A childhood dream to design his own boat has blossomed into a game changer for Cape Town engineer Erhardt Joubert , and for South African sailing.
Joubert’s prototype Avanti 26 has already competed in its first Lipton Cup, performing well in challenging conditions. If all goes according to plan it could evolve into a recognised sailing class, with Joubert hopeful that it may be chosen as the class vessel for future Lipton Cup events.
“If orders come in, we could build ten boats before the next Lipton Cup,” Joubert told SABBEX. “The Trustees (of the Lipton) know about my boat, and they know that we are keen to be the Lipton boat.”
It’s a tall order for Joubert who is nevertheless confident about the appeal of his design, which seeks to combine racing and cruising elements. He believes the twin-rudder Avanti 26 plugs a notable gap in the racing yacht market – a serious racing boat that has an interior big enough for leisure jaunts, at a relatively affordable price.
“The big secret was to be able to keep the weight down, because of the extra weight added by the interior. The interior was designed to be integrated into the hull structure. We believe we now have a boat that can perform with the best of the sport boats yet be habitable for short to medium cruises,” Joubert says, adding that the market price of around R1m should appeal to a broader client base than the internationally acclaimed – and more pricey — Cape 31.
In 2018 the Cape 31 took over from the Angelo Lavranos-designed L26 as the Lipton class, and Joubert believes his design could be next. The key to this success was a new design that could draw in more racing enthusiasts who don’t want an exclusively sports yacht. “The concept behind the whole boat is to have a new class boat for SA. The current sports sailboat options out there are pure racing boats – they are not habitable. What we’ve been able to achieve is to build a boat that is firstly very affordable and appealing for those people who want to race but also want to go sailing for the weekend with the family.”
Some of the features include: an interior flush toilet, a small galley, a double bed with two additional bunks, a small saloon table and a lifting keel for easy transportation.