CAPTAIN’S INSIGHT – A YEAR ABOARD LIARA

Liara wasn’t only built to live up to her owner’s expectations of cruising comfort but also to have what it takes to race competitively. And as her sailing log attests, Baltic 112 Liara is certainly ready for anything. From her maiden voyage and transatlantic to her Caribbean cruise and first outing on the race course: Liara already boasts a diverse yachting narrative.

Liara was delivered to an experienced yacht owner in September 2019. Although chiefly designed by acclaimed naval architect Malcolm McKeon and engineered by Baltic Yachts, her owner and rotational captains also played an important role in the design project. The result clearly shows that when experienced minds collaborate with an inventive yard, the dream of building a world-class yacht that is genuinely versatile is absolutely achievable. Back at our Jakobstad facility for service and warranty work, we spoke to Captain Tom Haycock about his experience sailing the multi-purpose superyacht.

Liara back at our Jakobstad facility for service and warranty work

She’s definitely capable of eating up the miles when you want her to

says Haycock, enthusiastically. To significantly reduce drag, Baltic 112 Liara was fitted with a retractable propulsion system (RPS), an engineering feat with many gains, especially in light airs. The first time Haycock experienced the system’s reduction in drag was during a photoshoot in the bay of Palma:

When I lifted the leg up, we instantly went from seven to ten knots, in a very light breeze – quite a big jump in performance!

Haycock is also quick to emphasize that Liara sailed an impressive 8,5 days out of her ten-day transatlantic burning next to no diesel as a result.

Liara’s impressive manoeuvrability boils down to the winning combination of her RPS and lightweight build. Haycock agrees:

The RPS definitely offers more flexibility in tight positions.

He points out that the leg’s rotational ability allows you to easily drive the boat sideways unto the dock and enthuses that you can certainly drive her as if she was a much smaller boat – “she feels very balanced.”

Although Liara’s still relatively new to racing, Haycock doesn’t doubt her racing-potential for a second.

She’s definitely not lacking in any areas and boasts the power to be competitive.

He illustrates this by saying that they weren’t miles off the pace with case-hardened racers Baltic 112 Nilaya and Baltic 108 WinWin during Liara’s first-ever regatta, the Superyacht Challenge Antigua. Haycock concludes that, although it was the yacht’s racing debut, Liara would’ve been able to behighly competitive if only they’d had enjoyed additional practice days.

Liara during the Superyacht Challenge Antigua in February 2020

A further notable comment Hancock made refers to what happened after racing – or, rather, what didn’t.

There were very few items on the work list -nothing major.

Haycock explains that “normally, when you race a boat like this, (a yacht fitted with a high-pressure 350bar system with an exceptionally high line speed capability) you spend months ‘cleaning up’. Haycock smiles that, instead, the crew were simply ready to put the boat back together and go.

We wish Liara fair winds for her, undoubtfully many, future adventures, whether enjoying the thrills and spills of superyacht racing or indulging in unsurpassable comfort and calm on a family cruise.