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August 21, 2007Bladerider Moth: The Unbearable Lightness of Moth-ingHorizontal hyrdrofoils lift the Bladerider Moth out of the water in even the lightest breeze. "Gear Up" from our August 21, 2007, /SW eNewsletter/
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July 27, 2012McConaghy 38: Getting up to Speed, QuicklyWith limited time and a lot to learn, the crew of the new McConaghy 38 Carbonado had to prioritize. New Boat Review from our June 2012 issue.
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December 13, 2012Ker 40: Best Handicap RacerJason Ker, master of IRC-winning designs, teams up with McConaghy Boats to deliver a no-excuses, semi-custom raceboat that's dialed in for offshore sprints and buoy racing triumphs.
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December 11, 2012Ker 40 by McConaghy BoatsBest Handicap Racer
Photos by Walter Cooper
The Ker 40 was designed strictly for IRC racing in overseas fleets (1.188), and in order to reduce the higher cost of a custom IRC build, McConaghy Boats offers the boat as a semi-custom option. The hull and deck are essentially fixed dimensions, but the interior and deck layout can be customized to suit the owner's racing agenda, including options for wheel versus tiller, and winch pedestal or not.
The judges sailed Catapult, built for East Coast owner Marc Glimcher, which has a schedule of primarily distance races, so the boat was set up to go offshore with nav station, berths, etc. The judges were most impressed with the quality of the build coming out of McConaghy's operation in China, as areas of clear coat interior exposed good attention to detail and finish. The boat, the judges said, was well balanced, and the high-aspect sailplan delivered plenty of power in the light-wind testing conditions. Base boat price is $318K.
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December 13, 2012MC38 One Design: Best Grand-Prix One-DesignThe light, powerful, and well-priced MC38 One Design takes the prize for the Best Grand-Prix One-Design.
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December 14, 2012MC38 One DesignBest Grand-Prix One-Design
Photos by Walter Cooper
The MC38 One Design is a complete, modern grand-prix package, swimming in carbon and composites, and designed to do nothing else but tear around the cans at high-speed. As an excellent build out of McConaghy’s Chinese operation, the MC38, is presented as the upgrade for Farr 40 owners seeking a more contemporary design, and as a more substantial boat for Melges 32 owners that don’t have the athleticism for such a boat. Onboard, the MC38 feels like a lot more boat than either—it’s nearly 12 feet at maximum beam. With a flat deck and an open, uncluttered cockpit, a racing crew can just flow from rail to rail, as quickly as the boat goes into and out of tacks.
There’s a long list of engineering details that may not be immediately obvious says its designer, Harry Dunning, and these are details (such as the deck framing and sprit’s butt-end support) that they carefully engineered to save weight but deliver stiffness. With composite rigging, high-end ropes, a functioning string-take down system for the spinnaker, mast jack, and lots more, the boat is sorted for high-end racing. Developing fleets in Australia, Europe, and Asia are already enjoying close racing.
