STAYINPHASE WERE CONTACTED TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND FIT A SUBSTANTIAL LEVEL REFIT ON THE MOD70 TRIMARAN ‘ARGO’.

The team provided a list of requirements which needed to be met, including a reduction in friction, reduction in system backlash and low part burn rate. Coupled with scant design information from the original construction and a little over a year to sea trails, it was time to rise to the challenge!

Argo, rejuvenated and poised for relaunch at Driscoll Mission Bay, San Diego, CA.

Jon and his team went back to the drawing board to come up with a modern solution for the outdated MOD70 externally mounted system. “We focused on centralising control of winch and hydraulic functions back into the cockpit.”

The original configuration, as it was before.

FOR RELATIVELY SHORT-HANDED SAILING, THIS, TOGETHER WITH AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SYSTEM IS SIMPLY GOLD DUST TO THE GUYS OUT AT SEA.

The install project was major. The original winch pods were repositioned, and the AFT beam structure reinforced to allow for the new pod location. Immeasurable lengths of shafts, chain drives and gears were removed to be replaced with an intuitive mechanically automated driveline supported by two rotary pumps. All strongly supported by carefully positioned mountings.

IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY THE SHIP ARGO WAS BUILT WITH THE HELP OF THE GODS AND COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD FOR ‘SWIFT’.

OUR PROJECT BECAME VERY DESIGN-INTENSIVE AS WE SOUGHT GAINS IN THE HYDRAULIC AND WINCH DRIVETRAINS…

… Alignment issues and differences between the 3D model and the actual build required some fluid thinking and myriad changes to the original spec. Jon delivered an elegant and well-thought-out solution to a highly complex problem. The system functions beautifully and has required zero maintenance after 10,000 hard ocean miles. Our high expectations were exceeded.

CHAD CORNING
PROGRAM MANAGER
ARGO RACING

The end goal of the project had always been the TransPac Race and the attempt to beat Steve Fossett’s record from Honolulu to Yokohama, Japan in 13D, 29H.

On the 30th August, Chad Corning navigated and led the crew on a fantastic run to knock a staggering 40% off the record and set the bar at 7D, 18H and 23M.