Design Evaluation

from Naval Architects / Yacht Designers:

Henry Rasmussen

Uffa Fox

Martijn van Engeland, DELFTship BV marine software, 24.6.2018

“… My interest with the Stortebeker III started when I first saw the linesplan drawing during my study as Naval Architect 30 years ago. I instantly fell in love with the beautiful sheer line and shape of her hull. To date I think it is the most beautiful design I have ever seen, and I am delighted to hear that it is still among us and being restored. I am the owner of a company that develops naval architecture software to design yachts and ships and calculate stability. …”

“…. I fell in love with the sheer line immediately when I saw the design for the first time, in the late eighties/early nineties. I was collecting lines plan drawings of yachts at the time and bought any book or magazine that featured such a drawing. One of these books was “De zeilsport” written by H.C.A. van Kampen which I found in a second hand book shop. It contained drawings and a small written piece about the Stortebeker III and its history. It struck me as the most beautiful design ever.

As I designer I know that designing a good sheer line is not as simple as it looks. A sheer line which looks very good in profile may look horrible when seen from another angle, especially towards the bow. This particular one has a very elegant curve which is aesthetically very pleasing. The shape of the hull is remarkable. It has a rather high bow and sharp waterlines to take on bow waves with ease. The turn of the bilge is moderate enough to provide stability for a large range of stability. The cut away forefoot decreases frictional resistance so the vessel is faster, still the large keel provides directional stability when sailing at sea.

But most of all all of the curves of this design show a striking mastership and eye for aesthetics. This can also be seen when looking at the shape of the cabin, which is relatively low compared to the free board, even more so when compared to more modern vessels. I find it very hard to express in words why I think this particular design is so different from any other designs out there. I think it’s very similar to art; it either gets to your or not. And this design definitely is art.

To answer your question about seagoing behavior, it not something that can be expressed in a single number since it is a compromise between speed, behavior in waves, stability, course stability, comfort and perhaps some other factors. Depending on the purpose, designer and owner some of these factors weight heavier than others. All of these can be calculated nowadays. Stability could also be calculated back in the thirties, but computer algorithms can now be used to accurately predict behavior in waves, speed, accelerations etc. Still any design is a compromise between those factors. That’s why yachts participating in the Volvo Ocean race look quite differently compared to cruising yachts.

I’m not sure whether I”m qualified to say something about a souls. I’ve never seen the vessel in real life. I’m viewing this from a different angle perhaps by considering it more as a piece of art and mastership so to say.

See also the enclosed picture of the half model that I created from the linesplan …”

http://delftship.net
Jacobus Spijkerdreef 246, 2132 PZ Hoofddorp, Netherlands

Design Evaluation from Skippers:

Kapitän Ludwig Schlimbach

Dr. Francklen-Evans

Edward Perry Louchard