Raku Flight Deck Concept

The spark for this concept came from a Melbourne client who asked if it would be practical to locate the helm stations and sail controls on the aft beam, so the steering position would have clear vision over the cockpit roof, and the sail controls would be clear of guests using the cockpit. Once we had located the helm stations on the aft beam, this opened up a whole new world of possibility with the layout of the accommodation platform, by allowing us to seamlessly integrate the internal saloon and galley area with what we used to call the cockpit. This had the added advantage of removing some of the seating and lounge furniture that would otherwise be duplicated in the saloon and cockpit areas, and this in turn provided more flexibility with the galley arrangement.

One of the main advantages of the helm aft arrangement is that all of the sail controls come directly aft to the crew station. You don't have headsail sheet lines being diverted down the cabin side to deck level and then cluttering the side decks as they run aft to the winches. Even the furler control lines and reefing lines and halyards can come directly aft along the cabin top, keeping them free of areas normally used by the guests for lounging or simply moving about the boat.