Zinser grew up in Connecticut and knew of the Bridgeport facility. When he paid a visit, he was confident it had “the commercial mentality,” as he put it, to undertake the contract. “You need big everything” for a yacht of this scale, he adds, particularly in terms of structure. Even though he recognized there’d be a “big learning curve” for the yard, “I was never worried about the metal-structure construction,” Zinser says. At least nine U.S. Coast Guard cutters measuring nearly the same length as the new Cakewalk had come out of Derecktor Connecticut. In addition, it had built two 240-foot high-speed car ferries for the state of Alaska. Derecktor “had a substantial amount of experience in large steel vessel construction,” Zinser explains. “With the company’s enthusiasm and the daily participation of our team to control and assist in all directions, we believed that we could build the perfect Cakewalk in the USA.”
This enthusiasm and team effort were key to the project’s success. Speak with a few yacht owners and their representatives, and you’ll learn of shipyards that insist on doing things the way they’ve always done them. Not the case with Cakewalk. “Derecktor listened,” Zinser stresses. Often, he adds, the conversations went along the lines of, “We’ve done [things this way], but what do you have in mind?”
The craftsmen also had the right attitude to meet the high level of finish demanded by a yacht — and this yacht in particular. The owner and Zinser had taken a strong liking to the signature style of Tim Heywood, having seen his bold curves in the profile of the 305-foot Carinthia VII. Derecktor New York was tasked with building the aluminum superstructure, but even the skills they’d demonstrated in constructing and restoring America’s Cup competitors were challenged by Heywood’s intricate design. Kathy Kennedy, Derecktor’s marketing director, puts it this way: “Tim Heywood curves are not easy.” Heywood is the first to agree: “Unfortunately, my designs tend to be a bit complex,” he says, somewhat sheepishly. But, he backs up Kennedy’s assertion that “Tim Heywood said we followed his design perfectly.” Specifically, he says, “The strength of line of the exterior is something I’m really, really pleased with.”
