Omahu, a 16-meter composite displacement hull powercat being built in New Zealand, was designed by Roger Hill and based on construction using DuFLEX Composite panels from ATL Composites.
In the Maori language, Omahu means breath or light breeze which is very fitting for the innovative Omahu powercat being built by Lifestyle Yachts in Pipiroa, New Zealand.
The owners of Omahu, all experienced yachtsmen, wanted a vessel that would allow them to experience long-range cruising around the South Pacific. As such, the design needed space for two couples to live aboard and store fuel, water, and food for long trips to remote destinations. Omahu needed “space, pace and grace” to meet the needs of the owners, as well as needing to fit into available berth space. From there, the wide-bodied design was born.
Designer Roger Hill chose ATL Composites’ DuFLEX Composite panels to provide the strength, durability, lightweight and precision needed for the project. “The first DuFLEX kit we did was over 18 years ago, and we have done many since then in both power and sail. One of Omahu’s owners had already built a sailing cat using the DuFLEX panel system so he was very happy to build the powercat using the same materials and method of construction,” said Mr. Hill. “The DuFLEX Building System offers builders a very high-quality panel and very precise accuracy, and for the client, an assurance of structural integrity.”
