shaw awe
Hot on the heels of a 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Coastal Classic handicap results, leading New Zealand yacht designer Rob Shaw and the team behind www.shaw650.com are now proud to join Sailing Anarchy as an advertiser, delivering the first fiberglass production Shaw 650 sports boat racing yacht to Queensland end of October. This is one of 3 boats for delivery to Australia in 2010, and 1 of 18 Shaw 650s already under construction or completed worldwide.
Sporting an impressive race record in USA, Thailand and New Zealand, these distinctively small yet fast racing yachts deliver performance, fun and affordability in a light weight simple to sail package.
Measuring 6.5m with a 2.45m beam, small wings create a comfortable hiking position for the 3 or 4 person crew. Careful composite engineering using vinylester, foam core and carbon reinforcements means the complete boats weigh in at approx 343kg/755lb including rig, sails, outboard and safety gear; with a 100kg/220lb lead bulb providing ample righting moment. A full carbon twin spreader rig carries approx 27sqm upwind and a masthead 53sqm asym kite downwind, which combined with the light displacement means the class is one of the quickest at the 6.5m/’20-something’ length.
“My concept in designing the Shaw 650 was to create an economical sports boat yet with outstanding performance for size,” explained designer Rob Shaw. “Owners can build the boats themselves in cedar or buy a production Shaw boat which includes all the best features, in a light and easy to sail package.”
The Shaw comes standard with Harken deckgear, C-Tech Carbon mast, boom and prod, high performance Kevlar sails and a custom EVA deck for comfortable sailing. Constructed in New Zealand with a proven design and top speeds 20 knots+, the 650 is a viable alternative to larger racing yacht owners wishing for the same speeds at lower cost, or dinghy/sports boat sailors wanting a new challenge.
As well as Australia, Shaws are available in Asia, USA and around with world, with attractive pricing for the northern hemisphere as 2011 season rolls in, with one design status likely to be achieved in 3 countries within the next 12 months.
And in a nod to Anarchy, the boat names launched to date match the fun out on the water: Pornstar, Snatch, Whaka (pronounced Far-ker), Moneyshot, Barely Legal, Badonkadonk, Monkey Business and now Situation Normal (aka SNAFU). Further information on the production Shaw 650 is available here at and Rob Shaw’s designs are showcased here.
