The Dibley Design Advantage
Dibley Newsletter
Dibley November 2012 Newsletter
November 2012
DB30 is a collaboration between yacht designer Kevin Dibley, and professional sailor and sailmaker, Scott Beavis. Both felt that there was a gap in the market for a yacht that a couple or young family could sail in comfort and style while going fast and having fun. This is about fun sailing, not weekend cruising. A lot of yachts in this size range are floating campervans where the designer/builder has filled every available space with accommodation and storage. The result is a slow, and heavy yacht. The DB30 is a sports car in comparison. With an attractive combination of modern angles, a classic sheer line and tumblehome aft, we believe the aesthetics will be timeless, and her performance exhilarating. A large sail plan allows the yacht to pick up and go, with little effort. The key is to keep it simple. The fully battened square top main is easily controlled from the cockpit. A small jib allows the yacht to easily tack and a larger over-lapper gets the yacht moving in lighter airs. A retracting prod, which is pulled in and out from the cockpit, allows for both a masthead and fractional gennaker.
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FEATURES :
DB30 Day Yacht
From the Design Office
Yacht Racing and Cruisuing Updates and Results
Dibley September 2012 Newsletter
September 2012
Gunkholing is an American boating term referring to a type of cruising in shallow or shoal water, meandering from place to place, and spending nights anchored in out of the way bays and coves that are inaccessible to vessels with deeper drafts. Though an American term, the majority of boaters from around the world, do just that. And they normally do it for just one or two nights, with the occasional week long voyage during their summer holidays. People are just to busy to spend more time boating. So when they do get out, they want to leave the complexity and business of their work week, and just keep things simple and non-complicated.
Looking out of our design office window, we look over one of the largest marinas in the Southern Hemisphere, Westhaven Marina. Most of the berths are full and the various designs, styles, and sizes seem endless. What is readily apparent, with a closer look, is how complex and cramped the majority of these vessels are. As much interior has been crammed into the fixed length and beam as is possible. That may work for some, but a lot of the boaters we speak to want simplicity without losing comfort. They want to have good indoor / outdoor flow and most importantly, a simple turn key operation that will allow them to roll up and start cruising as soon as they load her up with food and beverages.
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FEATURES :
Dibley Picnic Boat Development
7m SY Tender
From the Design Office
Updates and Results
Dibley April 2012 Newsletter
April 2012
The Class 40 is designed around an International Design Rule for a sea-oriented racing and cruising yacht with a maximum length of 40 feet. The original goal of the Class was to make offshore races accessible to amateur sailors, and in particular, short-handed. The success of the class in Europe has moved it beyond these parameters, with more and more professional sailors attracted to it.
Part of the attraction of this class is the simple and stringent box-rule, which keeps costs down. Building materials are limited and unlike the ‘Open 40's’, there is no canting keel, and there is some form of comfort down below. The layout shown has been designed for single handed sailing. All halyards and controls lead aft to the cockpit, and excellent cover is provided when in adverse conditions. Twin Rudders allow control at all times.
Like all of our designs, we can custom design to suit for the individual. Plans will be available to build overseas, or we can arrange for a builder in New Zealand.
Drop us an email with your wish list and we will send you further details.
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FEATURES :
Class 40 Racing Yacht
New book: “A Lighter Ton”
Design Updates: Dibley 50 ‘Marnico’; Dibley 10 ‘Chikara’
Davidson 70 ‘Pendragon 6’
Dibley December 2011 Newsletter
December 2011
A couple of years ago we did some design work for a client on the Caspian Sea. It was for a 32 meter luxury cruising launch that could cruise on the Volga River and the offshore strip of the Northern Caspian Sea. The project never went further than the preliminaries as the clients could not achieve the required funding, but it did lead into quite a few enquiries on Canal Boating in Europe and on the Inland Waterways of the USA.
One of our current projects is the Pioneer 39 for the New Zealand based company Mitchellls Group. Their brief was that it not only had to be offshore capable, but also sized for Canal Boating in Europe. This is a very popular form of holidaying for boaters, with Canals spread throughout France, Amsterdam, Germany, Ireland, Russia and the United Kingdom. There are also Canals and inland waterways throughout Canada and the USA, so we had to make sure that the Pioneer 39 was able to cruise the Canals with no sacrifice to the general parameters that allow her to be a great sea kindly vessel when offshore.
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FEATURES :
Canal Boating
America’s Cup 12-meter: ‘Gretel-2’ Refit
From The Design Office
Design Updates: DM3-RM Marbleheads
DM2-IOM One Metres
Dibley November 2011 Newsletter
November 2011
The Dibley 55, ‘Marilyn’, was launched in February of this year by her owner/builders Stan Peyton and Mark Woods. After sea-trials, she dropped her mooring lines and headed north to Tonga and Fiji for a few months of idyllic family cruising in the Pacific Islands. Clocking up a few thousand nautical miles with 250+ nm days, Stan commented,
“After a fantastic sail to Minerva Reef in under four days, we continued on to Tonga in less than two days. Marilyn is proving to be a great Ocean Passage-maker and is extremely comfortable in large seas and fresh breezes.”
Dibley Marine’s Design Director, Kevin Dibley, worked alongside Stan and Mark throughout the build and fine-tuned the design further to cater for changes they wanted in the accommodation layout and systems. The result was a complete success and her recent attendance at the Auckland International Boatshow resulted in further enquiries from those looking at dropping the hectic pace of life and sailing off into the sunset. Further photos and the yachts specifications can be acquired from Dibley Marine.
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FEATURES :
Dibley 55 Cruising Yacht 'Marilyn'
Jelik 2 Racing Yacht wins '2011 China Cup International Regatta'
Podium finishes for Frenzy & Nosaka in the '2011 Coastal Classic Yacht Race'
Dibley 26 Supergroove and Springloaded
Dibley 25 Carbon in the USA
DM2 IOM (International One Meter)
Dibley August 2011 Newsletter
August 2011
NZ based boat-building company, Mitchells Group, have commissioned Dibley Marine Ltd, to de- sign their new flag ship, the Pioneer 39. Designed in the tradition of the Sea Bright Skiff from the East Coast of the USA, Dibley Marine have taken the concept further by modernising her under body shape to minimise drag, maximise range and efficiency, and make this a very cost efficient yacht that will appeal to a large range of boaties.
The Sea Bright Skiff concept has been around since the early 19th Century when they were used for running prohibition bootleggers between the famous Rum Islands of the Caribbean. They had to be sea worthy, light, strong and with excellent directional stability.
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FEATURES :
Mitchells Pioneer 39 Launch
Artist - Rachel Harper
100 meter Zeus Project
Dibley April 2011 Newsletter
April 2011
We have recently had a large increase on shorthanded capable racing yacht enquiries. The Classe 950 is our most popular to date, and the Class 40 is another that is showing a lot of interest. Both these Classes are well established globally, but the concept of safe ‘Open type’ offshore yachts can also be a ‘concept and philosophy’ that can fall under any size.
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FEATURES :
Dibley Open 800 Design
Racing Outrigger Canoe Design
IOM Production
Keel & Bulb Design
Dibley IOM Press Release, April 2011
April 2011
Early in 2011, Carl Smith, Graham Roberts and Antony Sisson, approached Dibley Marine in regards to producing the DM range of International One Metre (IOM) radio controlled yachts that have dominated the New Zealand fleets since they came on the scene back in 2009. Carl Smith was Dibley Marine’s first client back in the early 1990’s when he built the Dibley 650 sportsboat ‘Stealth’. Carl is currently building his third Dibley designed yacht, a 40-foot Canting Keeler which he is hoping to launch sometime this year. Joining Carl in the IOM venture is Graham Roberts who runs coaching and mentoring sessions at the Tauranga Radio Sailing Club, and Antony Sisson who, as a New Zealand Boatbuilder, has been building IOM’s, in his spare time, for as long as he can remember.
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FEATURES :
IOM (International One Meter)
Radio Controlled Racing Yacht
New Zealand Champion hulls
In Production in NZ
Dibley December 2010 Newsletter
December 2010
The Class 950 is a box rule that was created by famed French solo sailor Jean-Marie Vidal in 2006. Aimed at coastal, semi offshore, and offshore short-handed racing, the rule intends to bridge the gap in both performance and cost between the Mini 6.50 and the Class 40.
The Class 950 is the perfect yacht for the Corinthian sailor looking for a mid- sized, competitive, fast, fun and affordable boat to race. But the rules also stipulate a minimal amount of interior which includes a small Galley, Head, Berths and Nav Station. This gives more than adequate accommodation for comfortable weekend cruising.
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FEATURES :
New Dibley Classe 950
IRC 34 Update
Davidson 69 Pendragon VI launch
Dibley November 2010 Newsletter
October 2010
The Design Process : We are often asked how the process works when a client approaches us for a design, or has ideas they want to bounce around before committing to a project. Our projects are quite diverse and we find that the most successful way of approaching a new design is to split the project into ‘Preliminary and Working Drawing’ stages.
The Preliminary Stage allows the designer & client to get a clear understanding of what is required and to put this into initial drawings. It is the foundation of all future work and everything that follows will be based on these drawings. Costs for the preliminary work depend on the project on hand and we would supply a quote on a project-by-project bases.
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FEATURES :
The Design Process
Dibley 42 IRC Optimisation
News and Results
Dibley August 2010 Newsletter
August 2010
The Dibley 34 could best be described as the ideal kiwi yacht for sailing in local and coastal races and regattas. Designed for upwind performance, this design will also take off in the reaches and runs but with full control at all times.
Cockpit layout and sailing systems have been thought out carefully to minimise crew movement during tacks and gybes and to make sailing easy and effortless throughout all manoeuvres. This yacht would be an ideal shorthanded racer with all lines and halyards leading aft and within easy reach.
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FEATURES :
Dibley 34 Racing / Cruising Yacht
News from Dibley Designs around the World
News and Results
Dibley June 2010 Newsletter
June 2010
As soon as you see the word IRC and connect it with anything between 38’ and 43’, you will be excused from thinking heavy production type lead mines. It is this type form that seems to do well under this rule and not until you get into the 48’ plus lengths that lighter displacement hull forms can start performing to the rating.
The cost comparison of a TP 52 and a 42-footer both in build and campaign costs is far more than triple so we have a group of yachties out there that want their yacht to light up and fly but are either forced to go heavy and slow to have any chance under IRC, or go to a different rule / handicap system all together.
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FEATURES :
Dibley 42 IRC
Latest from the Design Office
News and Results
Dibley January 2010 Newsletter
January 2010
Why would someone commission a Yacht Designer? Surely, by now, there are enough boats on the market to cater for everyone’s needs! There must be hundreds of millions of vessels out there! The question was put to me a few years back when a potential Client walked into our office, thinking we were also a Brokerage. He’d been visiting Brokerage firms for over a year and he was prepared to keep looking until he found his dream boat, come ‘hell or high water’.
The main attribute a Designer needs, besides the obvious ability to design a yacht, is the ability to listen. As the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus [AD 55 – 135] said
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak:.
Wise words for a Designer to heed. The Client conveys their needs, and the Designer must then put those needs into a workable design. Sometimes the Client isn't sure what their needs are, but with careful listening and using their own experiences and knowledge, the Designer can help them steer their way through the possible' and impossible wants. The result is a Client that is more knowledgeable than he was previously, and a Designer that has a better brief to work with. So the Client not only walks away with a Custom Yacht or re-Design that fits his/her own ideals and needs, but they also walk away more experienced, knowledgeable, and a clearer vision than when they first walked in.
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FEATURES :
A Last Minute look at 2009
Dibley 57 Performance Cruising Yacht
Commission a Designer
Dibley November 2009 Newsletter
November 2009
We are often asked how the process works when a client approaches us for a design, or has ideas they want to bounce around before committing to a project. Our projects are quite diverse and we find that the most successful way of approaching a new design is to split the project into ‘Preliminary and Working Drawing’ stages.
The Preliminary Stage allows the designer & client to get a clear understanding of what is required and to put this into initial drawings. It is the foundation of all future work and everything that follows will be based on these drawings. Costs for the preliminary work depend on the project on hand and we would supply a quote on a project-by-project bases.
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FEATURES :
Design Tools - What We Use!
From The Drawing Board
Radio Controlled Yachts
Dibley Summer 2009 Newsletter
October 2009
Newly built by Langoon Royal Shipyard in the Ukraine, this Classic Dragon was shipped to New Zealand for finishing touches. Dibley Marine Project Managed a group of New Zealand sub-contracters which included Phil Bish Boatbuilders, Simon Kidd of Doyle Sails, Grant Blewett of Harken who put the Deck Systems together, John Bennett of Sparloft for the rig.
“Dibley Marine found the process almost effortless with the quality of the people involved”.
With her first launch in February, her New Zealand skipper, Alex Kirichuk will sail her in the New Zealand Dragon National Championships in March against a fleet of local yachts.
Designed by Johan Anker in 1929, the Dragon Class has grown to be one of the most prestigious Classes in the world of competitive yachting. Classes are split between the Modern GRP Dragons and the Wooden Classics.
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FEATURES :
International Dragon Class Refit
2009 Launching Updates
Gretel II Relaunches
Dibley August 2009 Newsletter
August 2009
Over the past few years, Dibley Marine has been involved in a number of Keel, Bulb and Rudder modifications for existing yachts. These yachts have ranged from 25 feet up to 150 feet and from various design houses around the world. The two main reasons our clients have approached us for new Appendages is for either a performance gain, or draft restrictions. Other reasons, and some are related to the above, are: Reducing Leeway, Minimising Drag, Increasing VMG [Velocity Made Good), To correct a Trim Issue, To correct a Weight Issue and to help with Helm Balance. Yachts are usually designed for a specific service to their original owner, or to a Marketing Teams vision of what the masses want in a yacht. But when a yacht has been on-sold, sometimes the total package doesn’t quite fit within the new owners requirements, and changing the appendages can be a good way of getting a great yacht that performs to their expectations.
We recently did a new keel for a client who had increased his sail area by 20% and found that the existing keels profile area couldn’t resist the new sail plans side force. So they were pointing higher and going faster over the water, but they were slipping sideways a lot more and thus their VMG took a big dive as compared to their previous performance numbers.
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FEATURES :
Appendage Refits - Why ?
On The Drawing Board
10m Production Water Taxi
Dibley July 2009 Newsletter
July 2009
Dibley Marine continues progress on the Caspian 30 project. Currently working through the Russian Rules for Inland Waterways and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) compliancy rules for Intact and Damage Stability, Dibley has pulled in local Marine Consultant, John Harrhy to assist in the program. One of Harrhy’s specialist areas is in Classification Society and Safety Approval requirements. The finished Preliminary Stability Booklet will be used as the base weight and trim control sheet during construction.
The Russian requirements include compliance to severe wind and rolling and must meet stability criteria for Ice build up on Deck. The Preliminary Package will include General Appearance, Interior Layouts, Systems design for Plumping, Electrical and Hydraulic as well as Stability requirements which will need to be met by the builders during the construction process.
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FEATURES :
Caspian 30m Progress Update
On The Drawing Board
Pendragon VI Launched !
Dibley April 2009 Newsletter
April 2009
The newly launched Classic Dragon, ‘Alla’ (NZL-15) that was featured in our last Newsletter, finished a credible 3rd in the 2009 New Zealand International Dragon Association. Owner / Skipper, Alex Kirichuk, received the ‘Brown and Stone Trophy’ for best performing “Classic Dragon” for this result. NZL-15, an all wooden Dragon, was skippered by Alex, and crewed by Simon Kidd of Doyle Sailmakers, and Kevin Dibley. This was the first time NZL-15 sailed and the crew were still tuning her up to the last race.
The Regatta was won by Scott Palmer and his crew of Fraser Beer and Phil Allen in their GRP Dragon ‘Yankee Doodle Dandee’. Past National Champion, John Webber and his crew of Frans & Sam de Court teamed up on ‘Matuku’ to take a hard fought for 2nd place. Alex Samorukov, Simon Kidd, Kevin Dibley, Alex Kirichuk.
With the World Championships in Melbourne in 2011, the New Zealand International Dragon Association has seen this Regatta as a platform to build up the local Dragon fleet. Alex Kirichuk, who brought in NZL-15 from the Ukrainian yard of ‘Lagoon Royal’, has a further two dragons underway and hopes to have them sent to New Zealand to be finished off, in the very near future.
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FEATURES :
New Zealand Dragon Class Nationals
On The Drawing Board
On The Race Course
July 2005 Dibley Newsletter
July 2005
Jive Talkin’, racing in the 2005 Auckland/Suva race, has cleaned up on ORC and PHRF handicap as well as finishing 8th on line behind much larger yachts including the super-maxi Konica Minolta.
Racing with a small crew of six, this little 35’ yellow rocket. was first past Northhead and had averaged a speed of 10.8 knots for the first two days before the breeze lightened north of New Zealand. With constant bursts of 21 knots, and an average speed of over 10 knots for the race, Jive’ was worked hard and the win well deserved.
Designed by Laurie Davidson in 2001, with design support by Dibley Marine, Jive Talkin’ has dominated the various ORC offshore series that she has entered since launch- ing, and with her new keel and rudder designed by Dibley last year to account for the new changes in the rule and the way the crew sail her, she has again taken a leap forward in both performance and handling.
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July 2005 Dibley Newsletter
Racing with a small crew of six, this little 35’ yellow rocket. was first past Northhead and had averaged a speed of 10.8 knots for the first two days before the breeze lightened north of New Zealand. With constant bursts of 21 knots, and an average speed of over 10 knots for the race, Jive’ was worked hard and the win well deserved.
Designed by Laurie Davidson in 2001, with design support by Dibley Marine, Jive Talkin’ has dominated the various ORC offshore series that she has entered since launch- ing, and with her new keel and rudder designed by Dibley last year to account for the new changes in the rule and the way the crew sail her, she has again taken a leap forward in both performance and handling.
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July 2005 Dibley Newsletter
June 2005 Dibley Newsletter
June 2005
Designed in conjunction with Chris Bouzaid and the Waianiwa Group in the USA, the brief was for a fast, safe, comfortable ocean-going cruising yacht, with a classic but modern style in her aesthetics. Our intent has been to provide a boat readily sailed shorthanded handed and with a turn of performance that will allow her crew exhilarating sailing within a moderate displacement. This boat is ideally suited to participation in any of the various ocean cruising rallies that are currently enjoying increasing popularity.
The hull is designed with a fine ‘V’ shaped entry, a moderate beam and a well-balanced hull volume distribution allowing good load carrying capacity without affecting the performance characteristics of this very comfortable design.
The raised upper saloon and Navigation station allows guests and owners to enjoy the views and sight-lines while under sail or when in port; with formal saloon and entertaining further below. Two main sleeping Cabins with a third for extra guests and a well laid out galley ensure all the comforts are catered for.
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June 2005 Dibley Newsletter
The hull is designed with a fine ‘V’ shaped entry, a moderate beam and a well-balanced hull volume distribution allowing good load carrying capacity without affecting the performance characteristics of this very comfortable design.
The raised upper saloon and Navigation station allows guests and owners to enjoy the views and sight-lines while under sail or when in port; with formal saloon and entertaining further below. Two main sleeping Cabins with a third for extra guests and a well laid out galley ensure all the comforts are catered for.
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June 2005 Dibley Newsletter
November 2004 Dibley Newsletter
November 2004
"38' Racing Yacht Under Construction in New Zealand"
February 2004
Carl Smith from Tauranga, New Zealand is currently building a 38' Racing / Cruising Yacht ... the latest design out of the Dibley Design Studio. Built for his own use, Carl plans to campaign her in local and National events as well as the occasional offshore event such as Hamilton Island Race Week in Queensland, Australia Read More...
February 2004 Dibley Newsletter
February 2004
Carl Smith, from Tauranga, New Zealand, is currently building a 38’ Racing / Cruising Yacht which is the latest design out of the Dibley Design Studio. Being built for his own use, Carl plans to campaign her in local and National events as well as the occasional offshore event such as Hamilton Island Race Week in Queensland Australia.
Carl has had a long association with Dibley Marine and was the first owner / builder of the Dibley 650 ‘Stealth’ which is racing successfully in the South Island. Structural Engineering was done by High Modulus NZ Ltd. and the Rig was designed by Chris Mitchell of Applied Engineering Ltd. Launch date will be early 2005.
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February 2004 Dibley Newsletter
Carl has had a long association with Dibley Marine and was the first owner / builder of the Dibley 650 ‘Stealth’ which is racing successfully in the South Island. Structural Engineering was done by High Modulus NZ Ltd. and the Rig was designed by Chris Mitchell of Applied Engineering Ltd. Launch date will be early 2005.
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February 2004 Dibley Newsletter