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1. Follow the timeless, low pilothouse, high performance concept of "Cyclos III", "Whirlwind XII", "Thalia", "Catalyst", "Shanakee", and "Chardonnay-C".
2. The largest yacht that could be handled without a full-time live aboard crew if owned and operated by an experienced yachtsman.
3. Extended ocean voyaging capabilities for two couples with additional accommodation for children or occasional friends to be involved in the adventures.
4. Simplicity of systems and sail handling solutions. A yacht that is easy to get away from the dock for a day sail at short notice, as well as being capable of safe ocean crossings.
5. Fast, stable and well balanced and therefore fun to sail.
6. The overall feeling on board was to reflect the ambiance and comfort of a much larger yacht.
7. Pilot house / elevated saloon arrangement. Its no accident that most of my designs follow this superstructure concept.
8. In keeping with the ambition to have further yachts be built off this design, the overall result of the project should reflect the best possible perceived value. This is an important balance between design decisions on the overall arrangement, equipment specification and the cost of construction. The yacht has to be of good value when she is presented to the market.
The 160 ft. "Thalia" and the 92 ft. "Catalyst" - two of Ron Holland's most recently launched designs at the time - were well received. With their graceful sheerlines, generous overhangs and traditional sterns, these ketches balance all that is positive from recent design and technical developments within the marine industry with the beauty of designs created by Fife, Rhodes or Alden more than a generation earlier. Ron Holland decided to follow this line rather than own a yacht that pushed the leading edge of new styling directions or a more performance driven, light displacement design.
The length overall of "Golden Opus" was influenced by the operation of the 74 ft. "Happy Joss" and the 73 ft. "Crystal". These two Ron Holland designs have competent shore based professionals looking after maintenance requirements and delivery of the yachts when required by the owners. When necessary they are also available to accompany the owners on passages, but more often than not the owners are comfortable taking their yachts for weekend cruising or even offshore with guests and family sharing crewing responsibilities.
Ron Holland believes a length of 73 ft. allows the interior spaces and associated 'big yacht ambiance' to be achieved without compromising the simple operation of the yacht - the requirement central to this project's objectives.
A yacht of this length automatically gives ocean passage performance of an exceptional level. After all this is the size the original maxi racing yachts were limited to by the racing rules and they needed a minimum of 10 people to efficiently operate them around a race course. The level of pleasure gained from a small crew being able to safely control a yacht of this speed and power by way of automated sail handling systems is a wonderful experience. This was, for Ron Holland, the greatest motivation to create this new project.
The equipment and systems specification for this new yacht have avoided unnecessary complexities without any compromise to safe operation or to comfort and convenience levels more normally associated with much larger vessels. Ron Holland believes many of the yachts that have been built to his designs could achieve the comfort and convenience levels required by their owners with less complexity.
Engine Lugger 165 hp Generator Northern Lights 20 kw Batteries Mastervolt Electronics Elpro Watermaker Sea Recovery
Sailing Systems Lewmar Marine Rig Matrix Masts Rigging Navtec Sails North Sails Navigational Equipment Raytheon Furler Harken
Paint Awlgrip Toilets SeaLand
Amongst a variety of good ideas Ron Holland has adopted from his existing designs, the aft boarding platform and the general layout of the anchor and windlass system are features that have really enhanced the convenience of life aboard and serious offshore passage making capabilities.
Life aboard this yacht centres around the pilot house. In fact this feature should be more correctly termed 'raised deck saloon' even though one has the capability of operating the yacht under power from the starboard side of this area via autopilot and engine controls located at a generous sized chart table.
Most of Ron Holland's designs over 90 ft. feature the pilot house / raised dinette layout in addition to the saloon and dining area on a lower level. This raised deck saloon approach features protection from sun and wind without compromising a visual involvement with activities in the cockpit enhanced by an opening window in the aft bulkhead.
Ron Holland has collaborated with Andrew Winch on several successful projects, and this experience has influenced the interior arrangement and detailing of the joinery work beautifully executed by New Zealand craftsmen.
The goal was to create a spacious feeling that relates to interior design aspects of yachts larger than this general size of vessel. This has been influenced by generous dimensioning of passage ways, door and washroom areas. A particularly important feature is the open plan, offering visual contact from the deck saloon, both forward into the galley and aft into the office / library area. When one enters this yacht there is a real feeling of spaciousness.
The owner's cabin is located across the full width of the yacht's aft sections with generous stowage and washroom spaces. Ron Holland's preference for "Golden Opus" was to keep this a very private space, which is in contrast to a variation on this design that has direct access from the owner's cabin into a cockpit incorporated into the aft deck area. This variation highlights the possible customisation we intend to offer with this design.
The primary guest cabin located forward of the saloon is very spacious and Ron Holland wanted to achieve a cabin that would allow any owner feel comfortable inviting his most important guests aboard, even for an extended cruise. Another feature of this cabin is its connection to the port side forward bunk cabin. This was envisaged to enhance the multi use of the yacht by having a connection between guest and children's cabins via the washroom. If the forward cabins are used in a more private manner, they share the spacious forward toilet area.
The galley and crew dining areas are large for a yacht of this class, but again drawing on Ron Holland's experience he wanted to create a space conducive to 'hang out' in as well as being able to efficiently function as a cooking and serving area. The decision to devote a good volume to this area, together with the open plan communication between galley and saloon, is a very attractive aspect of this yacht's layout
In keeping with the spacious feeling of the accommodation areas, this yacht also has a proper engine room laid out full width under the raised saloon area. The engine room can be entered from a watertight hatch on the port side deck or via the service and utility room in the aft passageway.
The deck access has been the primary entry in good weather regions and, as experience has shown with most of Ron Holland's designs, the ventilation and light this hatch gives is a vary popular feature. Most yachts of this size squeeze the engine and associated systems into a small space under the cockpit. In contrast Ron Holland has taken this space a s a utility room where electrical control, work bench and tool stowage are located. This area also importantly forms an insulation barrier between the yacht's accommodation and the engine room, again a feature associated with much larger yachts.
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