New Windy SLR 60: Euro-Style Day Yacht
Windy Yachts has a new 59’8” (18.18 m) day boat, the SLR 60. The company says she was designed to be “the ultimate superyacht chaseboat for long-distance excursions.” The first one was designed and built to the specifications of the owner of a 196’10” (60 m) sailing yacht and the SLR 60 will be a chase boat.
After the completion of the first model, the Swedish company is looking forward to going into production on the SLR 60. “When I saw the boat finished, I realized that we now have reached a level of quality that I have never seen before,” said Knut Heiberg-Andersen, co-chairman of Windy Boats, at an event to introduce the new model.
A New Approach
Following the precedent that was set with the SR52 Blackbird in 2008, when Windy first decided to work with Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design, the company decided to collaborate with him again on the SLR 60. She is now the company’s flagship.
Initially, the boat started out as 55’9” (17 meters) but quickly grew to 59’8” (18.18 m) based on Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis comparing the characteristics of the SR52 Blackbird with the new model. Increasing the range was another goal of the new design.
The design was rigorously tested by Cape Horn Engineering in Portsmouth, U.K., to ensure that the SLR 60 can operate in rough seas. CFD was conducted to determine the best way to minimize spray and keep it from blowing back into the boat. The combination of freeboard and generous bow flare and multiple chines and spray rails addressed the concerns. The SLR 60 has a 1,220-gallon (4,618.2 L) fuel capacity and the design team estimates her range at 850 nautical miles while running at 25 knots. Top speed is estimated at more than 40 knots. A gyrostabilizer helps keep things stable when the waves pick up.
The Interior
The helm is centrally positioned with a full windscreen that links to the hardtop. There are six seats at the helm and aft are an al fresco bar and at the stern, there’s a large sunlounge. The swim platform spans the boat’s beam and is quite spacious as well. Throughout the boat, McKeon was tasked with giving the SLR 60 enough storage space for long trips.
For the SLR 60’s interior, Windy turned to Studio Liaigre in Paris, where Guillaume Rolland, the head of the yachting division also worked on the host sailing yacht. It was his first time designing a boat of the SLR 60’s size. Inside and out, the boat is designed for flexible use and utility. Belowdecks, the salon in the bow has a dinette that converts into twin berths. The large galley is near the salon entrance and just across is head with a shower. The aft cabin is beneath the cockpit and has a double berth.