September 8, 2006 - Burger’s latest contract is for Liberty, a contemporary-styled 101' (31m) Enclosed Bridge, high speed motor yacht being built for an experienced yachting family from the U.S. With a team consisting of Cor D. Rover as the exterior stylist combined with the talented Donald L. Blount & Associates engineering group and the highly acclaimed Burger Design Team, this boat is going to be absolutely incredible!
The “need for speed” combined with world-class yacht quality are top priorities for this very special project. The yacht will incorporate the extensive use of strong, lightweight materials and carefully calculated design and engineering parameters. The unique hull design has both a hard and soft chine. With this combination, the hard chine provides the necessary lift to achieve higher speeds and the soft chine ensures comfortable seakeeping qualities.
The propulsion system on Liberty will include a pair of 2,400 hp MTU-M93 Common Rail marine engines, well-proven in Europe for reliable high speed performance. The fully ABS certified vessel will have several unique features including a comprehensive ship’s monitoring and information system integrated with the entire vessel’s electrical power system.
The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Copham are really looking forward to the whole creative process, from concept and design to the construction and ultimately delivery. Owning an American built yacht and creating a completely custom yacht were both high on the priority list. Above all, they love the idea of having a unique, one-of-a-kind vessel. Once they made the commitment for a new design / build project, selecting the builder was the next step. They based that decision on the following criteria:
1) Shipyard with exceptionally high standards - top quality fit and finish both inside and out
2) Design a vessel with seaworthiness to comfortably tackle moderately rough seas
3) The Vessel must have state-of-the-art technology throughout
4) Certain minimum guaranteed performance characteristics required
5) Maximum length 101’10” to fit private slip
6) Convenient and safe shipyard location within the U.S.
7) Builder reputation, reliability, after sale support, resale value
8) Chemistry between the owner and the shipyard-a critical factor when dealing with a long-term, collaborative project
9) Backlog in our favor
10) Flexibility of shipyard staff and lack of defensiveness
After careful consideration Burger was selected and the contract was signed just 90 days from the initial meeting between David Ross, Burger’s President & CEO and Mr. and Mrs. Copham. Ross states, “Liberty is a major milestone for us and although it is not our largest, it has a multitude of unique features including high speed attributes and progressive technology that make it very exciting to the Burger Team. Having an experienced yachting couple who truly enjoy the design/build process is like a dream come true.”
Mr. Copham states, “We really clicked with David right from the start and felt as though Burger fulfilled all of our criteria. It’s really great to feel the yard’s enthusiasm and energy surrounding our project. As Midwesterners we have inherent faith and trust in the Midwestern work ethic, craftsmanship and integrity. One of my favorite rock groups couldn’t have said it any better, “We knew it all along!”