South African shipyard Southern Wind has announced that the fifth hull in its popular SW96 series is in the final stages of construction. Named Liberty, delivery is scheduled for early 2024 – when she will join sisterships Nyumba, Ammonite, Seatius and Sorceress on the water.
Commissioned by a second-time Southern Wind owner, Liberty has been designed to balance comfortable cruising with family with more performance-oriented experiences. The 29.3-metre cruiser is built in carbon fibre with lines by Farr Yacht Design and interiors courtesy of Nauta Design.
Built in a carbon sandwich with a foam core and infused carbon skins, Liberty benefits from lighter weight and improved sound insulation. She will be fitted with a high-modulus carbon mast and boom as well as EC6+ carbon rigging. Other features include a fixed bowsprit, twin rudders, and a lifting keel that brings her draft from 5.5 metres to 3.4 metres.
The new owner opted for a raised saloon configuration with a low-profile coachroof, allowing natural light to fill the saloon through panoramic windows and hull portlights. A full-beam main saloon greets guests entering from the cockpit, with a smaller snug with television lounge forward to starboard. Accommodation is for six guests in a three-cabin layout with additional bunks for four crew and a master cabin with "ample storage space".
A standard two-cockpit arrangement offers minimal level changes between the aft cockpit and the guest area, assuring easy and safe circulation when cruising under sail.
The fourth hull in the series – Nyumba – was the first Southern Wind yacht to be designed with hybrid propulsion.
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