Ocean Planet, 60' Ocean Racer Designed By Tom Wylie
- Emerson, Ocean Row
- Apr 5, 2018
- 1 min read
Updated: Aug 2, 2021
Ocean Planet is an IMOCA Open 60' designed by Tom Wylie. She was launched from Schooner Creek Boat Works in 2001. She is built with red cedar veneers over structural foam with carbon and kevlar reinforcements in high load areas. She carries 1,200 lbs. of water ballast in internal tanks on each side. She has a free standing, rotating carbon mast with a pusher boom vang. The mast is designed by Composite Engineering and is 12” across at the base. She has an ample cockpit with eight Harken winches. Her stanchion posts are made of titanium. Her lifting keel allows her draft to go from 15’ to 9’. Her fixed bowsprit holds furling flying sails and she uses custom Doyle sails. Her coach roof is made of carbon fiber and houses a captain's station center and folding bunks on each side of the keel trunk and aft. A carbon fiber head is central forward of the bulkhead with a fold down carbon handrail. Her sail locker fills the forward area with a crash bulkhead in the bow.
Ocean Planet circled the globe twice, first in the Around Alone in 2003-4 and second in the Vendee Globe in 2004-5, finishing in 109 days to become the first American finisher of the race.
LOA: 60’ 0”
DWL: 60’ 0”
Beam: 12’ 7”
Draft: 14’ 9”
Displacement: 21,063 lbs.
That’s an incredible design Ocean Planet truly showcases precision and innovation in marine engineering. For vessels like this, having a reliable Sump Pump system is just as essential to keep everything dry and functioning smoothly during long voyages. Amazing craftsmanship and performance all around!
A leaky bulkhead on a high-performance vessel like Ocean Planet could cause some serious trouble, especially in offshore races. With her advanced design and materials, ensuring that every bulkhead is watertight is crucial for both safety and performance. It’s great to see such attention to detail in these cutting-edge sailing machines!