Story: Canoe navigation

Club Med, contemporary double-hulled yacht (1st of 2)

Club Med, contemporary double-hulled yacht

After decades sailing single-hulled yachts, in 2000 New Zealand skipper Grant Dalton began sailing large catamarans non-stop around the world. He is shown here with drawings for Club Med, the design of which was derived from that of the Polynesian double-hulled canoes. Early European explorers such as James Cook were convinced that the Pacific was peopled through purposeful voyaging. They had witnessed the speed and agility of ocean-going double-hulled and outrigger canoes, both of which made European ships look slow and lumbering. Cook had reported that double-hulled vessels were ‘fit for distant navigation’.

Using this item

New Zealand Herald
Reference: 26 November 1999
Photograph by Paul Estcourt

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Rāwiri Taonui, 'Canoe navigation - Waka – canoes', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/2214/club-med-contemporary-double-hulled-yacht (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 8 Feb 2005