Midnight Sun (Peterson Maxi)

Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun made a brief appearance on the Maxi-yacht scene in the early 1980s, most notably in the 1983 SORC. She was watched with particular interest as she was Doug Peterson's first racing maxi, designed for Jan Pehrsson of Sweden. Pehrsson was seeking battle with the most prestigious IOR yachts in the world, the likes of Kialoa IV, Condor, Helisara, Nirvana and Windward PassageWindward Passage for honours on the maxi circuit. 

Pehrsson was known internationally as the owner of two former Midnight Suns, both of which were Admiral's Cup contenders for Sweden. His first boat was launched in 1978, a 42ft Ron Holland-design that won the Runt Gotland Race and scored wins in the SORC and Two Ton Cup. The next Midnight Sun was another Holland design, a bigger 50 footer, built in aluminium in Huisman's in Holland.

Hull profile and internal arrangement of maxi yacht Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun on launching day

Pehrsson chose Peterson for his new maxi after discussing the design with Holland and German Frers. Peterson was felt to have no preconceived ideas about maxis and was chosen when his preliminary design was lighter than those of the other designers. 

Construction of the 79.5ft yacht began at Baltic Yachts in Finland in November 1981, with a foam sandwich layup using aircraft-grade balsa, providing greater flexibility in weight distribution. The deck was built in S-glass over carbon fibre beams. The yacht weighed in at 75,000lb, the lightest maxi in the world at that time (although with the addition of ballast she measured with exactly the same displacement as Jim Kilroy's Kialoa IV). The mast and hydraulics were by Stearn Sailing Systems, sails were by Hoods and a titanium rudder was supplied by Solimar of Italy.

Her initial campaigning was to involve the Runt Gotland Race before the Maxi Cup in Sardinia and the Mediterranean Sea Race in 1982, and followed by the 1983 SORC, before returning to England for the Fastnet Race and the Maxi World Championships. 

Helisara (left), Midnight Sun and Condor

On paper the most salient features of Midnight Sun were her stability and moderately proportioned sail plan, the latter providing the lowest sail-hull factor (SHR) of the maxi fleet at 15.72. It was suggested at the time that her keel had come out heavier than intended, with some 8,000lb being removed before the 1983 SORC and another 3,000lb destined to be removed after the regatta. As expected, Midnight Sun was particularly effective in moderate and heavy air with the wind forward of the beam, but perhaps at a slight disadvantage off the wind in the light. She showed impressively in the 1983 SORC particularly in view of the fact that she had not yet been properly optimised, sailing with her centre of gravity factor (CGF) above minimum and other rating issues.  

Midnight Sun on her delivery voyage to the 1983 SORC

Midnight Sun recorded two 'DS' results for the first two races. Kialoa IV went on to win Class A, followed by Windward Passage and Boomerang. Windward Passage had held Kialoa IV at bay throughout most of the series, but Windward Passage's withdrawal from the round-the-boys Lipton Cup brought them back together so that by the Nassau Cup the two maxis were separated by just 0.1 of a point. A notable incident occurred in the Lipton Cup, when Midnight Sun had rounded the Lauderdale mark close behind Windward Passage and became caught in a loop of Passage's spinnaker and halyard, with a crew member overboard as Passage heeled and quick action was needed to avoid the crewman suffering a major injury as the two yachts came together. Passage retired and the crewman was taken to hospital by the Coastguard. 

The crew of Midnight Sun line the rail during the 1983 SORC (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Midnight Sun sailing upwind during the 1983 SORC

Midnight Sun finished this race in third place, but both Midnight Sun and Ondine broke their small-section, four-spreader Stearn masts soon after the start of the following Ocean Triangle race in rather mild conditions. Midnight Sun's mast was resleeved and was back in the boat in time for her to motor to the start of the Nassau Cup, where she finished fifth, but after completing only two races in the series, she finished overall in eighth place in Class A. 

Midnight Sun sailing upwind during the 1983 SORC

Kialoa IV may have had an edge overall but upwind, even in the light, Midnight Sun had an advantage. This was confirmed in a maxi series held in light-airs in Nassau soon after the SORC when Midnight Sun, still not properly optimised, sailed through the fleet on the windward legs and won both races.

Midnight Sun during the 1983 SORC (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Midnight Sun sailing upwind during the 1983 SORC

It was felt that if she was to be raced as hard and as often as Kialoa IV, and if Pehrsson could match Kilroy's determination, both boats could produce superb competition in following seasons. However, although Midnight Sun went on to sail in a couple of regattas in Europe, where she performed very well inshore, she quietly disappeared from the international ocean racing scene. It is understood that she is now a fully fitted luxury charter yacht.

Updated February 2023