Rafnar unveils new models
Iceland-based Rafnar has unveiled a 10m and 12m boat, which benefit from the shipyard's new OK Hull platform. It promises to be more efficient and provide superior performance, especially in bad weather. SuperyachtNews.com flew to the shipard’s headquarters in Reykjavík to find out more about the hull and what makes it special.…
Established in 2005, Rafnar has developed a new hull design
called the OK Hull. It promises to be more efficient and provide
superior performance when compared to competitors, especially in bad
weather. SuperyachtNews.com flew to the shipard’s headquarters in Reykjavík to learn more about the platform and its new fibreglass boats.
Inspired by Fredrik Ljungström’s circular arc hull design, the OK Hull was created by Rafnar's founder Össur Kristinsson, who dedicated six years to the development of the scalable platform. The research process involved tank testing over 100 different one-metre models before building a six-metre prototype.
Össur Kristinsson (all images by Andrew Johansson)
“It’s a new concept that has never
been tested before,” said Kristinsson. “It is a very efficient hull,
which has the added benefit of being very comfortable and performs
differently to any other boat we’ve experienced.”
Following extensive studies on the six-metre, the yard began to construct larger prototypes before settling on Leiftur, a 10m RIB and Þorbjörn, an experimental 12m fibreglass boat. We were invited on a sea trial in ever-changing weather conditions to highlight the qualities of the boats promised by Rafnar, and they didn’t disappoint.
Unlike a traditional RIB hull form, the OK Hull does not rise up and plane, nor does it plough through the sea like a displacement vessel. And yet when we opened up the throttle of the two 250hp engines (Leiftur is fitted with outboards while Þorbjörg has inboards), the boats increased speed and reached in excess of 30 knots. This is thanks to its special hull shape, which directs water under the boat in a more efficient way to reduce drag.
“These boats don’t behave in the same way as others,” explained captain Mike Hasted, who worked together with the team on the project. “When you come alongside a boat in a traditional RIB, you have to maintain a certain speed to keep it on the plane. With Leiftur, you have much better control over the speed and the boat behaves much better.”
While there are differences in performance between the models, they delivered a comfortable ride in open water. Manoeuvring at speed was impressive with tight turns achieved without sliding and a high level of grip at the stern. It is this overall performance that grabbed the attention of the Icelandic Coast Guard, which will take delivery of its first custom Leiftur in mid May 2015.
“It has been proven that this craft works extremely well for us in our operations in Icelandic waters,” said Georg Larusson, CEO of the Icelandic Coast Guard, which has aided the shipyard in testing the 10m over the past 18 months after it was approached by Rafnar's CEO Björn Jónsson.
Related Links:
Rafnar
Inspired by Fredrik Ljungström’s circular arc hull design, the OK Hull was created by Rafnar's founder Össur Kristinsson, who dedicated six years to the development of the scalable platform. The research process involved tank testing over 100 different one-metre models before building a six-metre prototype.
Össur Kristinsson (all images by Andrew Johansson)
Following extensive studies on the six-metre, the yard began to construct larger prototypes before settling on Leiftur, a 10m RIB and Þorbjörn, an experimental 12m fibreglass boat. We were invited on a sea trial in ever-changing weather conditions to highlight the qualities of the boats promised by Rafnar, and they didn’t disappoint.
Þorbjörg
Unlike a traditional RIB hull form, the OK Hull does not rise up and plane, nor does it plough through the sea like a displacement vessel. And yet when we opened up the throttle of the two 250hp engines (Leiftur is fitted with outboards while Þorbjörg has inboards), the boats increased speed and reached in excess of 30 knots. This is thanks to its special hull shape, which directs water under the boat in a more efficient way to reduce drag.
“These boats don’t behave in the same way as others,” explained captain Mike Hasted, who worked together with the team on the project. “When you come alongside a boat in a traditional RIB, you have to maintain a certain speed to keep it on the plane. With Leiftur, you have much better control over the speed and the boat behaves much better.”
Leiftur
While there are differences in performance between the models, they delivered a comfortable ride in open water. Manoeuvring at speed was impressive with tight turns achieved without sliding and a high level of grip at the stern. It is this overall performance that grabbed the attention of the Icelandic Coast Guard, which will take delivery of its first custom Leiftur in mid May 2015.
“It has been proven that this craft works extremely well for us in our operations in Icelandic waters,” said Georg Larusson, CEO of the Icelandic Coast Guard, which has aided the shipyard in testing the 10m over the past 18 months after it was approached by Rafnar's CEO Björn Jónsson.
The Icelandic Coast Guard's Leiftur under construction
At
the time of writing there were no confirmed plans to develop a
superyacht tender but Kristinsson is not apposed to the idea and
stressed that his goal is to prove his concept will work at any size, while
work continues on the development of a new 15.5m and 24m.Related Links:
Rafnar
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