New CBTF yacht launched

Jim Madden's 66ft Reichel-Pugh design Stark Raving Mad III touches the water

Jim Madden, of Newport Beach, CA is looking forward to breaking some race records aboard his new Reichel/Pugh designed 66 foot CBTF equipped sloop. The innovative carbon fiber design, built at Westerly Yachts in Santa Ana, California was launched in San Diego this week. Madden recently entered into a licensing agreement for the CBTF technology used in his boat's innovative canting ballast, twin foil appendage package.

"I saw the performance and success of other CBTF equipped designs like Pyewacket and Morning Glory, and wanted to get in on the fun," said Madden. "We're looking forward to a full schedule of races around the US in 2006 starting with Florida, then the northeast, and wrapping up on the West Coast." Madden's boat will hit the water on the heels of a truly remarkable CBTF performance demonstration with the 1-2 finish of the 30, maxis Wild Oats XI and Alfa Romeo in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Wild Oats XI not only shattered the course record, but also scored the elusive 'treble' victory by also taking line honors and the handicap title. Unlike the CBTF configuration of these larger Reichel/Pugh designs which sport fully rotating forward foils that provide both steering and anti-leeway control, Madden's new boat will feature a variation of CBTF where the forward foil acts more as a trim tab and can be partially raised to reduce wetted surface area.

"We're thrilled with the continued evolution and development that Reichel/Pugh and others in the marine community have made with our CBTF technology," said CBTF Co President Chuck Robinson, "We wish Jim and his team all the best with their upcoming campaign." This is the second CBTF design built by Westerly Marine. In 1997, Westerly constructed the first purpose built CBTF sailboat, the 40 foot Red Hornet designed by CBTF Co. which enjoyed racing success around the US with Peter Isler at the helm.

As with all CBTF designs, the canting central ballast strut will provide potent anti-heeling power at a fraction of the weight of a conventional fixed keel. The canting ballast strut is controlled by an innovative and robust system developed by CBTF Co and refined by Reichel Pugh over the past few years. Madden's sloop Stark Raving Mad III is the seventh CBTF-equipped boat designed by this firm under a technology sharing partnership with CBTF Co.

CBTF Co (formerly DynaYacht) is a marine technology company based in San Diego, California. The company licenses its patented CBTF technology and supports designers, builders and engineers in their quest to further refine this innovative solution to sailboat design. Its sister company M-Ship Co (www.mshipco.com), is currently under contract with the US Government and recently launched a revolutionary 80 foot, all carbon, military design.