Back after a 15 year break

We look at Udo Schutz's new STP65, Container

For owner Udo Schutz, his new Container STP65 represents a return to grand prix yacht racing after a break of 15 years. Schutz and his Containers were among the leading lights of the IOR scene in the 1980s and 90s during which time he had a series of 1 tonners and 2 tonners, in which he was twice part of the winning German Admiral's Cup team, before taking part in the IOR 50 circuit in the early 1990s when he was runner up once.


Udo Schutz


Udo Schudt still owns his IOR 50, moored just along the dock from his STP65 in Palma

However in 1993 Schutz went into retirement from yacht racing, due to ever increasing work commitments with his company that, as the name of his boats implies, makes industrial containers for everything from chemicals to Coca Cola (some would say these are the same). However aside from allowing himself a little more time off work (something Herr Schutz himself denies) one reason for coming back is that his STP65 is also acting as a floating billboard for one of his company’s products – Coremaster Kevlar Nomex. This his company already supply to aerospace companies such as Airbus, and was used on the German America’s Cup boat for the last America’s Cup.

So why did he go with an STP65 rather than anything else? “At the time we made the decision it seemed to be a class very soon [to be] of 6-8 boats, but now because of the crisis of the economy maybe there will be a delay. We will see,” says Herr Schutz. But he reckons that it will take maybe two or three years now for the class to come good, while the boat’s lifespan should be longer than this.

Schutz says it is also an ideal size for America’s Cup teams to keep their hand in as they are sailed by 20, around the same number that is likely to be used on the new generation Cup monohulls - if they ever happen.

While Schutz doesn’t helm himself, he has a highly capable crew including a few even who were with him back in the IOR days. These include Karol Jablonski, who is tactician while Marcus Weiser helms, Dirk Neumann, Peter Sibbert and Tom Swift.

Swift, or Swifty, is a Brit based in Germany, who first raced on the Container one tonner back in 1988. He is Project Manager for the new STP65 and kindly gave us the guided tour.

The new Container was built by Knierim-Yachtbau in Kiel, who also built United Internet Team German's Version 5 AC boat. However some composite parts such as a few of the bulkheads and the giant internal keel tower were built by Schutz’ company as was much of the metal work. Schutz’ company holds some considerable clout, also was involved with the purchasing. The boat was obviously designed by Judel-Vrolijk who worked with Steve Koopmans of SDK Structures (who’s business partner, Dirk Kramers, works with Rolf Vrolijk at Alinghi). The boat was launched just before the Voiles de St Tropez last year.



As mentioned in yesterday’s article about Luna Rossa, the program for Container is slightly more inshore orientated – Udo Schutz is now in his 70s and isn’t so keen on the offshores although their program does include the Rolex Giraglia and Middle Sea races. However this isn’t that evident in the design of the new Container – down below her internal structure appears to be identical to Luna Rossa’s. The only thing absent is a nav area on Container which is essentially a computer in a Tupperware box!

While there are differences in the hull shape, Swift attributes this more to Luna Rossa being designed six months after Container was.

Once again Container is big on hydraulics. As Swift puts it: “When you look at it, it is a weight thing. Once you have got the hydraulics, you might as well use it, because the small cylinders don’t weight anything.” Like Luna Rossa their arrangement is by Cariboni with the exception that the lateral controls on the jib cars are done by a 16:1 block and tackle purchase system below decks.

The hydraulic set-up includes the forestay (the hydraulic cylinder for this is linked to the headsail foot/Cunningham cylinder) and the mast foot which they can’t use for racing under IRC. However Swift says: “We use it every day to set the boat up. If they want more or less pre-bend they will move the mast foot before the race. The same with the forestay. They will set it up for the day. The forestay we don’t use that much. If you do radical things with the rake you have to retune the mast, so we have been sailing with one rake, so we don’t adjust that much. We adjust it half a degree just to tighten the rig up.” This amounts to around 200mm at the mast foot.

For the sail wardrobe they work with Henrik Söderlund of North Sails Denmark, but also have American Hartwell Jordan in their crew as their main trimmer and sail co-ordinator. Their wardrobe includes: Light, medium, heavy, jib top, Code Zero, genoa staysail, two mains (the first one and a new lighter inshore one), A1, A1.5 and two A2s, A3 and A4 spinnakers.

Unlike Luna Rossa, which uses a Hallspar mast and locks, Container is a Southern boat and also uses their halyards locks on everything with the exception of the second jib halyard. And, of course, all their rigging is carbon fibre continuous, EC6. As on Luna Rossa this terminates below decks where it is held in place by substantial titanium chainplates made by Herr Schutz’ company. As on Luna Rossa they have a flange around the mast at deck level for the halyard blocks and use a neoprene seal with cover plate to keep it watertight.

On Container they have taken off the rigid vang, although the hydraulic cylinder for this remains down below - the vang passes through the mast with the cylinder mounted on the front of the mast down below. Swift reckons they will probably put it back on for offshore races to support the boom when they may be required to reef. “Under IRC you don’t have to support the boom. We just find it easier - if we don’t know which main we are going to use, just leave it on the deck, T-up the main and just hoist it.”

They also have a spinnaker line drop system with the line emerging on deck at the driven starboard pit winch. They have substantial carbon fibre rollers around their lifelines at the bow to prevent the kite snagging on the take down. On drops and hoists they have all three pedestals working on this alone. “It is also a lot more controlled,” says Swift of why in addition to speed they use this. “You have to get everything else right in the crew work to do it. It is very difficult on these boats to grind because you have to go in and out – to do one job – so you come into the mark, the jib gets ground up and then they have to overtrim the kite slightly. Then they can engage into that and then they engage into the main and leave one pedestal to get the jib in…”

The winch package, including the three pedestals, are by Harken and is similar to an AC package with 111 primaries. The difference in their winch layout is that on Container they have found it necessary to move their runner winches to the back of the cockpit. Swift explains: “We moved the runner winches aft to stop everyone running forward in the gybes, otherwise the boat just stops even more. I think it is because of the rating that the weight is so far forward in the boat for the rating and the weight needs to be further aft. Downwind and upwind - it is just everyone aft.”

Moving runner winches is no small job but in their new position they are mounted just proud of the cockpit side on their own carbon fibre pods, which were designed by Judel Vrolijk, engineered by Steve Koopmans and fabricated at Herr Schutz’s factory.

Like Luna Rossa the prominent feature coming down the wide companionway is the box for the lifting keel. The keel is wound up on a 4:1 titanium block and tackle arrangement with a back up as a spare and as mentioned yesterday there are two giant pins to locate the keel in its down position. Aside from the lack of nav area, the interior layout is more or less identical to Luna Rossa’s.

The question remains how well Container and her STP65 sistership will perform under handicap against the IRC Mini Maxis. “It will be interesting with the new boats and Ran, etc,” says Swift. “They have a bit more advantage – we are not so wide on the deck because of the box rule and there are a few things where we are at a slight disadvantage. But a lot of it will be down to how well we sail the boats. I am pretty sure the boats will be competitive, its just that you will have to sail really well. The boats are quite complicated to sail, so the more time you have got on the boat, the better the crew work and that will all make a big difference.”

They are also substantially more fun to sail than their previous IOR boats. Top speed on Container to date has been 29.4 knots…

More photos on the following pages...