“We spent a little extra time on the safety briefing, but that was about it.” That was how Fujin owner/skipper Greg Slyngstad’s start to the Caribbean 600 (C600) began. That attitude was telling. There wasn’t any hand-wringing or conscious worrying about the race coming up, despite last year’s scary capsize the first night out in the same race.
The crew, a mixture of pros and amateurs, was a lot more interested in finishing what started out as a great race last year but ended in disaster. Finishing what they started was just what they did this year. They didn’t “win” this year, either on elapsed or corrected time, but there probably wasn’t a sailor in Antigua that wasn’t impressed with the semi-foiling 53-footer’s performance.
Slyngstad, known locally for the Hamachi and Wasabi programs, turned to Paul Bieker several years ago to design a racer/cruiser catamaran. In Bieker style, he came up with several innovations that made Fujin dramatically different. “I remember the first time sailing it after launch. It was so balanced, and the horizontal foils on the rudders kept the bows up.” The unique chiseled, reverse sheer bows give the boat a vaguely Polynesian yet completely unique look.
Even more importantly than the performance, perhaps, Fujin has proven structurally sound. Despite the capsize and spending several days upside down, Fujin’s original structure has remained sound. Not terribly surprising, since one of Bieker’s primary roles in the Oracle America’s Cup programs was structural engineering.
Fujin required five months of rebuild. The electrical and electronics systems were completely replaced, as well as all the interior cruising components, engine and rig. However, basically, Fujin returned to the C600 course as she was configured in 2018. “There was some pressure from the crew to go with a bigger rig,” Slyngstad says, “But we chose to stay with the same size. Paul (Bieker) has always been balancing it between a cruiser and a racer.” Some roach was added to the main, which has apparently provided a speed boost.
Fujin started this year’s C600 fast and just kept going. The C600 brings together one of the more eclectic collections of racers with large multihulls, Maxi monohulls, planing speedsters and old racing warhorses. The two Mod 70 trimarans, Maserati and Argo, set a scorching paced and easily set new elapsed time records. Fujin was fighting for third on elapsed time with Wizard, a “turboed” Volvo 70. (Somebody is going to have to explain to me how one turbos a V70) Ultimately, Wizard got past Fujin to finish 22 minutes ahead.
In addition to Slyngstad, the crew included Jonathan McKee, Scott Smith, Mike Leslie, Fritz Lanzinger, Fritz Johnston and Gina and Andrew McCorquodale who managed Fujin’s refit. Stepping in for Brad Baker as navigator was Peter Isler. “These are all people I’ve sailed with,” Slyngstad says.
It was certainly a fast ride. Fujin’s speed over the course averaged 13+ knots, and her speed through the water averaged 17+ knots. The crew only had to reef once with the winds in the 20s. Slyngstad and his team have certainly climbed the learning curve and definitely feel comfortable pushing the boat hard. Some of the tricks they’re utilizing are changing the board height and counter-rotating the mast to depower. The week before the C600 they won the Caribbean Multihull Challenge.
While the Mod 70s were flying ahead and Fujin was dueling it out with Wizard, six hours (!) behind was the Gunboat 62 Chim Chim which ultimately won the class on corrected time. But Slyngstad doesn’t seem to care that much about handicap honors. “I was kind of surprised we corrected on the Mod 70s,” he says. At the docks, Fujin attracts a lot of attention, especially from the French multihull sailors.
Will we ever see Fujin here in the Pacific Northwest? It turns out we almost did. A couple of years ago the plan was for Fujin to transit the Panama Canal, sail the Transpac and then visit the Northwest. The wait was too long at the Canal, so the grand plan never materialized. “We’d probably have to have everybody in drysuits,” Slyngstad explains while contemplating bringing Fujin here. “It’s a pretty wet ride.” I guess that’s the price to pay for going so fast
Fujin will return to East Coast for summer racing, where she saw success a couple years ago. And after this year’s C600, no doubt there will be more than a few looky-loos.
Kurt grew up racing and cruising in the Midwest, and has raced Lasers since the late 1970s. Currently he is a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. He has been Assistant Editor at Sailing Magazine and a short stint as Editor of Northwest Yachting. Through Meadow Point Publishing he handles various marketing duties for smaller local companies. He currently is partners on a C&C 36 which he cruises throughout the Northwest. He’s married to the amazing Abby and is father to Ian and Gabe.