The Auckland Boat Show bound Seawind 1170, Sweet Disposition, is covering nearly 1200 miles of Tasman Sea on her delivery from Sydney to Auckland.
Brent Vaughan of Multihull Central and skipper Tom departed Sydney, pointing the bows toward Cape Reinga for the crossing. The objective was straightforward: deliver the boat to Auckland while putting the 1170 through a genuine offshore passage.
Before departure, Vaughan was clear about the opportunity ahead. “We’re actually going to have the opportunity to really test the Seawind 1170 in those conditions with varied winds and varied seas and see how she goes.”
Punching into it
The opening stretch delivered 16 to 18 knots and steady progress, with the 1170 sailing consistently in the sevens and occasionally into the mid eights. “Very comfortable, nice sea state so overall the boat’s performing well,” Vaughan reported.
Conditions strengthened overnight. The breeze built to around 30 knots, with lumpy seas on the nose at roughly 40 degrees apparent. Three reefs were set in the main in darkness.
“Really good test for the bows, you just feel them punching through the swell and riding over them,” Vaughan said.
By morning the wind eased into the low twenties and the boat settled into an eight knot beam reach. After several days working to windward, a southerly change came through at 4.30am. “We’ve been sitting on 25s up to 30 knots during the day,” Vaughan said, noting that although the sea built, the boat was “handling really well” as they shaped a more direct course toward New Zealand.
Living aboard at sea
The passage also demonstrated the 1170’s practicality offshore. In the starboard hull galley, Tom described it as “a really usable space at sea… you feel really enclosed in here with real good visibility.”
Provisioning for the crossing included frozen meals, canned backups and ample snacks. “Make it as easy as possible,” Tom said.
At the navigation desk, PredictWind routing, Starlink connectivity and a swivelling chartplotter allowed watchkeeping from inside the saloon. “We can keep watch here day and night quite comfortably,” Vaughan explained, noting the ability to lean back and check sail trim through the tall cabin windows.
The twin helm layout proved particularly effective. “Most of the time when you come out here on the helm offshore, it’s not for sailing generally, it’s actually for shaping reefs out or putting reefs in,” Vaughan said. Importantly, reefs could be adjusted “without actually exiting the cockpit at all and exposing ourselves to the conditions.”
Wide side decks, 800mm safety rails and flat working areas allowed safe movement forward, even in 2.5 metre seas.
Approaching North Cape
With approximately 200 miles remaining, routing became critical. “You can enter your boat’s polars into the programme and then basically get it to chart you a weather course to your destination,” Tom said, monitoring forecasts of 25 to 30 knots and 3.5 to 4 metre swell around North Cape.
As the New Zealand coastline rose ahead, the outcome was evident. The Seawind 1170 had not simply been delivered. She had completed a full Tasman crossing, tested in varied conditions.
Seawind Catamarans will be showcasing their award-winning Seawind 1170 at the Auckland Boat Show from 5–8 March. Fresh from being named Multihull of the Year at the British Yachting Awards and newly built at Seawind’s advanced European facility in Turkey, the 1170 marks the beginning of a new generation of performance-driven cruising catamarans for Kiwi sailors.
Seawind 1170 showcased at Auckland Boat Show as Seawind strengthens New Zealand partnership
