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Design Partner to the Enigma Yacht Racing Team Enigma
of London was born in 2001, from the drawing board of Reichel Pugh. She is
a 76’ (25m) maxi sled, originally
designed for fast downhill sprints including the 2001 Transpac Race from Los
Angeles to Honolulu which she took part in following her completion.
Previously named Chance she was built by McConaghy Boats of
Sydney, Australia. In 2003 the yacht was purchased by Carphone Warehouse boss Charles Dunstone, and underwent modifications to optimise her for Mediterranean racing, including ballast, keel and sail plan changes. There followed a busy and successful season in 2003 which included First Overall in the Rolex Fastnet Race 2003, First Overall in the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2003 and Second overall in the Rolex Giraglia. Once off the drawing board and on the the water a close relationship with the design studio is essential to keep a modern high tech racing yacht at the forefront of the fleet. Prior to each season, rule changes are studied, the weather and sea characteristic of the targeted events are anticipated and the configuration for the season is worked towards. This requires close deliberation between design office, sailing team and other equipment suppliers such as sailmakers. Vision, Innovation & the Leading EdgeIn the last decade, few design firms in the world have achieved the level of success of Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design. There are thousands of high performance custom racing and cruising yachts throughout the world, but only a few are exceptional. What makes a distinctive yacht begins with the selection of the right design team - one that is innovating and at the leading edge of its field. To translate an owner's requirements into a consistently winning reality is an art, combining inspiration and vision with the ultimate in professionalism. "Our approach is simple," says John Reichel, a graduate of the acclaimed naval architecture program at the University of Michigan and a naval architect for over 20 years. "We offer a broad range of services, use state-of-the-art tools, and work with the top experts in leading edge technologies." These technologies include tank and wind tunnel testing, simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), velocity prediction program (VPP's), systems development and integration, and sophisticated composite engineering and construction." "I think one of the important features which distinguishes us from other design firms is our ability to think outside the box because we collaborate so readily with these outside experts," says Jim Pugh. Pugh, who besides having a hand in design, is also responsible for project management, customer relations, and marketing. "We're in a great position to utilize the tremendous enthusiasm and knowledge of our own team and that of each of these experts in their respective fields." It is this approach that has led to the enormous expansion of the Reichel/Pugh winner's circle to include nearly every major Grand Prix-level sailing contest on the planet. It takes owners with vision to step into the future with a leading edge yacht. It takes a design firm like Reichel/Pugh to consistently achieve excellence. |
