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Sailing High and Fast! |
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Story : Liz Smailes |
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Founded in New Zealand by a team of marine and industrial designers, Earth Air Fire and Water (EAFW) was formed to pull together world class expertise from the boat yards of Team New Zealand, Global Marine Design Universities and the best design agencies the UK has to offer. The result is a highly adaptable team that innovates within its racing, leisure or commercial based clientele. Offices are now open in the UK and plans for a Singapore based studio opens the door to the increasingly competing seas of Southeast Asia. As I met with one of the founders in Singapore, Nick Dearden, it was revealed that most recently the company has been commissioned to develop a highly confidential sail powered mega yacht, with a focus upon powering the vessel via all the natural recourses the world has to offer in a sustainable way. In our carbon-neutral driven days, it’s good to see that the wealthy are developing an environmental conscience. Nick Dearden is the UK Managing Director and explained “The yacht owners obviously don’t worry about the cost of fuel but they are worried about its future supply and the damage caused by burning it. Sail assisted power is not new but the method we will employ is, supplementing the ships engines with sustainable technologies this vessel can expect up to 40% fuel savings due to the hull, superstructure and sail plans”. This Mega Yacht will sail the waters of the Southern Hemisphere and help to promote and encourage others to build similar types of vessel. At 300 feet long it should get plenty of attention. Previous projects EAFW have been involved in are rated in the world’s top 100 mega yachts. Taking a clients’ vision of a life on the waves and translating it into a reality is done on a one to one basis. Nick gave me an example of how a typical project would run: “Development is done with the client’s input at all key stages. Once we sign off the brief with the client and have a budget for size, accommodation, function and confirmation of the waters to be sailed, then the design work can start. During and at the end of each stage we involve the client as a major part of any design and build the project to manage the expectations of the client appropriately.
Stage 1 The concepts presented as illustrative artworks. Stage 3 Models are commissioned to prove the hydrodynamic / Stage 4 Presentation of detailed design and specification for the interior Stage 5 Building. Stage 6 Sea trials. That’s a very quick summary but in a nutshell a staged progression ensures we develop the product that is right for the client and gains their input at all key stages along the way. We have great people with years of professional experience, they all have the ability to do it rather than just talk about it.”
Team EAFW is comprised of some of the top superstars from their various fields of expertise: Bruce Woods, conceptual and creative, Grant Firth for technical issues, David Brown for the interiors, Richard Karn looks after the aerodynamics, and Wayne Smith composites. Mike Whittaker is the Managing Director in New Zealand, the UK office works very closely with the New Zealand office. Nick explained to me that the vast variation in scale of vessel design is illustrated in the Yamaha Design Challenge - a competition to design the fastest most manoeuvrable small boat powered by a Yamaha 8Hp outboard motor. Marine design students partake and get a real chance to run off the lead. Nick Fenton designed the trimaran water trike. The competition culminates in a race of prototypes staged in Takapuna, New Zealand. Keen to develop this competition to a global level and see the Marine Universities of the world take part Nick explains, “It leads to truly innovative water craft being developed, something that this industry really needs. It’s rare that a truly new product emerges and this is a great way to educate students, conceive new ways to cruise the water, and we get to race. These boats make great toys for the mega yachts, you can’t buy them in the shops yet, but the mega yacht owners like it that way.“ EAFW can transform these smaller versions into the larger boats they are commissioned to build. “The small boats developed are a refreshing example of what is possible, in a very traditional market. To date in the domain of the jet ski, bike or pedalo it’s good to see marine innovation,” concluded Nick. If you are considering a life on the ocean waves or would like to hear more about their work, Earth Air Fire and Water can be contacted by email: nick@eafw.co.nz or mike@eafw.co.nz
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With water making up 60% of the human body it’s hardly surprising that being near to, in, or on the water relaxes you…so the obvious thing is to buy a boat! In fact, many go one better and get someone to design and build one. Whatever your marine-based aspirations are, the hard part is finding the appropriate expertise to deliver your dream. However, be it sail or engine powered beauty Earth Air Fire and Water marine can make your dreams an envious reality.
Some features that are requested by the client, or that EAFW may suggest, sometimes seem obscure, but if its what the client wants, it can usually be done. “Retracting passerelles, tenders designed in, beds that descend to the water line, spa pools that ascend to the deck from the bathroom, sails that stow in the mast, it all gets built into the brief and we establish how to make it happen,” explained Nick.|
Tropical Living: September 2007, Volume 7 Issue 4 |
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