Lidgard Yacht Design International 8mtr Class Yacht.
After enjoying the International Eight Metre Class World Cup in Helsinki in 2002, Jose de la Vega of Sydney Australia commissioned designer Garry Lidgard to design a boat to meet the Eight Metre Class Rule with a modern underbody and 1930’s classic lines above the waterline.
The International Eight Metre Class is a smaller version of the 12m America’s Cup boats. The Eight Metre Class began in the early part of the 1900’s, although there has been several upgrades to the rule in that period. A large number of boats are still on register, some dating back to the beginnings of the Class in the early 1900’s and racing successfully within a fleet of the more modern versions. The overall length of Juana is 14.575m on a LWL of 9.36m, with the construction scantlings to meet Lloyd’s Register Eight Metre Class Rules.
Juana’s hull and deck are a timber/fiberglass hybrid, with solid timber, closely spaced epoxy-laminated, Celery-top pine frames and decks, that were then stripped planked with Huon pine. Structural exterior multi axial glass layers, laminated with West System brand epoxy, was used to offer overall structural integrity and additionally to bring weight distribution to equal the Eight Metre Class requirement, and the clear finished interior and all internal fitout have also been coated with multiple coats of epoxy resin systems to provide excellent moisture resistance and to reduce maintenance. Teak deck and a two-pack linear polyurethane gloss paint give Juana a high quality, classic finish.