Part two of our “that’s my favorite” series from Kevin Dibley… Picking my favorite racing yacht design is hard as I have quite a few that have been ‘re-designs’ of other designers boats, which makes the results of these wins so much better. Continuing into 2013 are some new commissioned designs plus re-designs which I am truly really excited about. With that said, my first ever full commission was a career changer for me.
Jono Gravit commissioned my first ever design, the 26-foot ‘Supergroove’ which went on to win multiple NZ Trailer Yacht Championships under various owners, and ended up selling to England, making her my first yacht into Europe.
She was easy to sail, and was comfortable to cruise which was part of the brief. She was a demon on the wind, and yet pulled away off the wind, which always made her a pleasure to race. Keep it simple, was a constant mantra during the design process and though she launched in the first part of the 1990’s, her wins continued into the new millennium.
Two of this design were built, the second being ‘Springloaded’ which sails very well out of Christchurch, NZ, by the Pender family. Check ’em out!
