Where the hell is Parnu?

It was very interesting tracking down the history and the skilled people involved from concept to build. I have been very fortunate to make contact with the designer, engineering team and builder.

Roaring Forty was designed by Dutchman Adriaan Konijnendijk of Lutra Design Group for Hans Plas. I understand Hans wanted a boat that could make good speed to weather and not just a lightweight downwind flier. The OSTAR race was likely in the forefront of his customer brief. Adriaan was very helpful with providing information and drawings and was excited to hear his custom one-off (Hull #1) design was going to be raced once again twenty years on.

The carbon composite structural engineering was performed on Roaring Forty by Gurit (formerly SP Technologies) in the UK in  early 1996.  The yachts that Gurit has structurally engineered reads like a whos-who of the racing yacht world...... Ellen Macarthur's Vendee Globe Kingfisher; Bob Oatley's Wild Oats; Roy Disney's Pyewackett; George David's Rambler 88; and that super fast tri-maran Banque Populaire V!

Roaring Forty was built by Akton Yachts in Parnu, Estonia and launched in 1997. (pics courtesy of Akton Yachts)