Even the thick morning mist that so often descends upon Cape Town, South Africa couldn’t dampen the mood at Southern Wind Shipyard last month when the SW96 Sorceress was launched.
The aim of designers Farr Yacht Design and Nauta Design when conceiving this project was to incorporate race boat features into high-performance cruisers while keeping a beautiful aesthetic and high level of comfort.
Sorceress was commissioned by a passionate yachtsman and racer who already owned an 80-foot custom carbon yacht. This owner was looking for a larger performance boat to use in coastal, transoceanic races and for bluewater cruises.
SW96 Sorceress has lightship displacement of 57 tons for excellent speed in light winds. Unique performance features of this cruiser racer include a pre-preg and Nomex deck, lifting keel and twin rudder configuration. The hull has full waterlines, a wide, low transom, and full forward sections. The yacht’s deck hardware is optimised for shorthand performance cruising and offshore racing.