Project W24
DESIGNER / A.KANAI & T.TAKAHASHI
Unlike traditional wooden boats this W24 has emerged as a new type. This project started from the contact of Mr.Umekawa who had strong passion to the wooden boat building with his concept. He resigned a wooden boat building company where he worked for a long time to achieve his passion. We talked a lot and made a decision to build a wooden boat which is as light as FRP boats, has good sailing performance with enjoyable characteristics, makes us conscious of the goodness of wood and has a cool deck shape having the traditional wooden atmosphere and at the same time advanced technology. One year later the final design plan was created.
The intensive CFD study was carried out for the hull and appendages. It has a deep T-shaped bulb keel. The mast and rudder are made of carbon. The structure was designed to follow the ABS rule and the boat could be sailed in offshore conditions. The stringers inside show the beauty of a wooden boat. The building method adopts the cold mould with the vacuum-bagged method to make a lighter and stiffer hull. The hull consists of three layers of wood laminated by epoxy.
Inside the boat a wooden texture is felt with Japanese papers on the wall. Except the births in both sides there are no fixed interiors and you could arrange inside freely. The engine can be located inside or outside.