Hull of Wally 101 sailing yacht lifted from mould

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The sleek carbon hull of the bespoke Wally 101 (click for more details) has been lifted out of its female mould in a dramatic operation, marking a major milestone in the construction of the cruiser-racer inspired by the Wallycento box rule.

Stefano de Vivo, Managing Director of Wally, said: “This is the moment in the birth of a boat when her concept takes material shape for the first time and you get a glimpse of the vessel she will become. It’s thrilling to watch.”

Wally stated that although it’s rare for one-off yachts of this scale to use female moulding, which is time-consuming to build, it “ensures a near perfect exterior finish”, with the builder paying tribute to its lamination team.

Luca Bassani, Wally’s founder and Chief Designer, said: “Our laminators have been with Wally since the brand’s first days and are among the best in the world. Their collaboration has helped us to develop techniques that bring the absolute best out of the high-end materials pioneered by Wally. We’re delighted to be one step closer to welcoming a fabulous new custom Wally into the world.”

The builder said very little filler was needed to fair the hull, further eliminating unnecessary weight, which was a critical part of the brief from the experienced owner, who has already had three Wally yachts.

After demoulding, the hull was laid in a cradle and moved back under cover for the next stage of its transformation. Shipwrights are installing the bulkheads that divide up the interior space, while wiring, piping, tanks and other engineering foundations are also being put in.

The lightweight carbon deck is currently in mould. Built using advanced pre-preg carbon-fibre in a sandwich composite, the Wally 101 is predicted to weigh 56 tonnes, of which 40 per cent is due to the lifting keel.

Even with the yacht including labour-saving technology such as Wally’s Magic Trim and Magic Traveller hydraulic systems, the builder believes the boat’s weight is 20 per cent lighter than yachts of similar size and capabilities.