Double rudder wheel: when racing serves cruising

double rudder wheel is now almost a must-have for the majority of boats on the market but, in reality, it is a requirement that originated well back in time, for racing. Like so many arrangements developed for competition, however, it then easily caught on in the cruising world, soon becoming a commonplace element, to say the least, and, above all, capable of maximizing comfort. Unlike the evolution of open sterns and/or the center cockpit (find the articles HERE and HERE), however, this is a much more recent development, and one need only jump briefly into the 1980s and 1990s to realize this. The question, in this case, is simpler: How did you switch from racing to cruising and, more importantly, why?

Double wheel: when racing meets cruising

The reasons why the double wheel has become so widespread are relatively simple: while in racing it was pure necessity, as we shall see, for the cruising world it is instead primarily the bearer of extra comfort-boats gain space and ease of handling, to the point that, today, the double wheel is not only a common solution, but is almost a mandatory requirement for the market. But the argument is more complex.

The beginnings of the double wheel

To arrive at the double wheel, first of all, the invention of the wheel must be understood. Or rather, how this took over. Leaving aside its actual beginnings, with its introduction in the early 18th century on merchant vessels and war navy ships, the wheel is introduced for a very simple reason: to demultiply the forces needed to steer the tiller. And this is the reason for its great reintroduction in the yachting world of the second half of the last century: as hulls grew in length and displacement, the wheel became necessary again, especially in the racing world. If before, in fact, so many of the contenders at the big offshore races were still “small” and tiller-steerable, with the Whitbreads and with the growth of hulls even in the Admiral’s, the wheel returns a simple necessity. But with its own limitations.

Obviously, the central wheel greatly reduces the stresses to which, on the other hand, the helmsman would be subjected when confronted with a tiller, especially when in rough conditions and overpowered (a typical offshore racing context). The notable problem that emerges, however, with the constant rising and falling of the beams, is simple: the central position does not optimize the 360-degree visibility of the helmsman, and if the wheel is small, the helmsman cannot sit in the hawser because he simply would not reach the wheel itself with his hands. Solution that tiller and stick have always allowed instead. What happens then? Huge wheels. Huge wheels imply two distinct problems, however: specially recessed cockpits and, of course, reduced ergonomics and movement space. Acceptable in racing but certainly less so on pure cruising hulls.

In 1973 Royal Huisman launched the Benbow, designed by Dick Carter(HERE his story as designer). She is a remarkable hull, she is fast and, although also projected toward cruising, she is strong in lines and innovations that are no small feat. She will win the Middle Sea Race three times and was the record holder in the Giraglia from 1984 to 1998. But why is it interesting in this context? Clearly because Carte here, among the first, introduces the double wheel. Its advantage is simple: easier spaces and better visibility in the wheelhouse, avoiding the huge wheel. Before we see the same solution in large series, however, we will have to wait for German Frers and 1987.

The double wheel in the series

In 1987 Beneteau churns out a small masterpiece. It is in fact from the partnership with the Argentinean magician, German Frers, that we will have the first production hull to see two wheels installed: it is the First 51, derived from a racing prototype and, quite simply, flawless on the water. The beam is huge, 4.55 meters versus 15.63 meters overall length, and it is a decidedly tacked beam. Frers immediately identifies the solution: these are the Admiral’s Cup and Sardinia’s Cup years, and the 51 is a hull for racing. The double rudder is the only sensible solution to be able to offer the market a boat that is perfect for racing as well as cruising. It will be an immense success and, most importantly, it will launch the double-columns in the series world.

Beneteau grasps the goodness of the intuition and immediately reproduces it on the next 50-footer, the First 53 F5 of 1990, designed by Farr and Pininfarina, an incredible IOR 50. But it is no longer Beneteau alone that sets the standard. The same year Jeppesen will sign theX-512, also with twin wheel steering. Other big names will follow closely, with Nautor, for example, launching the Swan 68 in 1991, and Wauquiez in ’92, with the Wauquiez 60. The solution fully came into its own, on hulls of a certain size, however.

On large aft-cockpit hulls the trend will thus continue, not for fashion but for trend and comfort. The solution is effective, and hulls such as the X-612 first or the Swan 80 (opening photo)then, confirm this. At the end of the decade, the double wheel is the must above 15 meters. Yet, today we also find it below the fateful 50′ threshold threshold below which, all things considered, a tiller or center rudder still does its job more than admirably. Not for nothing, the TP52s have tiller and stick rudders… and it is not a question of intended use, because the Ker 46, a pure racing hull to say the least, can opt between both solutions, even if it deploys the double wheel… What then is the point?

Question of trends

Leaving aside racing, where the dietrologies and reasons are far more complex, let us return to the cruising and performance cruiser market. Why dual wheels (almost) everywhere? Simple, it is a market trend. Mind you, not a fad. It is not, in fact, a purely aesthetic issue; the choice is related to the type of enjoyment today’s hulls are intended for. In fact, the market is responding to the search for hulls that know how to decline volumes intended for comfort and relaxation, and that, at the same time, know how to offer the thrill/pleasure of sailing. With today’s wide beams and huge cockpits, this implies the possibility of differentiating volumes, leaving spaces for conviviality and spaces for sailing and navigation.

Quite simply, the double wheel helps on this front, providing ample passage from the cockpit to the stern (which is increasingly open and facing a beach area) and gathering (with the increasingly present high technologies), all the instrumentation and controls on a single tack during navigation, thus also simplifying the whole handling of the whole thing, while the helmsman is, at the same time, on the right side of the foresail, with improved visibility. This is as true on hulls above 50 feet as it is on those below, where the double wheel always results as a space-saving solution compared to the single large central wheel. Certainly, however, in smaller cases, the tiller can still be an answer, strong in the ability to be erected at rest and used in the hawser via stick. Where, then, is the point in this regard on single hulls? On the one hand, the tiller always takes up space in navigation, because the arc of its swing must be free; on the other hand, however, a good component is demand. By now, the double wheel is depopulated, and 80 percent of the demand simply prefers it, and the market adapts.

Don’t worry, though, you won’t see the tiller disappear, both because the racing world (under 50′) often favors it and because, at the end of the day, it is still a great solution and will never disappear from the offerings (and it weighs and costs less…)

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