“Whither” the ultimate dream yacht come true
Whither measures a majestic thirty meters long and is smartly outfitted with 400 square meters of sail. She blends the best of all possible worlds: speed, maneuverability, comfort, and seaworthiness. Sleek and sprightly as a thoroughbred, this craft responds to the slightest breeze, handles like a charm, and accelerates beyond a swift 10 knots.
Whither: a haute couture yacht!
Gilles Vaton quietly designed a series of super-yachts that stand out from their Anglo-Saxon counterparts for the elegance of their lines. Wide, low hulls in the water, discreet coachroofs, and slender rigs. But the main originality lies in the fact that Arrayan can anchor in the smallest coves. With the keel raised, Whither draws only 1.70 m. The crews of other large boats should be cautious before trying to compete alongside!
High-end equipment
- The hinges and handles are ivory on each of the doors. A mechanism allows the portlights, which diffuse a very soft natural light into the saloon, to be closed.
- The four large guest cabins are decorated identically, with a charter-like approach prevailing: none truly stands out to claim the title of owner’s cabin. The decoration is lighter because natural light entries are more limited.
- All the area aft of the companionway is reserved for crew cabins, navigation area, and galley.
- There is no dedicated technical room. Air conditioning, refrigeration unit, watermaker, two generators, two engines, hydraulic system, and hot water are distributed under all the floors.
Whither is equipped with two 250 hp Caterpillar engines with Max Prop propellers with feathering capability. The cruising speed, at half throttle, is 11 knots, a speed that can be reached quite quickly under sail from 18 knots true wind. Another advantage of Whither: its entirely French construction. The sails, signed North, were cut at the loft in Antibes managed by Ghislain Pillet. Evidence of the mastery of all participants in this gigantic puzzle.
Innovation: the electric dinghy hoist is located in a locker under the deck. Space is available for the hydraulic furling headsail Reckman. Whither is equipped with a Solent jib on a rail that allows for tacking without maneuvering. For safety, sheets, stays, and preventers run under the deck. The Boston Whaler, equipped with a fixed hydrojet engine, is stowed aft.
The teak deck is a marvel. To allow the guests on board to better appreciate the wood’s softness, most of the fittings have been recessed. Lines run in tubes under the deck, staysail pulleys disappear into boxes, even the headsail track has been discreet. The primary winches and halyard winches are hydraulic, as is the Reckman headsail furler. This same concern for external fluidity is found in the three-stage mast rigging with pusher boom, signed Antibes Mât: this is one of Thierry Petitjean’s spar characteristics, whose finishes are always superb.
Gilles Vaton: “We also improved the profile of the stabilizing fin at the rear, an essential appendage to ensure grounding without problems, and for the same reasons, opted for two rudders.”
If Whither can bow onto a beach and run aground, it is nevertheless superbly elegant on the water. Undoubtedly, the architect’s success lies in having integrated a dog-house with gentle forms that, without breaking the overall line, ensures good protection of the cockpit. “Today, the focus on performance requires very careful construction and the use of modern materials to avoid excessive displacement.”
Text excerpt from the magazine “Mer et bateau”
Caractéristiques
- L.O.A : 00ft Oin 30.50 m.
- LWL : 82ft 2in 25.04 m.
- Beam : 23ft 6in 7.1 6m.
Draught : - C/b up : 5ft 7in 1.70 m.
- C/b down : 17ft lin 5.20 m.
- Disp : 46,2961b 21,000kg.
- Surface de voilure : 400 m2.
- Architect : Gilles Vaton.
WHEN A PIECE OF WORK IS PERFECT,
YEARS IN THE OPEN SEA ONLY EXALT ITS BEAUTY …
