Harken: McConaghy is known for building strong, lightweight, fast boats. What sort of research and testing goes into build process?

Jon Morris: Almost every project has its own specific laminate design and specification, and a unique set of variables. With each project we create a series of test panels that mimic the various laminates and mould surfaces, and the conditions in which the construction will take place. We test these in-house for core bond, weight and surface finish if required. Often we will refine the process details and laminate subtleties to improve one aspect or another of the test panel’s performance. Even with thoroughly engineered structures on top-end racing yachts, there are many different aspects to the way a panel can be layed up that effect core bond and weight. It takes experience and experimentation on test samples to make small improvements, but it has a big effect on the overall finished product.

Harken: When people think of Grand Prix performance race boats, the name McConaghy is at the top of the list. What have been the most successful racing yachts built by your team?

JM: We’ve been at this since 1967, longer than many of the Formula One race car builders we’re often compared to such as McLaren and Williams. Like Formula One, yacht racing is dependent on variables encountered along the way to the finish line—naval architects, designers, engineers, builders, equipment suppliers, sailmakers and of course the skipper and crew. The owner’s goal when taking on a project like this is to reduce the variables and our job is to make sure McConaghy is not one of them. We do this by building the lightest and strongest yacht possible, while staying within time and budget requirements. In my view, our most successful projects are the ones where we’ve exceeded those goals.

ICAP Leopard 3 Photo: Ingrid Abery

As far as team successes go, right now ICAP Leopard 3 is ripping up old race records at the rate of almost one a month, with 12 significant achievements since her launch in November 07. The Alpha Romeo team continues to be a steady performer internationally and the Wild Oats team recently made history with an unprecedented fourth consecutive line honors victory in the 63rd running of the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.

What project are you most proud of?

JM: It is difficult to narrow it down to just one project, but any of the Alfa Romeo's, Wild Oats or ICAP Leopard 3 would definitely be on the short list.

McConaghy has an extensive and diverse portfolio of builds, from the new Mach 2 moths to the Green Dragon Volvo 70. How are you able to be so diverse?

Mach 2 Foiling Moth

JM: There are a variety of factors, but it boils down to the years of experience of the key individuals and a systematic process to each project. It takes a lot of energy from a lot of great people to achieve this, and that only comes from a real passion and commitment to produce the best boats possible. The entire team experiences immense satisfaction when a project is finished and presented to the customer. This keeps us all coming back for more, in spite of the challenges and difficulties posed by being so diverse.

How has the manufacturing process changed for McConaghy, especially with the addition of your China facility?

JM: When John McConaghy started in ‘67, he was pushing the boundaries with plywood. His moths and skiffs won races because they were built lighter and stiffer than the competition’s. This led him to develop glass fiber boats, then carbon, then pre-preg carbon from the USA aerospace industry. Pre-preg carbon and Nomex boats are now relatively common around the world, but there are some tricky aspects to the manufacturing process when applying these materials to a yacht. The process requires constant development and testing, especially as the engineering of these structures becomes more refined with less margin for error.

In both China and Sydney we test, innovate and improve our processes with each new project and communicate the results between the two factories. Consequently, we have twice as much exposure to different products and testing. In China a large amount of our production uses resin-infused glass/carbon sandwich construction, employing both open and closed mould techniques in Vinylester and epoxy resins. At the same time, we are producing foiling moths and other pre-preg carbon parts in our 14 m autoclave at 5 bar pressure. So there are many different construction processes going on in our company, each with its own unique challenges.

The Green Dragon was built in an astounding 7 months. What lessons did you learn from previous builds?

JM: We learnt numerous lessons that have helped us—particularly from building the big canting keel boats. The canting keel structure is so complicated and intricate, it needs to be started before the hull, and it will still be a struggle to complete before the boat leaves the shed. To build a complex boat like Green Dragon in a tight time frame, you need to work on the build schedule and focus on the critical path. Over the years, we have put a lot of effort into refining this process and were able to build Wild Oats XI in 9.5 months, as well as the Green Dragon in 7 months. It takes a really big commitment from everyone involved in the project to achieve this, not just the build team but the project managers, designers, engineers, contractors, suppliers and, of course, Harken. Obviously a good relationship and open communication with all parties is essential to meeting these tight commitments.

Can you explain the different build approaches between custom-built boats (Yendys, Moneypenny and Green Dragon) and production boats such as the Mach 2 foiling moth?

JM: I’m sure that the staff at Harken can relate to the differences we face between a one-off and production project. Specifying and supplying the deck hardware for a one-off vs a production boat must present similar challenges.

One-off construction for us is a process of constant problem solving, asking questions and sourcing answers from a variety of sources: designers, engineers, owners, owner’s reps, suppliers, contractors, etc. This type of problem solving and innovation becomes part of the culture of the organization. This is a great asset, but it can make it difficult to transition to a production build mentality.

By contrast, production builds are about solving problems before production starts, implementing processes, and then having people follow these processes to the letter. This is where our China factory works so well. Once the process is defined, our Chinese staff is amazingly gifted at following each step in detail, producing an excellent product every time. Combined with an incredible work ethic, the volume of high quality product they produce is a real eye opener.

McConaghy has always had a reputation for building fantastic 18-foot skiffs. How have you taken the knowledge learned from this development class and applied it to classes with stricter build rules?

JM: The skiffs and moths have always been a test bed for new ideas and technology. Over the years, the demand for lightweight, stiffness, and durability helped push John McConaghy into pre-preg carbon and Nomex cores at a time when these materials were only used by NASA. Without this type of engineering available for the big yachts we build today, designing and building skiffs was a very practical way for boatbuilders to get a feel for these materials, to know their limitations, and to understand how far the boundaries could be pushed. Building the skiffs helped develop a wealth of practical experience and feel for the loads, stresses and strains on a composite structure that can be applied to all projects, not to mention the culture of pushing boundaries and innovation the class has encouraged in our company.

When an owner comes to you with a design, what is the build process like? What steps are involved?

JM: Most of our customers come to us because they are looking for something unique and special. We like to work closely with the customer to understand what they are looking for and where they want us to push the envelope a little bit. Whether it is construction techniques that will give the boat a performance edge, a new canting keel system, or an interior design, we start with the experts in the appropriate fields and thrash through alternatives using hand sketches, 3D computer design, renderings, and full size mock ups. From there, working closely with the designers, engineers, suppliers and sub contractors is critical to the final outcome. Attention to detail and a good personal relationship with each of the individuals involved are key. We find most owners who come to us enjoy this process as much as they enjoy the end product, as it can be quite exciting and invigorating.

JM: Whilst we apply our principals of quality and innovation to both pure racing boats as well as performance cruising boats, there are significant differences between the build processes. Obviously, a race boat project has a clearly defined objective: to win races. Therefore most decisions during the build are pretty clear. if it will improve performance regardless of other implications, this is usually the default decision.

Performance cruising boats, however, offer a whole range of challenges when making decisions about the build process. The decision on the compromises between performance and comfort made during construction are very important to the boat’s functionality and performance, not to mention the cost. So for a performance/cruising boat, there are a lot more decisions that need to be made during the entire build. Because a different concept may drive each decision, we must fully understand the customer’s requirements and intended use of the boat.

You have raced on many of the boats you've helped build. What is this like?

JM: I enjoy being involved in sailing the boats we have built. It gives me a lot of exposure to the various owners and crew and obviously a great sense of satisfaction to see the boats in action. I’m lucky enough to be able to sail with some of the best and most professional sailors and campaigns around. It’s important for me to observe how the boats are being used and handled, so I can bring what I have learnt to the next project on the shop floor. A lot of the improvements we make are just small details based on feedback from crews and owners, but it makes a big difference to the end product.

Going forward, how have you positioned your business for success?

JM: We continue to strive for quality and innovation in all of our projects, a successful recipe we have followed since the company was founded. However, we recognized the cost of achieving this quality and innovation in a city like Sydney is not a cost all clients are willing to bear. With this in mind we established our operation in China. Going forward, we are able to offer the same standards of quality and innovation core to our company values to more customers at very affordable levels. The most customized projects are best constructed in Australia, yet the owner now has the choice of McConaghy in China.