WMI Refits

In an effort to break the Transpac Race record, Westerly Boatbuilders made extensive modifications to the ZX86 and transformed it into a 94-foot rocket. Along with Salthouse Boatbuilders and a short time frame, Pyewacket IV made the start line of the 2007 Transpac race and took line honors in spite of the non-traditional light winds.

The project started in January of 2007 - the wing-decks,canting keel foundation, foils (canards), and bow, were on the docket for modification. A new bow was built by Salthouse NZ and shipped to the United States along with two canard cases.

The canting keel and hydraulics were replaced by new upscaled and redsigned components. This called for the entire bilge to be cut out at this area, re-structured and ready for a new canting keel. The bow and foils were met in the US by Greg Salthouse and 5 staff who spent four weeks at the Westerly facility, helping complete the bow and canard case modifications. The existing bow was cut off at the chain plates and the new, longer version joined. The canard cases were installed and wing decks fabricated and molded by Westerly Marine; and added to the gunwhales to provide an area for stacking sails.

Despite a narrow time frame of only four months from start to finish the modifications were completed on schedule and the result was a line honors victory for Pyewacket in the Transpac.

The legendary Alan Gurney-designed 73-footer Windward Passage is at Westerly Marine, with yacht designer Alan Andrews working to improve some of the performance aspects. Originally built in 1968, Andrews has been asked to design a new keel for Windward Passage. By applying new technology to the design, he expects to lighten the boat by over 4 tons while maintaining the same righting moment. Near as he can tell, this will be Passage's fourth keel and the first major revision in about 18 years. Also scheduled to be modernized is the rudder. In the 1971 Transpac Race Windward Passage was first-to-finish, was also first overall and first in class. In addition she set a new elapsed time record of nine days, nine hours, six minutes and forty-eight seconds.