Keel Loss of Dutch Yacht Capella (Report)

[lpdsn]

I nicked this link from SA. It is the report by the Belgian equivalent of MAIB into the loss of the keel from a Dutch yacht last year. Not seen the report discussed here but if there's already a thread on it my apologies.

https://mobilit.belgium.be/sites/default/files/resources/files/report_capella.pdf

In summary. A number of keel bolts fractured in a suspected heavy grounding. Remaining keel bolts failed through fatigue. Design was a one-off and the arrangement of the keel attachment meant that the bolts still appeared tight after fracture so damage wasn't apparent.

 

[[3889]]

Redolent of the loss of Hooligan V off Weymouth. Keel tweeking seems to be a serious business, best left to naval architects who have oversight of all design parameters.

 

[CCJ]

I nicked this link from SA. It is the report by the Belgian equivalent of MAIB into the loss of the keel from a Dutch yacht last year. Not seen the report discussed here but if there's already a thread on it my apologies.

https://mobilit.belgium.be/sites/default/files/resources/files/report_capella.pdf

In summary. A number of keel bolts fractured in a suspected heavy grounding. Remaining keel bolts failed through fatigue. Design was a one-off and the arrangement of the keel attachment meant that the bolts still appeared tight after fracture so damage wasn't apparent.

Wasnt Frans Maas the owner & yacht`s designer ( Note post 2 ) & he died in the accident

 

[JumbleDuck]

Redolent of the loss of Hooligan V off Weymouth. Keel tweeking seems to be a serious business, best left to naval architects who have oversight of all design parameters.

I'm sure that I read that Tony Bullimore had increased the size of Exide Challenger's keel against the explicit advice of its designer.

 

[lpdsn]

Redolent of the loss of Hooligan V off Weymouth. Keel tweeking seems to be a serious business, best left to naval architects who have oversight of all design parameters.

Hooligan V was an unauthorised modification during fabrication without the designers knowledge. In this case the owner was the designer. He didn't survive so isn't here to defend himself but I understand he was suitably qualified.

It seems more redolent of the Jeanneau that lost its keel in the Scillies without noticing or CR where the damage was there but not easily detected.

They say Capella wa lifted and inspected after each grounding (one of them was apparently very serious with repeated re-groundings during recovery) but the design feature of welding the bolts to a plate seems to have hidden the damage.

 

[CCJ]

Frans Maas
1937-2017
Dutch designer, builder and ocean racer. An early proponent of glass fiber construction. Maas designs achieved great racing success in the 1960's during the heyday of the RORC rule.
SORT BY LOA
SORT BY BOAT/CLASS NAME
BY THIS DESIGNER:
NAME/TYPE LOA First Built
English / Metric
FORTUNELLA 34 34.50' / 10.52m 1960
CENTAUR 20.34' / 6.20m 1960
RAIDER 35 35.00' / 10.67m 1969
COMPROMIS 720 23.62' / 7.20m 1970
STANDFAST 40 40.00' / 12.19m 1972
STANDFAST 36 36.00' / 10.97m 1973
PJ-36 (MAAS) 36.00' / 10.97m 1973
STANDFAST LOPER 27.07' / 8.25m 1976
ALOA 27 28.21' / 8.60m 1976
STANDFAST 33 32.80' / 10.00m 1977
MASTER 30 30.00' / 9.14m 1979
STANDFAST 30 30.00' / 9.14m 1979
STANDFAST 50 48.39' / 14.75m 1980
SOLARIS 36 (MAAS) 36.29' / 11.06m 1980
COMPROMIS 909 31.00' / 9.45m 1985
COMPROMIS 777 25.82' / 7.87m 1985
COMPROMIS 999 32.48' / 9.90m 1989
COMPROMIS 888 28.54' / 8.70m 1989


http://sailboatdata.com/view_designer.asp?DESIGNER_ID=136

https://www.c-yacht.com/c-yacht-design/

http://sailinganarchy.com/tag/maas/

 

[Scolly]

Surprised no one has blamed the Oyster moulders yet

 

[CCJ]

Surprised no one has blamed the Oyster moulders yet

Only an idiot would do that

 

[Scolly]

Only an idiot would do that

Surely not on this forum

 

[JumbleDuck]

Only an idiot would do that

Or the company suing them for seven million pounds.

 

[Tomahawk]

Hooligan V was an unauthorised modification during fabrication without the designers knowledge. In this case the owner was the designer. He didn't survive so isn't here to defend himself but I understand he was suitably qualified.

..

His wife taught me to sail many many many beers ago and so began my sailing career.

 

[westhinder]

Frans Maas was a very highly regarded designer, builder and racer. The loss of Capella and Maas and two of his crew sent a shock through the sailing communities in the Netherlands and Belgium. Maas was also known to take very good care of his boat.
Reading the report, it is hard to understand why he designed the keel attachment in such a way that damage to the keel bolts would be almost impossible to detect without destroying the welded keel plate.
On another point, I will be curious to see what effects the report will have on the organisation of yacht races. There are a number of remarks about the orgaisation that merit following up.