Friday, March 29

In a Growth Mode, Grand Banks Starts Work on New 85 Flagship

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Grand Banks has started work on its new 85, the largest Grand Banks ever, in its factory in Malaysia. The company is definitely in a growth mode. Mark Richards, the Grand Banks CEO, announced at the Fort Lauderdale show in November that the factory was starting work on a new 52 that will be launched at the Newport show in September. And earlier this year Grand Banks launched its new 60 Skylounge, after the successful introduction of a 60 flybridge version.

The big, new 85 flagship will come in both a flybridge and skylounge version. And its 22-foot beam creates large socializing areas both inside and outside the boat. A full-beam master stateroom with a double en suite head is one option. A four-cabin layout with enough room to sleep nine people comfortably is another.

Work is already underway on the hull mold, and robots will soon cut the deck plug. The factory is using a combination of hand-built and robot-controlled methods to speed up the mold process. The topsides are due to be finished in late April.

“We are combining the benefits of traditional boat building with world-leading technology to reduce production time and improve the quality of our products,” said John McKay, the Grand Banks designer.

Richards, a world-champion sailor (he’s won the grueling Sydney-Hobart race a record nine times), has introduced his racing experience into the Grand Banks construction process, using fully infused carbon fiber for the decks and superstructure to give the boats a low center of gravity. The new Grand Banks also have his warped hulls, which produce a highly efficient running attitude across the speed curve.

Grand Banks also has invested in new robots to speed up the building process and insure accuracy throughout the build. The factory now has a second eight-axis robot with milling capabilities for more flexibility. Read more:

http://grandbanks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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