Endeavour Quay was happy to provide facilities for the new owner of the IMOCA Open 60 “Artemis 1” to complete a full refit over the winter of 2009-10. The brief for the design team of was to turn the solo offshore racing yacht in to an offshore Med racer that could easily be handled by the owner and a crew of four. The new owner, a French businessman, already owns an 80foot racer cruiser that he keeps in the Med and he wanted something a little more “racey”, he has certainly got that!

 The refit included a full respray undertaken by the onsite contractor Ady Murrey Yacht Painting Ltd, taking the yacht from the traditional Artemis colours to a ‘duck shell’ blue favoured by the new owner. Owen Clarke Design, the original designers of the yacht, was asked to develop a programme of preventative maintenance on the main systems onboard and also a re-design of the interior. Modifications included a new engine, a modified forward bulkhead and new chainplates, and the unusual inclusion for an Open 60 of basic a galley, a shower and mountings for a chemical toilet.

Endeavour Quay provided the lifting and storage facilities to enable the owner’s team of boat builders and crew to get on with the job. The boatyard has the access and facilities for specialist race yachts that is unrivalled locally. With no air draft restrictions, deep water access, three massive boatsheds and an Open Yard Policy, it is renowned as the place to go for big boat refits in the UK.  

 The race yacht was relaunched at the end of March 2010 under the new name of ‘Rusalka’ and is based in the Solent for the summer season