I found a whole lot of videos of my very early 26′ trimaran design, Caiman, from UK. That tri is significant in at least one way. It was back in the late 80s that someone named Kelsall visited its build site. I was practially unheard of as a designer then. While there, he decided to read my CM construction manual. I was later told that, where in the book I declared that I thought Nick Bailey was the best designer in the world, it enraged him. And didn’t KSS appear shortly after that? I had been doing CM since ’82.
Then later seadog Chris Anderson held ocean racing seminars on Caiman for its new owner. I recall something about an upper coming loose…
https://www.youtube.com/user/888Caiman
These are not Muffalo quality, but interesting.
And if I may, thats a pretty good looking boat for a nearly 30 year old design. The design has been updated, but there wasn’t a lot to improve. Guess I could slap it with a reverse bow stick, but that is more asthetic than anything.
Ah! I did sail with Richard Oppenshaw, with a curious highspeed leehelm thing I now recall talking to you about, right?. Was that one and the same (it was yellow!) – it sure moved well, too, I recall.
And yes, there was a ‘moment’ when I was on the helm tight-reaching on port at max-warp towards the stoney beach at Whitstable, Kent when I noticed the leeward shroud dangling, turnbuckle undone… casually noted to Richard that “…something over there needs your attention…”, as I sheeted out – whereupon he restored the connection, without panic, with 50-odd metres (55yds) to spare as we completed the slam-tack. THEN the panic set in as we contemplated the ‘rig overboard’ $$damage$$ and who knows what rescue efforts narrowly avoided!! Don’t remember it having the extra 3-part shroud-tensioner I’ve just seen in the videos – maybe Richard added them after our heart-stopper! And yes, we did do the odd “coastal race” in the Thames Estuary, now that you mention it. Sad how much prompting my memory needs, eh! Thanks for that, Cheers, Chris.
not this Kiwi Chris Anderson…
I thought you did racing on that one. Back when it was new. and you were in UK.