Torrential rain is not generally associated with innovation. This may change thanks to SA’s compact catamaran specialists HopYacht, which recently unveiled a new weatherproof helm station inspired by the Cape’s current abysmal weather conditions.
HopYacht co-founder Paul Tomes says the new helm station was specifically designed to counter the best (or worst) the Cape of Storms has to offer. “For the past 5 weeks, we have had what has felt like a never-ending series of cold fronts rolling in from the Atlantic, causing widespread flooding. And this has been the nudge we needed to rethink the design of our helm station enclosure,” Tomes says in his most recent newsletter. “On the inboard side, a zip-open window creates access to the winch and genoa sheets. On the outboard side a full length zip-up and roll-up door provides quick access to the side deck. HopYacht 005 has been equipped with the new helm enclosure and will be on show at the La Rochelle Boat Show in France 1-6 October 2024,” Tomes says.