The Hatch

The Dubois 68

The Clipper 07-08 Race fleet is tried and tested, each yacht having sailed more than 35,000 miles around the world in the Clipper 05-06 Race.

The ten masthead cutters, designed by renowned English yacht designer, Ed Dubois, have recently returned from an extensive pre-race refit. The yachts have a glass fibre composite sandwich construction that is made out of two layers of glass fibre with a layer of balsa wood in between, this makes the hulls strong yet lightweight and therefore really fast, too. Despite being 8 feet longer than the original fleet of Clipper 60s which completed the first four circumnavigations, the yachts are more than three tonnes lighter.

The yachts are truly international. The hulls were built in Shanghai, China, while the rigging and sails come from South Africa. The yachts are built to the latest Maritime and Coastguard Agency construction and safety requirements -- coded to MCA Category 0.

The accommodation, as would be expected for a yacht that is designed for fast, competitive racing, is stripped out. However each crew member has their own bunk and personal storage space, while the communal spaces allow relaxation after a hard watch on deck.

Specification

Hull Type	Monohull
Designer	Dubois Naval Architects
Builder	Shanghai Double Happiness Co Ltd
Engine	Perkins Sabre M130C
Length Overall	20.8m (68ft 2.9ins)
Length Water Line	17.39m (57ft 0.6in)
Beam	5.76m (18ft 10.8in)
Draft	3.0m (9ft 10.1in)
Displacement	30 tonnes (30,000kg)
Air Draft	26.7m (87ft 7in)
Height Of Mast	24.5m (81ft)

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