Great Machines: Boats - Windy 25 Mirage
June 2, 2003
As for creature comforts, the boat provides excellent outdoor seating, sprawling room, dining for six, and a small cubby for emergency napping. There is a decent head and a small sink, but the Mirage is clearly a day boat—albeit one built to go like hell in all but the most extreme seas. Which, I assure you, it does.
According to the boat’s architect, the Mirage’s superlative sea keeping comes from a combination of elements. “She’s got low weight, excellent strength, and perfect balance, with the fuel tank mounted right in the middle. I’ve also given her a flat panel in the bottom and a unique curvature to her deep-V hull.” That said, Hans Jørgen Johnsen admits his gut instincts heavily influenced the boat’s final design. “Whenever I make a drawing of a new boat, well, you could say I guess a little.”
Good guess. But not all that surprising a result—given Johnsen’s roots. “Norwegians have always built their boats to handle rough seas. Otherwise, they’d never use them. And if a boat can go really fast in heavy seas, that’s even better!”
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