The SY Alithia was designed to be a new kind of cruiser racer that marries offshore safety and modern life style with an awesome sailing performance.

The exhilarating speed was obtained by applying the knowledge gained from racing and cruising boats sailing worldwide combined with principles gained from the modeling, design and in water racing and testing experience. By combining the hull shapes, foils and rigging developed on the race track into a hull shape capable of carrying the equipment and accommodations of a 150 - 160 tons world cruising yacht, real sailing speed, responsiveness and precise control was achieved.

The hull was designed by studying the effects of volume distribution with various beam/depth ratios of the canoe body and by analysing them from the perspective of comfort at sea, enhancing sea worthiness, and maximizing living space. For a fixed displacement the maximum waterline length on a moderate beam/depth ratio gave the highest performance shape while optimizing load carrying capacity and internal volume. Spreading displacement over a greater waterline is just better, changing seeming conflicts into common gains. The accompanying volume comparison illustrates the effective distribution of volume.

Thus Alithia is notable in her performance shape, sleek freeboard and very long waterline. The high length/beam ratio is critical to making a very fast boat, that is not only seaworthy, but comfortable at sea. Straight, fair lines and the sleek hull shape ensure better tracking and less rolling in waves.

The long light to medium displacement design minimizes the weight to be dragged and the resistance to the water flow. The displacement length ratio of 95 is indicative of a boat that creates little in the way of wave and really wants to sail.

With little bow wave and without the deep through amidships that is typical of cruising boats, the yacht remains well balanced when heeled, requiring less energy to sail past hull speed, and can be easily controlled by her cable steering.

Sailing downwind the yacht lifts out of the wave and starts surfing early. In gale conditions the waves will not roll over the stern, the boat stays drier and keeps steering power. In a close hauled and storm condition the yacht will be stiffer, pitch less with less windward helm and less exposure to knock downs. The narrow fine bow minimizes pitching and slamming, slicing through moderate waves with little disturbance, and giving a better motion up and over in big waves, to land softly on the u-sections forward.

The rig is designed around a large mainsail and an aggressively long boom to unleash the power of the mainsail and yet have it easily controlled by the furling boom- a combination of ease of sailing with performance. The carbon rig has a 160 foot high masthead with a non-overlapping jib, large staysail and high roach main. The large asymmetric spinnaker is for use reaching, and downwind racing. A whisker pole is used to wing out the jib for running in a breeze, where the boat will hit some of her highest speeds cruising.

The deck plan is of a low pilothouse on a flush deck was developed to best express the prowess of the boat. Hidden captive winches, flush hatches, and underdeck leads, provide safety and uncluttered walkways. The cockpit is sunk below deck level, inside a coaming, affording protection, yet a clear sightline from the wheel to the bow over the house. The sailing controls are aligned just forward of the wheels, port and starboard, assuring good communication and control of the boat by the helmsman and crew.

The yacht is a true high performance sailing machine.