Doña Francisca

Whilst on the subject of pilot cutters, it is interesting to note the construction of the "pilot" schooner Doña Francisca, currently in her final stage at Sr. Lopez Mena's shipyard near Montevideo. This is Latin America's largest yacht construction and the World's largest fully-carbonfiber project, and reminiscent of the Baltic Yachts Panamax project (which did not feature carbonfiber rigging), with a significant 172ft carbonfiber/Epoxy-infusion hull. She features a classic "pilot" appearance with a graceful counter, deep cockpit with coamings, sweeping sheer with lowrise bulwarks, clean flush deck with mahogany kingplank, distinctive pilothouse and skylights, plumb bow and bowsprit. Thorough presentations of her suppliers were given at the 2012 HISWA symposium & METS tradefair: Dr. Andreas Winistoerfer from Carbo-Link (standing rigging) and Pierre Calmon from Resoltech (resins).
Doña Francisca (exterior render, courtesy © Javier Soto Acebal)
Doña Francisca (exterior render, courtesy © Javier Soto Acebal)
Doña Francisca (saloon render, courtesy © Javier Soto Acebal)
Doña Francisca (sailplan, courtesy © Javier Soto Acebal)
Doña Francisca (deck layout, courtesy © Javier Soto Acebal)
Doña Francisca (general arrangement plan, courtesy © Javier Soto Acebal)
Doña Francisca
launch date: January 4th, 2014
shipyard: JCLM Astillero Buquebus & King Composite (Uruguay)
designer: Javier Soto Acebal (Argentina)
foreman: Ezequiel Sirito, King Composite (Argentina)
consultant: Pierre Calmon, Resoltech resins (France)
Length Over All: 52.50m
Length On Deck: 45.80m
beam: 8.60m
draught: 3.60m
displacement: 215 tonnes
sailplan: bermuda schooner (1,084m²)
standing rigging: Carbo-Link (Switzerland)
foremast: 48.98m, King Composite (Argentina)
mainmast: 50.99m, King Composite (Argentina)
foremast furling boom: 14.00m, King Composite (Spain)
maimast furling boom: 16.50m, King Composite (Spain)
bowsprit: 10.00m
loft: Doyle Sails (New Zealand)

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