RÁN VII IS BOAT OF THE YEAR
After a remarkable debut season, Rán VII has received the inaugural Boat of the Year Award at the 2018 World Sailing Awards in Florida, USA.
Campaigned by Sweden’s Niklas Zennstrom, the Carkeek-designed Rán VII won every regatta she entered, completing a clean sweep of the high-performance planing monohull Fast 40+ circuit. Those victories included the 119-yearold One Ton Cup in September, where she won six of the nine races at the regatta and finished second in two of the others.
Zennstrom says Rán VII – launched in April this year – is the most fun boat he has raced, that it lights up downwind and is possibly faster than the TP52 or Maxi72. “It’s a pioneering boat.”
Based in Palma, Mallorca, Carkeek Design Partners has 24 years of experience designing racing yachts. Shaun Carkeek is a member of the Sailing Yacht Research Foundation and ORC’S International Technical Committee. As well as his design achievements, he is a former South African Yachtsman of the Year.
The FAST40+ circuit is an owner-driver class with a Corinthian ethos. There is a maximum crew of 11, which can include no more than five professional Cat3 sailors. The number of sails used and modifications to the boats are also restricted. The FAST40+ Class produces very competitive racing in a boat capable of speeds in excess of 20 knots.