“Water – Wizards” is a light, efficient, 50ft, high performance, wave-piercing, power catamaran, trans-ocean film platform – deliverable worldwide, specifically conceived, designed, and built as a filmboat platform at sea to magnify all events and media.
Known for its minimal wake and turbulence, its features, efficiency, speed and range make it a valuable partner in sailing events.
50ft. catamaran “Water-Wizards,” here chasing defender 95ft
Alinghi 5 during AC33, has – by design- LESS turbulence and wake
than the surrounding 25ft monohull ribs & crafts (here averaging 20 knots).
© Gilles Martin-Raget / ACEA AC33 – All rights reserved
By design, sponsors can turn the vertical hulls into 2 billboards at sea [40+ft long by 4+ft wide] or shrink wrap it with their logos due to its sharp edges.
Used as a support, safety and/or corporate boat, it offers full support services as a mothership on set location with full facilities and galley, easy to board while at sea with the choice of waterline stern platforms or decks access.
Stephen J. “Steve” Shidler researched his concept for a high performance transocean filmboat that would shift the paradigm through years of both monohull and multihull sail and power boats racing for over 75,000 miles, establishing transocean records, and filming of races such as Kenwood, Big Boat Series, Transpac.
Transocean races filming was mostly limited to onboard events, start and finish lines.Very little was shot in between due to range, seaworthiness and speed limitations of boats and helicopters.
As in previous high performance projects such as Wind Warrior, Endeavor and Revolution, Stephen hired world renown designers, engineers and consultants per specialty to bring his concept to fruition:
The ‘Water-Wizards’ team:
- Morrelli & Melvin, CA, US
- High Modulus/Gurit, NZ
- Kernan Yacht Design, CA, US
- LomOcean aka. Craig Loomes Yacht Design, NZ
- Martin Francis, Francis Design, UK-France
- Craig Riley, Composites West, NV, US
- Prof. Gunter Hoppe, FASTcc Hydrofoil Design, South Africa
- Dencho Marine, Long Beach, CA, US
- Bellport Newport Harbor, CA, US
- Yanmar marine power specialists: Boatswain’s Locker, CA, US
- Hamilton Jets, NZ
Once we had “Water-Wizards” primary design ready, purpose and uses defined, we went to Gino Morrelli, having worked together on the 3 previous marine projects and having raced transocean together.
There, Tim Kernan was assigned to our Water-Wizards project. Once he decided to open his own design firm: Waterplane, renamed Kernan Yacht Design, we followed as he had become the lead designer assigned to the evolutionary design of this ground breaking boat while Morrelli & Melvin focused on setting up a new line of boat production.
As in previous projects, “Water-Wizards” has an evolutionary project life with scheduled upgrade to keep it competitive and performing along with the evolution of racing yachts.
Its first power set up was twin Volvo 350HP D6 with Duo Prop stern drives linked with 8in 12ft carbon shafts allowing 32+knots top speed and 25 knots cruising speed.
The new re-power is with twin Yanmar 480HP with Blue Arrow for added finesse in maneuverability and Hamilton 332 Jet Drives.
“Water-Wizards” is named after navigators and sailors who have so courageously and brilliantly cast off to explore, conquer, enjoy the Ocean and all her might throughout history and the world over. And to our contemporaries who keep on excelling over their last feats.
