Kind of irrelevant as it is sailing now, but are interesting to me. From the sailing pics it has a huge, powerful and very sophisticated rig. Even in carbon these cross beams look very flexy to me. And why a 70s ama design? Unless the design is more ceremonial than actual.
Inside shot of John’s 40′ tri on Vancouver Island.
I’m now a big fan of thinning flow coating epoxy with 20% lacquer thinner to get a very even coat on flat surfaces. Its almost as good as laminating against a mold. The lunar lander composite front door below.
It is getting closer to the water. I guess they have been busy. I’ve been told I get a test sail soon. See if it works and all. Then they can sell some.
Some thoughts from James sailing his 30′ cat.
http://dragonflysail.blogspot.com/2015/04/what-makes-you-happy.html?m=1
I was wandering the docks at the Ala Wai when I ran into old friend Joey Cabell on his Kurt Clark catamaran. Long ago this unit the proof I needed that central accommodation is great on cats. Designed and built the 70s. Solid glass.
Seems I have to test drive some boats in Hawaii…
Is that what they call it? Think it was ’83. Hand drawing days. Drafting and diapers. Tube and wire trimaran plans on the walls.
Pic of the 26′ Bieker proa at CSR today. Main hull is 3mm or 4mm ply with rounded chines. For race to Alaska. I cannot understand the 80’s constant camber aesthetic with big overhangs and high bows. More pics once I find the cable from phone to here.
It looks very stylish to have the aft beam of a cat as far back as possible. Its kind of like skinny tires on a lowered car. It does move the CG back a bit which helps if sailing deep in strong wind. In the most common conditions, it causes the transom to drag. To prevent that at least one ultra famous designer packs more displacement back there in the form of rocker. That rocker levels it out at rest but can cause squatting at speed. In the case of ultra famous, the cats don’t squat when sailing; the center of effort it way up there. In his powercat modification of that design, it squats so much that he added trim tabs. The pic below is not that designer but another example of too much rocker aft.
The new Gunboat G4(accidentally typed G$ which may be better), has aft beam way back there also. It however is all carbon so it is very light. It drags transom at rest but with so much power it is not a concern. As I always say, with enough money and enough carbon, you can do almost anything.
On normal cats I find it best to have the aft beam far enough forward that the hulls can have a fairly flat run aft. Related, the goal is to have as skinny and as rockerless a hull as possible, to carry the weight. The weight/trim spreadsheet helps with this location also.