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The Atoll 43 Modified

A Second Chance

By: Thanos Andronikos and Panagiotis Skiathitis
Photographs: Nick Marcobotsaris

It isn’t our usual practice--to test a boat that is no longer being built--but we decided to make an exception in this case because of this particular Atoll 43. It is one of the few boats, or perhaps the only one, that has been modified to accommodate passengers with special needs.

We were eager to test the Atoll 43 Modified in order to objectively assess if this boat really does provide, first and foremost, a safe, and second, a comfortable sailing experience for individuals with special needs. Admittedly, our expertise lies in how a boat performs at sea, not in how, or whether, it meets specific needs of passengers. So, two individuals, both with special needs, came aboard this trip to help us determine how successfully the modifications safely and comfortably accommodate passengers with special needs.

The Atoll 43: its troubled past
The Atoll 43 was the inspiration of Olivier Poncin. He envisioned a line of three boats, of which the Atoll 43 was the first (the others were 37 feet and 50 feet), that would be used solely for charters. We saw the Atoll 43 at the 1998 Paris Boat Show; and soon thereafter we had the opportunity to test it in Greek waters. From the beginning, things did not bode well for this boat. The troubles began while it was still in the design stage: its sloping windshield around the coach roof was not approved. Then, while it was being exhibited at the Boat Show, a potential customer, who was a lawyer, complained and questioned the legality of marketing the boat exclusively to charter agencies. Duly, Dufour’s legal department recommended that the shipyard drop this project of building boats solely for charter companies, as it was not in accordance with French law. In addition, its peculiar (and arguably, not very attractive for most) appearance can be understood as a reflection of the thinking at that time. Before introducing the Atoll, Dufour had entered, and stimulated, the market for catamarans with the introduction of its line of Nautitech catamarans, which ranged from 38 to 82 feet. Τo create demand for its catamarans, Dufour’s selling strategy claimed that the catamarans were a smart investment opportunity since supposedly the demand for chartering catamarans in the Mediterranean far exceeded the supply of catamarans in the region. Some people were persuaded by such assertions and bought the catamarans. Dufour was confident that people’s preferences would increasingly lean towards sailing with catamarans because they had qualities that people wanted, but couldn’t get, from monohulls. For instance, they provided large and roomy spaces, panoramic views, and high speeds. A little later, Dufour came up with the idea of designing a monohull boat that combined the best of both worlds. That is, they designed a monohull that could also provide roomy spaces, panoramic views, and high speeds. And, that is how the Atoll 43 was born. The company’s history does not justify either one of these moves. Similarly, it does not justify other choices that Dufour made, a shipyard that was constantly creating new lines (e.g., Atoll, Classic, Trophy, Gib’Sea, Central Cockpit, Duo, Nautitech, ACM Dufour, and White Shark) for which there was not a corresponding demand. Not surprisingly, a paper giant was created and by the middle of 2002 it weaknesses were exposed. Presently, after undertaking numerous major changes, the Dufour shipyard has finally found its way.

A unique boat
Philippe Briand was the man chosen to design the newly conceived “monomaran” or “monocat”, as the Atoll 43 was described by the people at Dufour, since it was neither a catamaran nor a monohull, but a combination of the two. To confuse matters, at the same time, Aquitaine Innovations, Yves Parlier’s first Open 60 design, was referred to as a “monomaran” as well by the trade publications because of its wing mast. Up until that point, the wing mast was found only on catamarans. According to the judgment of Dufour’s sales department, the strongest selling points of their catamarans were the panoramic views from the saloon, the large spaces, and a cockpit that was well-protected from the elements. Philippe Briand had to find a way to incorporate these elements into a monohull boat. He resolved this by significantly increasing the boat’s beam and creating one unified space by combining the areas of the deck saloon and the cockpit. This way, with the deck saloon raised to the same level as the cockpit, panoramic views are available from anywhere in the saloon. Concomitantly, the cockpit is protected from the sun and water by a plastic hard top with a sliding sun roof. Curiously, this design innovation has not been replicated since then. Also in the deck saloon area are the galley and some storage spaces. Importantly, for our purposes, what is particularly appealing about the Atoll 43 is that it provides not only an especially large area that is easily accessible from the stern, but also a well-protected space. Basically, the boat is divided into two separate levels. On the second, lower level are four double cabins and two heads.

The boat’s performance
The boat’s large fractional rigging greatly affects its performance. While the French designer focused on creating a large, roomy space he did not ignore the importance of the boat’s capability under sail. For this reason, and also because he wanted the boat to look like a catamaran, the boat is outfitted with a fully-battened mainsail, with a single line reefing system, and a roller-furling 110% genoa, making it very easy to handle during tacks. We noticed that the sails have adopted the characteristics of the most modern racing boats, while also incorporating aspects gleaned from the charter experience, as in the case of the roller furling mainsail that is no longer in demand. Still, the height of the center off effort in conjunction with the limited draught result in a very “tender” boat. Almost all of the sail-related activities can be executed from the safety of the cockpit, since almost all of the halyards and sheets are located right in front of the steering wheels. With regard to the steering wheels, one gets the sense that they are small and offer limited visibility towards the bow, especially at night, when even the dimmest interior light reflects on the large Plexiglass surfaces of the deck saloon! Nevertheless, generally speaking, the behavior of the boat when under sail is satisfactory. It is when the boat is under power that we sense a deficiency in relation to similar boats. The superstructure creates an aerodynamic resistance that is significant and noticeable. A bow thruster would be appreciated.

The boat’s modifications
Anthony Mangos, the current owner, had a great idea and considered the non-conventional design peculiarities of this particular boat-which had made it unpopular in the general market-as perfectly suitable for his purposes. He realized that with just a few minor modifications the Atoll 43 could be transformed into a boat that could safely and comfortably take people with special needs on a sailing excursion. Let’s examine the modifications in detail. Starting from the stern, the gangway is wide and wheelchair-accessible providing for easy passage to the cockpit. In the cockpit, a person is safe even when the boat heels: there are four seating places each equipped with two seat belts as well as a foot hold for the support of the passengers. Two newly-built custom wheelchairs are also on board. They are the same size as standard wheelchairs. The main differences are that the sailing wheelchairs are a bit more durable and built to access any part of the boat. There are also special storage areas to store the standard wheelchairs that are necessary when going ashore. To get to the cabins, located on the second, lower level as mentioned above, there is a specially-built electro-hydraulic platform with means to secure the wheelchair when in use. In general, the removable doorhandles in the heads, the handrails along the companionway, and the non-skid deck allow one to move about in the boat unimpeded. In addition, the doors to the cabins are easily removed and replaced to facilitate entry into and exit from the cabins for those in wheelchairs. Furthermore, there is a special apparatus for people who need assistance getting into and out of the berths as well as using the head. The handholds all along the perimeter of the deck, which were part of the original design, are also helpful when going toward the bow, where there is sunbeb.

At sea
On the day we tested the boat, a strong north wind was blowing, reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. On board, in addition to the crew, were two individuals with special needs; one was a quadriplegic and the other was a paraplegic. When they first got on board, they tried out the different modifications mentioned above to see how well their needs were accommodated by them. After exploring the boat, they sat in the cockpit and fastened themselves with the special seat belts. Due to such strong winds, we were sailing with two reefs in the main sail and with the genoa furled halfway (as it is a roller reefing one).
The boat moved along quickly without heeling too dramatically. The hard plastic top over the cockpit was excellent at protecting everybody sitting in the cockpit from the air, the sun, and the spray from the waves. The crew’s movements while sailing, tacking, and tying up at the harbor did not get into the way of the other passengers.

Conclusion
As we stated in the beginning, since we are not experts on the special needs of individuals who are wheelchair-bound, we asked two individuals with special needs to assist us in testing the Atoll 43 Modified to determine how well it accommodates the needs of people in wheelchairs. The first day was their day to get settled in and to familiarize themselves with the boat. We asked them for their opinions on the second day, after giving them time to harness their enthusiasm and objectively assess the usefulness of the modifications with respect to their needs (and after a vigorous day at sea with challenging weather conditions). One passenger was 23-year-old George Iliakis, who had never been on a sailboat before. If most adults can recall the first time they ever boarded a sailboat, they can sympathize with this passenger’s initial response to the boat’s heeling, especially in such weather conditions. He soon became accustomed to the boat’s movements. He was impressed with the “studied consideration of the modifications” and he had a fantastic first experience with sailing which he hopes to repeat again soon. His only criticism had to do with the sailing wheelchair. More specifically, because of its small wheels one cannot wheel oneself around. But, he points out, this is “…only a minor detail since up until now the possibility of going sailing seemed completely unlikely.” George congratulates those responsible for “their wonderful initiative” and hopes to find similar attempts in other areas. In contrast to George, the other passenger, 37-year-old Panagiotis Tsiganos used to be a competitive sailor. He used to compete with 420s and 470s as well in off-shore races whenever he could. That all changed, however, after he sustained a major accident when he was 20 years old which rendered him an A5 quadriplegic. It had been 17 years since George had done any off-shore sailing. What he noticed about this sailboat was how the space was organized. “I despise special doorways and special areas for those with special needs. On the boat I got to sit where everybody else was sitting.” Given his prior experience, he found the boat’s heeling less dramatic than he had expected. He added, “…the seatbelts offer complete security.” But what really impressed Panagiotis was how easy it was to access all areas of the boat. He remarked, «…it was due to the best of intentions that the outcomes of this effort succeeded» and he thanked the owners of the boat for their initiative.
Without a doubt, that the owner made modifications on his sailboat in order to accommodate passengers with special needs is a highly-commendable endeavor. His plans for the future are to make modifications in the deck layout on his boat, so that passengers with special needs can sail the boat to the extent that they are willing and able.

Technical Specifications
Builder: Dufour
Model: 2001
Designer: Philippe Briand
LOA: 13.10 meters
LWL: 11.18 meters
Beam: 4.64 meters
Draught: 1.60 meters
Displacement: 9,500 kilos
Ballast: 3,000 kilos
Water: 1,100 liters
Fuel: 500 liters
Engine: Nanni 63 HP
Sails (Upwind) 88 square meters
Contact: DR Yachting Telephone: 210-9850.168-9 Fax: 210-9850.016
Esperou 19
175 61 Paleo Faliro
www.disabledsailingholidays.com


BOX
Anthony Magou is actively involved in the world of leisure sailing charters. We asked him to say a few words about his novel idea.

“In September 2003 a ‘crazy’ idea was born...To offer our cruising sailboats to handicapped individuals!
Many people laughed at us, while others insisted it was impossible…
We sought advice and recommendations from a variety of individuals with special needs, who eagerly came to see what we were talking about, with the sincere hope that there was at least a slight possibility that our ‘crazy’ idea could become a reality…
Everybody had a different opinion. One said that even though access to boarding the boat was wide we should dismiss the idea of bringing aboard individuals in wheelchairs…Meanwhile, another said that we could accommodate even wheelchair-bound individuals if…Everybody had something to contribute that was instructive for us with regard to the requirements and desires of individuals who had special needs. Then, we also sought the “expert’s” opinions. But try and find real “experts”. Most of them didn’t take the time to even consider the idea we were proposing, let alone come to see us.
We wasted 4-5 months this way, and the idea increasingly seemed more and more impossible. Thankfully, there were individuals, who weren’t expecting anything in return, who supported us psychologically and gave us the courage to continue in our efforts…
We couldn’t disappoint them, especially when we could see how vividly they were imagining sailing in the Saronic. But it was difficult: it was February and the boats weren’t bobbing in their slip on a sunny summer day, they were sitting as if they were still in the factory…
Nevertheless, wedding our friends’ desires, the experts’ opinions, and our active imaginations, we believed that our idea, while difficult to realize, was definitely not impossible…
At that moment, what helped us tremendously was the following thought process: OK then, so maybe we can’t prepare all of the boats, but let’s fix one so that we can at least take our quadriplegic friend, and former sailor, Panagiotis Tsiganos out for a sail. After all, he loved sailing and was involved with the Greek branch of Sailability (a sailing club for those who have small dinghies). The commercial aspect lost its relevance. Now, it was a personal goal. We couldn’t, and wouldn’t, let anybody or anything stop our friend from sailing with us on our boat! Not even his quadriplegia…We also benefited from something that Nick Voulgaropoulos said, “If I want to go sailing, I am going to go, even if I have to be tied to the guardrails…When you go sailing you don’t expect to have all the comforts of home…”
And so, we embarked on “fixing” our boat, according to what we had decided had to be done. After working 12-16 hour days, 7 days a week, for 2 months we were ready to unveil the first handicapped-accessible sailboat in Greece, and the only one in the world that could accommodate individuals with special needs. Now, even those with special needs could cruise on a sailboat for vacation without limits or preconditions. The Solis Invictis was ready. (The sun is the only thing that can’t be conquered, everything else can be. How prophetic was the name we chose for our boat 2 years ago…).
Others were trying to do the same thing in different parts of the world and we were inspired by their attempts initially. But they were working within parameters that we overcame, such as special quays, mandatory docking lengthwise, and lake conditions to cite three examples.
By now, it’s a well-known fact that a handicapped individual or one with special needs can enjoy his vacation with his friends and/or family on one of our sailboats. Basically, we offer our sailboats to anybody who loves the ocean and wants to enjoy it in comfort and safety. Our sailboats are ideal for groups and families who may have any kind of special need. For example, families with young children, older adults, and pregnant women.
In addition to organizing vacations, in the near future we would like to compete in off-shore sailing races with crew comprised of individual with special needs, and to offer sailing courses for individuals with special needs. The Piraeus Sailing Club has shown its intent and interest in providing opportunities for anybody who wants to get involved with sailing to be able to do so, regardless of their physical condition, in many different ways. For example, it hosts the boats of Sailability Hellas and the athletes in the Para-Olympics. It also organized and hosted the World Sailing Championship for Individuals with Special Needs last September. It was the perfect venue for such an event. The Club was generous with its facilities and its support for all of us who are engaged in this endeavor.
From the beginning we had the unwavering support of the National Paraplegic Society in general, and two of its members in particular. When we were ready the whole board embrassed our effort and gave us much support, for which we are grateful. Those who acknowledge and accept what we are trying to do strengthen the moral justification of what we do, and strengthen us as well to continue in our efforts. One of our current aspirations is to collaborate with Athens 2004 by offering our services during the Olympics and ParaOlympics: whether this is by welcoming and entertaining visitors with special needs or providing our boats as escorts during the sailing competitions. We would like raise awareness all over the world that in Greece, every once in a while, we can achieve goals that other countries, that may be better organized or more advanced in some aspects, can not. A vacation spent sailing in Greece is indeed possible for individuals with special needs. While our sidewalks and roads may not be wheelchair-friendly yet, our seas most certainly are!”