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Premiere of The Uber-Cool AXOPAR 22 SPYDER

Premiere of The Uber-Cool AXOPAR 22 SPYDER

A never-seen-before event in boating – broadcast from an über-cool industrial building; the Train Factory. An evening full of interesting insights, interviews and slipping the covers off the Axopar 22 Spyder and the flagship model – the eye-catching Axopar x Jobe Revolve XXII.

During the European launch, co-founder and creative and innovative director, Jan-Erik Viitala was joined by designer Jarkko Jämsen to discuss why they decided to create the Axopar 22, and the key benefits they were attempting to achieve. The pair reveal the secrets behind how the Axopar 22 was designed and talk about how they used virtual reality and Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD), also explaining why they design Axopar hulls the way they do. They discuss the layout options and why they decided these were the ideal offerings for Axopar owners.

KEY IDEAS

The idea behind creating a smaller product was to make a boat that was accessible by a larger audience and to target a younger audience.

Viitala starts by saying that they wanted to focus on the “drivability, the versatility, the handling and also the cost-effectiveness… something that is new, fresh but also with a good price point”.

For Viitala the most important part of the project was about “the things you cannot see but that you can experience, the magic that happens that just makes a great product”.

“In simplicity, there is complexity, when you start from the drawing board and say, let’s make a more compact Axopar… we actually use the same amount of engineering hours as the 28 and first 37, the more knowledge you have, you want more,” says Viitala.

Jämsen added to this by saying, “For the customers, it is usually about the looks. But for us, it is what is on the inside, what is in the engineering, the hull, the weight, the centre of gravity, that is what we push mostly.”

DESIGN PROCESS

What is really amazing about the creation of the Axopar 22 is the proof of how far technology has come and how designers are using it today. Aivan, the company Jämsen co-founded, is one of the first to really use virtual reality to design boats; and this is what they primarily used when creating the Axopar 22. Of course, they also created wooden mock-ups, one of the more classical methods but taking everything virtual allowed for designers to contribute to the project from all around the world.

The team now also have access to Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) which gives them the ability to see how the water pressure reacts under the water and against the hull.

HULL

– BIG FLAIR IN THE BOW – when the boat dips into the large waves this flair deflects the water and gives the boat more buoyancy which is helpful in the heavier seas.

-CHINES – Above the waterline is the chines, which again deflect more water.

-TWIN STEPS – used to channel air underneath the water. These give a platform of air on which the boat can ride. They are using air between the hull and the water to create air lubrication and less drag, and it also helps with stability.

-PROPULSION– anything between 150hp and 200hp.

Viitala explains, “This is by far the most complex mould we have ever done, not even the 37 comes close to the complexity and this is mainly because we had 3 important benefits we wanted to bring forward to the consumer”

– Fit into a container

-Maximum stability we can achieve on a 22 footer – “This is what sets us apart from most of our competitors, that when you are onboard, driving or have it resting it’s very stable. It doesn’t want to roll in the sea. And that has a lot to do with safety, comfort and handling. Even when you take this out in bad weather, whatever wave conditions you have it’s always travelling in a balanced way.”

-Trailer-ability – “We wanted it to be this size and weight so it can be towed behind a mid-sized SUV or a big-sized touring car.”

FUNCTIONALITY

Don’t worry Australia, Axopar has our back. Despite only launching with the open “Spyder” model, we are told that the T-Top is also available and covers the full beam of the boat, so that we are protected from our strong sun and unreliable weather. This T-Top is also fitted with zippers, which will completely open up for when you want some additional vitamin D. Viitala went on to explain the purposes of the multiple layout options summary of this discussion is at www.eyachts.com.au