The physics of sailing uses the same principles and concepts whether sailing a small dinghy or a large superyacht. Forces, moments, vectors, fluid dynamics, and trigonometry all interact to move the boat forward. The difference, however, is in the details, and the Southern Wind 96 Liberty puts physics to work brilliantly.
Liberty is the fifth yacht in Southern Wind’s 96 series, launched in April of 2024. The first was Sorceress, designed for an owner seeking a big performance yacht capable of transoceanic racing and bluewater cruising. The second was Seatius, gathering attention and awards for innovative interiors. The third was Ammonite, the first 96 able to tuck in a 3.95-meter tender into the garage. The fourth was Nyumba, the first Southern Wind yacht with hybrid propulsion. Which brings us to Liberty. What’s special about this yacht? Plenty.
A smart custom build, Southern Wind project manager Niki Jennings says of Liberty, “This is the kind of project Southern Wind likes to build. The owner’s brief was so close to our own principles and values of elegant performance cruisers that are both practical and seaworthy.”
Liberty Captain Graeme Robertson adds, “You can see by her lines that she wants to go fast.”
Liberty By The Numbers
Liberty measures 29.24 meters, 31.41 including the bowsprit and 26.8 along the waterline, with a 6.95-meter beam and a 3.45-meter draft. Equipped with a Cummins B4.5-M engine, Liberty is RINA charter class certified.
Liberty’s hull is built with an advanced composite sandwich laying a carbon/epoxy resin inner skin on a Corecell core and a carbon epoxy resin outer skin. The choice keeps weight down, enhancing speed while insulating against noise. Interiors are honeycomb or foam sandwich structures covered in wood veneer.
Farr Yacht Design provided naval architecture for the Nauta Design, Southern Wind Shipyard, and Farr Yacht Design general concept. The hull has full waterlines, straight end diagonals, and a wide low transom with full forward sections. Deck hardware is optimized for performance, whether sailing shorthanded, cruising, or racing offshore. The Deck and interior were designed by Nauta, and Southern Wind Shipyard acted as builder as well as systems design. Cape Town’s Ebony Design added the finishing touches that personalize the yacht.
Liberty has a lifting keel moving between 3.4 and 5.5 meters, and a twin rudder to make sailing easier, with greater control across a myriad of conditions. She has a 58,500 kg lightship displacement and a tall rig, enabling speedy performance in light air.
There are three guest cabins on board accommodating six guests, all en suite. There are bunks for four crew with a shared bath and a galley.
Liberty’s Sails and Rigging
The approach of the Doyle Sails global design team is to begin in the early stages, from a broad point of view, narrowing the design through an inclusive process involving a collaboration with all suppliers involved in every aspect of design. As details converge, a final design is agreed upon. Working with Southern Wind’s shipyard over many years and many yachts has proven this process streamlines the work, clarifying what each supplier needs to provide, resulting in an extremely high quality, satisfying build.
It was apparent that Liberty would fulfill the wishes set forward in the owner’s brief, seeking a yacht that would be comfortable, stylish, and fast, as racing was possibly on the agenda. When Liberty set out on her 7500-mile maiden voyage from Cape Town to the Mediterranean, there were smiles all around.
The owner, a European yachtsman, said of his second Southern Wind yacht, “The final product has fully met my expectations of building a performing yet very stylish yacht. Being at the helm for the first time in the beautiful setting of Cape town’s bay was fantastic, the culmination of a long process where all parties involved brought to the table their professional skills as well as their enthusiasm for this kind of project.”
Mario Giattino, Superyacht Sails Coordinator and Director of Doyle Italia commented after sea trials in Cape Town, “I am extremely pleased with the positive results of sail tests conducted on Liberty, the fifth 96-footer by Southern Wind that we have had the privilege to work on.
The test results confirm the quality and effectiveness of our work, ensuring optimal performance and safe, efficient navigation.”
Liberty sports Doyle Sails’ Structured Luff technology, carrying the Structured Luff fiber structure and design which is able to transfer up to 6T of load in the luff of the sail. That flattens the shape and reduces the luff sag significantly, making it easier to handle and stow, whatever the wind range, according to Doyle Sales global design team Lead Designer Stefano Nava.
Stefano continues, “The Cableless Staysail and Code Zero are free-flying sails, which means they don’t need a torsional cable or an internal forestay to support them. This results in a greater ease of handling and stowage, with the overall set-up being lighter and ‘softer.’ This style of sail design was the first iteration of Structured Luff sails, which continues to be found in most of our sail design.”
Liberty also sports EC6+ rigging and Hall Spars high modulus carbon mast and carbon boom. As a raised saloon, Liberty is the is the first to sport a mainsheet traveler.
Photos: Nautique.tv, Southern Wind Media | Words: K.L. Turner
