Ino Noir named for Fastnet baptism of fire

by Carkeek Design Partners 25 May 11:44 BST

Ino Noir © Georgie Altham, PhotoBoat

One of the newly-launched hot favourites for the Royal Ocean Racing Club's (RORC) 50th Rolex Fastnet Race in July, Ino Noir, had its boat christening ceremony at RORC, Cowes on Sunday. The liquid crimson 45ft monohull will catch the eye on the race circuit.

Ino Noir bears all the hallmarks of its creators; Shaun Carkeek's signature lines and all-round speed, the performance, style and colours of James Neville, the owner and commodore of RORC, and the attention to detail and finish of the builder Jason Carrington. Neville will be able to seamlessly move from land to sea now with Ino Noir carefully colour-matched to his Aston Martin DB11 AMR.

Great boats are the products of great collaboration and the excitement around Ino Noir was there from the start and has been evident in testing.

"A boat like Ino Noir is only possible through deep and close collaboration and it is testament to the commitment, ability and open mindedness of James and his crew, the builders at Carrington and everyone here in our design team, particularly the senior team of Simon McGoldrick, Mark Bishop and Gijs Gunneman.

"Ino Noir has been a labour of love and showcases everything we've learned over three decades of design," Shaun Carkeek, the founder of Carkeek Design Partners, said. "We push to deliver champion boats and, as always, strive to redefine the boundaries and innovate. We ensure all our clients a state-of-the-art yacht in which experience, vision, technology and design are blended seamlessly through our unique turnkey design process.

Colour match with Liquid Crimson Aston Martin DB11 AMR - photo © Georgie Altham, PhotoBoat

Our philosophy is to surpass the client's expectations in all we do and deliver a lifetime of experience through our process, incorporating the latest technology available to develop today's best yacht. We see the initial design, build and launch as the beginning of a continued collaboration in the quest for the best. We look forward to seeing Ino Noir at the front of the fleet - you can't miss it!"

Neville intends Ino Noir to build on the success of his slightly shorter HH42, Ino XXX, which was second in the IRC Overall in the 2021 Fastnet Race. Although as Commodore of RORC he would dearly love to win the 50th edition of the biennial 690-mile Fastnet Race, the boat has been created to compete in a growing number of 600-mile offshore race circuits and the liquid crimson finish shows that they will not be shrinking violets.

"Christening a boat like this is a day to remember for all of us, it is a special moment, which I am sure will be the first of many," Neville said. "In design, build and action, Ino Noir is exactly what we were hoping for. We wanted to keep racing with our same crew of 10 in a boat that reflects all the latest evolutions in technology as well as what we have learned as a team. There have been huge jumps in the Fast 40+ and the 52s where Shaun and Jason have had great success. And of course we wanted a boat that looks good too!"

"My daughter came up with the name 'Ino' when she was studying ancient history (the Greek goddess, Ino, is sometimes called 'the Queen of the Sea') and I bought the Corby 36. At the time three-letter boats were the thing - Yes and Rán - and there was some Yes/No contrast and on reflection Ino is Oui upside down. I added Noir to play on its colour resemblance to Pinot Noir"

Ino Noir - photo © Georgie Altham, PhotoBoat

The sense of shared purpose and quest for innovation and excellence was honoured by boatbuilder, Jason Carrington.

"Carrington Boats are proud to have been part of the creation of Ino Noir," Carrington said. "As ever it was a real pleasure to work with the Carkeek office and the Ino team. Ino Noir has been a special project for us and we thank James for the chance to build the vision."

For Carkeek, this has been another layer in their long and successful relationship. It's always a pleasure to work with Jason and his team and thanks to James for this unique opportunity."

Sailing with the team - photo © Georgie Altham, PhotoBoat

Ino Noir is the latest launch in Carkeek Design Partner's portfolio, with the team currently working tirelessly on a range of new projects, from racing yachts to superyachts, ahead of the busy summer season of 2023 and beyond.

Testing the sails - photo © Georgie Altham, PhotoBoat

Boat Specifications

Ino Noir is coastal/offshore focused, yet with a strong inshore capability, with a total build time of 15,000 hours.

Featuring the typical Carkeek heavily chamfered foredeck, reverse sheer bow, twin rudders, wheel steering and water ballast tank, the model also features: