Maybe because of our small brains, or maybe a major case of penis envy, or maybe just because we like big stompin' boats, whatever it is, we know we are mightily impressed with Zephyrus 5. To our way of thinking, this thing (and the others to follow) is the epitome of what the modern Big Boat should be. A quick trip across the pond to Hawaii has only begun to show the potential of this thing. Larry Leonard, head of Quantum Sails, not only has built the majority of the sail inventory for Z5, he also raced on it for the Pacific Cup. We grabbed Larry for a quick glimpse into this world. Enjoy. - Ed


How did you get the bulk of this order from North Sails?

LL

Due to their size, North has always had an advantage during the selling process. In reality North takes orders and Quantum sells sails. The owner of Zephyrus V, Robert McNeil had been a North customer for the past 30 years. With this in mind, we knew our proposal would need to offer something unique before we would even get the chance to make a presentation. Much like the America's Cup and the last Volvo, sailmakers must now provide more then just sails. They must be able to provide a level of technology that is not available from any other source in our industry, as this technology will not only influence the size, shape, and composition of each sail membrane, but can influence the sail plan of the boat as well. Quantum has invested in these technical resources and has formed a technical committee, chaired by Dr. Robert Ranzenbach, to oversee future development. Dr. Rob is also the technical director of the Glenn L. Wind Tunnel at the University of Maryland, where we have performed sail research for the past 5 years.

There were three key elements to securing this order.

  1. Cuben Fiber - Gave us the ability to produce sails that were lighter and stronger then anything currently available in the sport.
  2. Wind Tunnel Study - Provided the basis for the inventory by determining sail sizes, predicting crossovers for each sail in the inventory, and refining sail designs. This was achieved by measuring the load each sail could produce at different true wind angles.
  3. VPP and Sail Crossover Study - The raw data from the tunnel was then integrated into the predicted performance (VPP) of the boat creating new targets and VPP information for the specific boat configuration and weather study. Using this process we were able to provide very accurate performance predictions and sail crossovers (wind ranges) for the race to Hawaii.

These elements put us in a very strong position in acquiring this order. The real test was in validating this data during the race. Our credibility soared when our predictions came true. Ian Moore, our navigator for the race, and Illbruck’s navigator for the last Volvo Around the World Race, was very impressed, "I have never had such accurate theoretical polars in any campaign. It was truly impressive."


What did North build?

LL
Many of our clients have become Quantum customers as a result of sail testing. Typically, entering a new project like this, North would receive the bulk of the order and we would fill the role of the "check in sailmaker", by building only a few test sails. We are very confident in this role and have been very successful vs. North. After completing the sales proposal process, North was relegated to this role, a position I'm sure is unfamiliar. As a result they built two spinnakers, both of which haven't proved very fast, mostly I think, because they used a Nylon fabric. This boat never sails below a 150 TWA, approximately 95 AWA. This puts a premium on bias stretch, requiring some type of laminated sailcloth. We used Cuben Fiber for these applications.


What exactly did you make for them? And can you break down materials and construction applications?

LL

The initial inventory was proposed based on the following parameters and restrictions as set forth for the Pacific Cup. The sails would need to be optimized based on the PHRF rule (no water ballast) and on sailing conditions as predicted by a historical weather study for the race. This optimized inventory will change in the future as the boat is reconfigured for different venues, rules and sailing conditions. Listed below is the inventory we carried for the Pacific Cup. The majority of the sails were constructed using Cuben Fiber. North used AirX and 1.5oz nylon for the two sails they provided.

  • Mainsail
  • All Purpose Jib
  • #4 ORC Heavy Weather Jib
  • 135% Jib Top
  • Genoa Staysail
  • Spinnaker Staysail
  • Code 0 Masthead Upwind Asymmetrical
  • Code 1 Masthead VMG Asymmetrical Spinnaker
  • Code 3 Masthead Reaching Asymmetrical Spinnaker
  • Code 4 Masthead Running Asymmetrical Spinnaker (North)
  • Code 5 Masthead Reaching Asymmetrical Spinnaker
  • Code 6 Fractional Running Asymmetrical Spinnaker (North)
  • Code 7 Fractional Reaching Asymmetrical Spinnaker
  • Storm Jib
  • Storm Trysail

 


Z5 obviously breaks new ground on a number of fronts. What kind of engineering, load, and materials studies did you do before building the sails?

LL
Z5 is a powerful boat. Even though it has a light displacement, making it extremely fast when sailing downwind, the water ballast provides upwind stability that is similar to the modern day AC boat. Two studies were performed in creating the specifications for the sails. First we needed to predict the loads generated on all running rigging, sheets, halyards, ECT, and then on individual sail corners, head, tack, and clew. Once calculated, this data could then be used to predict the resultant deformation of the sail membrane by using a program called Relax. This provided the basis for our fabric selections.


Approximately, what was the original sail budget?

LL
The sail budget for this size boat with masthead spinnakers can range from $350,000 - $500,000.


It is one thing to get the order, it is sometimes quite another to keep it. What have you and Quantum promised in terms of service to properly maintain this account?

LL
Z5 will require continued sail development. Because the boat has not been designed to any particular rule, there are very few restrictions on the optimization of the sail inventory. As a result Per Andersson will continue his research using all possible resources, like the wind tunnel, and the real-time data provided by the boat to validate these studies. We will also provide a sailmaker who will be responsible for everyday maintenance of the sails. In addition to these resources we will provide sailing expertise.


Let's talk about actually sailing this thing. What was your role onboard?

LL
My most important role onboard was as the sail coordinator, making sure we had the right sails up, all of the time, in the right range and targeted conditions. Equally important, was my role as a sail trimmer, making sure the sails were always trimmed properly for maximum performance. Further duties included steering, while on watch, something I really enjoyed! Z5 is fast, really fast!


There were some idiots (wink, wink ;0) who thought Mari Cha III would beat you to Hawaii, and while there was little doubt of the advantage Z5 would have running, were you surprised at how you power reached with them?

LL
Going into the race, no one was really sure of the outcome. Both boats had very good teams and were very well sailed. The fact that we had identical PHRF ratings, created more speculation and made for great conversation on the dock. As it turned out, Mari Cha turned out to be very similar in speed when reaching and therefore was a good benchmark throughout the first days of the race. We were always within sight, and at one point passed her, only a couple of lengths away! Someone missed a great photo opportunity.


Let's talk about spinnaker development. I am assuming that asymmetricals were the order of the day? And what did you do, design and materials wise, that was different then what you had done for Chance (RP 75) a year earlier?

LL
Z5 definitely benefited from the work we did last year on Chance. The work in the wind tunnel at the University of Maryland was a continuation of past research and provided even better data for optimizing asymmetrical spinnaker sizes, predicting wind range crossovers, and optimizing initial VPP numbers. This data became more refined as we were able to include a de-powering study for all sails throughout the entire wind range. Data collected by Chance in the last Transpac and initial VPP data for Z5 validated our prediction that Nylon would not be the fabric of choice for boats of this type. Chance and Z5, both sail target angles downwind, 148-155 TWA, that rarely produce apparent winds greater then AWA 95-100. Therefore all asymmetricals are designed to be reaching oriented, putting a premium on low stretch, and requiring a laminated sail fabric. This was our justification for using Cuben Fiber.


What was steering Z5 like? Top speeds?

LL
Steering Z5 was awesome! And because of the rules restriction (no water ballast) we were only sailing at about 80% of her potential. Top speed for the race was 26 knots, which we were able to achieve while two sail reaching as well as with an asymmetrical and a spinnaker staysail. This speed doesn't sound overwhelming until you understand that we never had more then 26 knots at any time during the race! We covered the last 100 miles of the race in four hours. That's an average of 20 knots of boat speed in only 22 knots of wind! This boat is certainly capable of setting a new monohull, 24-hour, speed record. This is one of the goals we have set for the program.


Regarding the man overboard incident, rumor has it that one night you decided to skip your watch, and spend the four hours down below drinking. You then wandered on deck, drunk and naked, except for a pair of Dee Smith's boots, and it was you who fell over while pissing and mumbling something about how fucked everybody was. Is there any truth to that?

LL
It wasn't me!!!!!!! Luckily we finished, with the same crew that started the race.


Thanks Larry. One more question, off topic. Is Quantum involved with any of the AC teams?

LL
Unfortunately no. We didn't participate in the last Volvo and we won't be supplying any sails for the upcoming America's Cup. This reality is truly frustrating as we have been involved in winning both events. While publicly, North Sails has been quoted as saying that they welcome the competition, in fact they are working hard behind the scenes, to eliminate all other suppliers. They have accomplished this dominance by leveraging not only their control of the 3DL technology, but more recently of the spar business (Southern Spars). During the proposal process for both the Volvo and the recent America's Cup, North demanded a syndicate's full endorsement. It was simple. If a syndicate decided their sail development program would benefit from the employment of two suppliers, then North withdrew its support. When confronted with this decision, none of the teams wanted to risk the loss of their support. In the future it will be critical that the syndicates understand that there is a viable alternative, Quantum!

So life goes on, and we continue to dedicate ourselves to technology. We have proven ourselves time and time again vs. North, so we welcome the challenge. Quantum is only 5 years old this fall and is continuing to grow. We will continue to work hard and see what the future holds.

08/27/2002