Broadblue's Rapier 550 is showing the way forward in catamaran design in the ARC Rally

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The Rapier 550, the first in a planned range of larger models, was conceived as a completely fresh look at performance family cruising catamarans, designed for fast passage making trans-ocean or coastal cruising with minimal effort in sail control. 

The most dramatic feature when coming on board is the sheer volume of the open plan saloon which can be quickly changed from a quiet, safe (or even air conditioned) enclosed leisure area to a virtually open air experience by the clever use of sliding doors, windows and hatches. For some extra wind in the helmsman's hair there are two exterior tiller positions complete with push-button control over all the powered sailing functions.

The Broadblue approach to stress-free sail control
The other major design feature is a completely new approach to sailing control, a perfect safety configuration that ticks all the boxes when completing the safety requirements of the ARC rally stewards.
 
A standard feature of the Broadblue catamaran range is routing all the sheets and halyard to a central position near the helmsman. The skipper and guests can enjoy sailing without having the disruption often experienced on other yachts. This is a well thought-out, safety-first approach to sail handling which, especially for short hand sailing, makes cruising pleasurable and stress-free. This central control vision is developed to perfection for the Rapier series with the helmsman literally overseeing a powered control centre forward and inside the deck house at the base of the mast, with the helmsman's seat directly in front. Perfect all round visibility and all sail control functions on the dashboard is the result. The Rapier 550 has all sail controls operated by powered winches with all ropes tailed into bins below the deck satisfying all the sail handling safety requirements for the ARC in just one scrutiny. 

Getting ARC ready
Although the Rapier 550 is already comprehensively engineered for safe passagemaking, to add extra levels of safety and security for a long transatlantic crossing is both a sensible step but satisfies the requirements of the ARC safety protocols.

Mark comments on the additions for the rally event: "The basics of the pre-voyage fitout included the servicing of the engines and generator and a complete valet of the sails with any damage repair. The hull was carefully inspected with attention paid to props and fresh anodes added. We fully assessed the on-board safety equipment and added more items to support any challenges the voyage may present. Two more essentials were installing Satellite Broadband capabilities and the addition of a watermaker.

One of the benefits of the catamaran design is having a deck and coachroof area for solar panels, all part of our ECO credentials in our whole model range. For this trip we have installed an additional 720W array of solar panels to keep our journey less dependent on running the generator to top-up battery banks. We have completed some sailing and equipment trials and feel very confident that the Rapier 550 will be a safe and comfortable experience as we embark on the various legs of our rather exciting journey." 

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, a challenge and a test bed
The ARC or Atlantic Rally for Cruisers has been an annual event for sailors globally since its inception in 1986. The route, from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, to Rodney Bay, St Lucia, allows participants to navigate some of the world's most exciting cruising grounds.

Mark Jarvis, MD of Multihull World comments on the rally: "I am delighted to have been invited to join the fleet as skipper of the Broadblue Rapier 550. The 2700nm route will showcase the bluewater cruising capability and promises to be a fantastic experience for all of us involved, as we join a fleet of around 200 rally cruisers crossing the Atlantic.

In preparation for the journey, Blue Wonder has been under project management with us at Multihull World. The maintenance programme has focused on uprating the original vessel spec to adhere to offshore safety and communications standards.

Blue Wonder has already left Emsworth heading for a stop in Portugal and scheduled to arrive in Portimao by mid October 2021. From Portimao she will continue and assemble with the fleet in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria around 14 November and on 21 November at midday the multihull fleet's journey begins, slightly ahead of the rest of the vessels.

The ARC finishes in St Lucia at Rodney Bay, from where Blue Wonder will carry on her journey across the Caribbean for the winter, returning to Europe sometime in early Spring."

Chances to see the Rapier 550
The R550 will be available for viewing in Portugal, Las Palmas and across the Caribbean, please contact Multihull World if you would like to arrange a visit. Further press announcements will cover updates about the Rapier 550 progress and reports from Mark Jarvis in the ARC will be produced in future press announcements.

The Broadblue ECO yacht promise
Broadblue catamarans have already engaged with the move to ECO yachting with hybrid models going back a decade. A new Broadblue 346 featured in the Green Tech Boat Show earlier in 2021 as an electric hybrid model. The Rapier series and the 550 are designed to be fully Hybrid configured yachts with engineering spaces in place to accommodate the battery and electrical requirements. A new model in the cruising range from Broadblue, the stylish 405, is designed to be a fully 'hybrid-ready' catamaran.