New Open 50 takes the plunge

Owen-Clarke design for American Kip Stone is launched at McConaghy

Following the launch of Mike Golding's new Open 60 Ecover, so another Owen-Clarke design has hit the water, this time in Pittwater, to the north of Sydney.

The latest boat is an Open 50 for 42 year old American Kip Stone. From sailing with his parents, Stone has long aspired to race singlehanded and in an incredible display of commitment has gone about it by taking 15 years to develop a thriving small business to finance the design and build of his new racing machine.

Artforms, the company behind his success, is a screen printing company Kip co-founded in 1988. Located in Westbrook, Maine, the company employs 35 people who design, market, and produce high quality tee shirts for specialty retailers in destination resorts throughout North America and the Caribbean.

"Because I’m not a professional sailor, I knew that to get this boat built I would have to fund it myself," says Stone. "To do that, I decided the best route would be to build a successful company. Now, after 15 years of hard work, Artforms is recognised across the country and through the Caribbean as best in its class for design, quality of product, and the high level of service we offer to our customers. I'm extraordinarily proud of this company I’ve helped to build and of its success."

Built by McConaghy Boats, the yacht was launched today and has been christened Artforms. She will immediately be put through the capsize test (the ability to right the boat without its rig from a full inversion) required under IMOCA class rules for all Open 60s and 50s.

The build has been project managed by Australian solo sailor and former BOC Challenge entrant Alan Nebauer, who following sea trials of the boat in Australia will sail with Stone from Australia to Brazil. While Stone has 50,000 miles logged offshore both as skipper and crew, he is otherwise new to shorthanded offshore racing and to Open class monohulls. As a result the passage through the Southern Ocean will see him throwing himself in at the deep end.

From Brazil Stone plans to complete the maiden voyage to Plymouth singlehanded like Ellen MacArthur did when her Open 60 Kingfisher was first launched. Artforms has been entered in next summer's singlehanded transatlantic race from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island.

Kip’s adventurous spirit has long been intertwined with his entrepreneurial drive and his life-long association with the state of Maine. In 1988, Kip founded Down East Urchin, based in Bremen, which became Maine’s first efficient harvester of sea urchins using divers for the upscale Japanese seafood market.

In his spare time, Kip flies his hangglider and prepares for his transition from life on dry land back to the high seas.

To read more about Kip Stone's project click here .

More pictures on the next page.