21
SVN Solovelanet Global
Boats news
L
aunched in Rhode Island, near New York, in the
Fast Forward shipyard, the Eagle Class 53 is a
53-foot cat made entirely of carbon with high-tech
equipment.
The Eagle Class 53 results from the meeting of a
group of America's Cup specialists coming from the
Oracle, Luna Rossa and Artemis Racing teams: the
-
se people are well acquainted with superfast cata-
marans and, now that the Cup is once again aimed
at monohulls, they want to use their know-how to
make super catamarans that are fun to sail even for
non-racers.
The chief designer is Paul Bieker, a well-known en
-
gineer in the carbon composites industry. The boat
is not a racing hull: on the contrary, she features two
cabins, albeit small, and a well-equipped fully open
deck. The wheelhouse is forward, while aft we find
a large bar cabinet, complete with stools and cou
-
ches. The Eagle 53 is a day sailer, that is, a boat for
day trips, suitable for an off shore run and for having
a drink in the offing.A fast run, between 25 and 35
knots, flying a metre and a half above the surface of
the water, is definitely an intriguing experience.
The boat, entirely made of carbon, is equipped with
a rotating mast and a semi-rigid mainsail: a sail who
-
se first portion, the one near the mast, is stiff, while
the trailing edge is made of canvas.
There are two versions available, one of which is
more leisurely, with C foils, and the other one a bit
more sporty, with electronically controlled motorized
T foils.
The tested boat reached 25 knots easily under weak
wind, with peaks of 35 knots
Eagle Class
53
Latitude 46
