Here’s Mondango, a 52m or 170ft ketch which has just started building at Alloy Yachts in New Zealand. Marketing director Clive Bennett tells us that this is the 5th yacht over 50m Alloy have been contracted to build and the chances are there are more in the pipeline.

Five years ago 100ft or 30.5m for a sailing yacht was considered sizeable. Today, 164ft or 50m just about demands a headline. How long will it be before 200ft or 70m becomes the norm?

Alloy, who pride themselves on not missing launch dates, are aiming for an end of 2008 delivery for Mondango, a good-looking ketch which has Marten Spars, in-boom furling and no fewer than 18 captive winches. Alloy are designing and building the entire winch package for this yacht, which includes eight conventional drum winches.

It’s destined to be another successful collaboration with Dubois Naval Architects with the interior this time by Reymond Langton who has used oak and macassar ebony in the fit out. www.alloyachts.com