalls of this type of complex, long-distance project, and we had heard about problems building boats in South Africa," acknowledged Philip Zhivago. "But we believed from the start that the key to success would be setting up the project so the builders could do what they do best - build a boat - and we would do our part. We wanted to provide financing the builder could depend on, as the project went along, and decision-making that allowed the builder to build everything only once, remaining on budget and on schedule."
The Zhivagos, who are business growth consultants in the States, worked out a detailed contract with Southern Cape Yachtbuilders using a South African lawyer, Stoffel Ackerman. "We made sure the contract protected everyone from the wellknown pitfalls of custom boatbuilding," said Philip. "For example, we structured the project so the builders had sufficient funds as the project progressed. And, we also owned the boat from the beginning, so if there had been problems with the builder, we could have had the boat completed by another builder, if that had become necessary."
The Zhivagos had weekly teleconferences with Albertus Heydenrych, who also emailed timely progress photos as the boat was being built. "We had many conversations about the most desirable way to detail the accommodations and systems," said Albertus.
The Zhivagos employed a professional surveyor, Brian Gowans, to act as a third-party inspector of the construction of the boat. In addition, the designer, Chris White, visited the factory as the boat was being built and was pleased with the quality of the construction.
Horizon is the third Atlantic 48 made in South Africa. Southern Cape Yachtbuilders has the moulds for both the Atlantic 48 and the Atlantic 42.TM "Based on the success of this project, we would highly recommend Southern Cape Yachtbuilders to anyone who was interested in the Atlantic catamarans," said Philip Zhivago.
The Atlantic 48 can be seen on the designer's website: http://www.ChrisWhiteDesigns.com. The website for Southern Cape Yachtbuilders is http://www.southerncapeyachtbuilders.com.
Atlantic 48 and Atlantic 42 are trademarks of Christopher R. White. Other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective holders.