Devonport Challenge 72, CHALLENGE BUSINESS 45

Broker’s Comments

CHALLENGE BUSINESS 45 was famous as BIG SPIRIT, and part of the extrodiary fleet which sailed around the world against prevailing winds and currents when she was owned by Chay Blyth’s Challenge Business.

The Challenge 72s were built to MCA Category 0 with the brief to provide a safe and secure platform for 18 people from all walks of life to sail around the world aboard. Probably the most iconic one design class to sail the world’s oceans, CHALLENGE BUSINESS 45 was sold out of the Challenge Fleet when they stopped trading and then had a successful sailing career as an adventure sailing yacht in the Mediterranean and Caribbean as BIG SPIRIT.

Her career came to an abrupt end in 2011 when she fell while being lifted ashore for her annual pit stop before an Atlantic circuit. She lost her rig and sustained substantial damage to her structure. In her current ownership she has been assessed by MECAL surveyors from the MCA and the needed work to the structure has been overseen by them. This work is of a standard to enable CHALLENGE BUSINESS 45 to code to MCA Category 0 again, giving her the ability to sail commercially worldwide with charter guests onboard, provided that the rest of the refit is carried out to Mecal’s standards.

All structural steel repairs to the hull and deck have now been completed and signed off by MECAL and supported by radiography and MPI test reports. All of these reports (listed below) are available upon request. The owners worked with design engineer Jim Moore who did the design engineering for the Challenge Fleet initially, and provided the owners with the nested plates from the original design drawing of CB 45.

• MECAL Big Spirit Rebuild report 14/04/2014.
• MECAL Big Spirit Rebuild report 25/04/2014.
• MECAL Big Spirit Rebuild report Photogrammetry report 29/04/2014.
• MECAL Big Spirit Rebuild report Deck Plan Shape 03/2014.
• MECAL Big Spirit Rebuild report 16/11/2015.
• MECAL Big Spirit Rebuild report 02/12/2015.
• MECAL Big Spirit Rebuild report 04/05/2016.
• Big Spirit radiography report 03/05/2016.
• Big Spirit Rebuild MPI report 07/05/16.

The yacht will require a new rig and sails and other items damaged or removed will need to be replaced i.e. soft furnishings, internal furniture and linings, water maker, cabin heater and electronics package. She will also need to be filled and faired in the repair area and repainted. The opportunity exists for a new owner to store the yacht at the owner’s yard either outside or in one of their build sheds in order to carry out these works. Challenge 72’s do not come onto the market very often and they are simply the last word in safe, powerful and capable adventure sailing be it the Southern Ocean or high latitude.

CHALLENGE BUSINESS 45 is being offered as is, where is with all surveys, equipment and documentation available to the current owners, passed onto her new owners. She must be sold.

History of Challenge 72 Yachts

12 yachts were built for the 2000/01 BT Global Challenge and all of them successfully completed the 10 month westabout circumnavigation.

During the autumn of 2003 they underwent a series of detailed surveys and inspections. Whist the yachts and all their systems/equipment were found to be in exceptionally good condition, they underwent a major refit. The 12 yachts set off on their second circumnavigation in October 2004 and again all of them successfully completed the 10 month westabout circumnavigation. CHALLENGE BUSINESS 45 achieved first place in the race.

The 2003 refit amounted to a virtual rebuild with all the systems and equipment being replaced. This included new plumbing, wiring, generator, batteries, pumps, deck equipment, steering gear, mast, spars, rigging and sails.

The Challenge 72′ Class yachts have proven themselves to be outstanding yachts; they are probably the strongest and most seaworthy fleet ever to have raced around the world.

The yachts have an almost legendary reputation for their performance in difficult conditions, comfort at sea and confidence inspiring ability. Their strength and ability also makes them ideal for high latitudes and gives almost unique access to many places that are inaccessible by other means. The design lends itself to a wide variety of uses as well as Ocean Racing. The deck layout and accommodation makes the yachts suitable for corporate entertaining, adventure sailing, chartering and private use.

The Challenge 72′ class of yachts had quality equipment and sound engineering ensuring reliability and low maintenance costs. The frequent and stringent regime of surveys and inspections has illustrated that well built and maintained steel yachts can race around the world at least twice in the world’s toughest yacht race and still remain in Bureau Veritas highest notation.

Construction

Safety was paramount both in terms of structural strength and crew safety. Because of the One Design nature of the race, the design was not influenced or distorted by any rating rule and a sensible displacement was specified. Other important design considerations include, ease of access to the structure, equipment, systems, wiring and fittings for maintenance and inspections both at sea and in harbour. Every piece of equipment had to be robust enough to survive a race around the world with minimum maintenance.

Many of the design principles were based on Sir Chay Blyth’s experience of sailing around the world single handed against the prevailing winds and currents and the Challenge 67 Class which came before. Devonport Yachts (DML) was chosen to build the fleet to Bureau Veritas highest notation. The construction method allows relatively simple and cost effective alterations to the interior layout.

Designer and Design Team

Designer – Rob Humphreys

Rob Humphreys of Rob Humphreys Yacht Design, is an innovative yacht designer with a very good track record for producing fast, attractive sailing boats of most sizes. Before selecting a designer the outline brief was sent to fifteen of the UK’s best yacht designers to submit proposals. Rob’s proposal most closely grasped our vision of a yacht for the millennium and suitable for the “World’s Toughest Yacht Race”. He illustrated his keenness to incorporate the ideas of, and the lessons learned by The Challenge Business fleet into his design.

www.humphreysdesign.com/yacht-designs/sail/global-challenge-72-fleet

Structural Engineer – Roger Scammell

Roger Scammell of Key Designs, crunches the numbers and calculates how to provide the strength necessary for the most highly loaded areas of the yacht such as, the chain plates, rudder, skeg, keel and many other areas. As an example the lower rudder bearing is structured to accept an athwartships load of 20 tonnes.

Roger worked closely with The Challenge Business team and had considerable input into the Challenge 67’ yachts and their fittings. He also designs many of the custom-made deck and rigging components. Roger has an ability to predict the breaking strain of components with unnerving accuracy.

Design Engineer – Jim Moore

Jim Moore of Jim Moore Designs, takes the Rob Humphreys hull shape, the Bureau Veritas approved structures, the Builders (Devonport Yachts) production ideas and translate them into computer files (CNC data) which allows the laser cutting of steel and produce the complex building kit.

Jim also creates the computer files to allow waterjet and laser cutting of the accommodation kits. The result is steel yachts built within tolerances and levels of accuracy that were previously considered unobtainable. Jim Moore pioneered the development of laser cut self-jigging kits to speed the construction and accuracy of yacht construction and internal fit out.

The Challenge Business International Ltd – Andrew Roberts, Project Director and Matthew Ratsey, BT Challenge 2000 Class Project Manager

The design input from The Challenge Business stems from Sir Chay Blyth’s unique experience and very positive approach to good seamanship and seaman like design. Andrew has overall responsibility for the design, construction and maintenance of the Challenge fleet. He produces the design concepts and briefs, and oversees all aspects of the design process.

The Challenge fleet has sailed approximately 1.5 million miles including fifty circumnavigations. The results of careful collecting and collation of data during two Challenge Business round the world races has reinforced many ideas as well as generated new design ideas and features to improve safety, comfort and performance.

Matthew Ratsey, yacht designer, coordinates the output from the other members of the design team, develops ideas, and creates detailed drawings of the yacht and systems and constantly checks the accuracy of the drawings.

Safety Standards, Surveys & Regulatory Bodies

All the Challenge yachts have been built under Bureau Veritas supervision to their highest yacht notation. Subsequently, a rigid regime of regular inspections and surveys developed by The Challenge Business has been conducted by independent Surveyors.

The yachts are designed and fitted out to comply with MCA requirements for unlimited operations (worldwide in high latitudes) Design approval Bureau Veritas Certifying Authority – MECAL for MCA
Safety Standards compliance – MCA Cat 0 & Royal Ocean Racing Club, ORC Cat 0 Challenge Business policy for safety at sea Challenge Business Quality Assurance Programme. The Challenge Business maintained a full and detailed service history for this yacht.