Articles

Bedard on the Everglades Challenge 2017

 Designers  Racing

Tarpon Springs FL based smallcraft designer/builder JF Bedard has posted an informative recap of his experience racing the 2017 Everglades Challenge in his self-designed and built micro-cruiser: RoG. Great for any fan of long-distance challenges like the EC and the R2AK. Besides, I am especially taken with Bedard’s diminutive racer, its distinct lack of multiple hulls notwithstanding. Bedard Yacht Design.

22 March 2017     0 comments.

Almost Hit a Tree

 Hydrofoils

BROOMSTICK is a 15’ home-designed & built hydrofoil trimaran by Doug Halsey. It first sailed as a foiler in 2004 and has been refined gradually each year since then (only sailing a handful of times per year). Although it wasn’t intended to be the ultimate in speed, it routinely exceeds 20 knots, with a lifetime best speed of 28.7 knots. Box section hulls, round aluminum tube beams, deep-V hydrofoils and used beach cat sails - what’s…

03 March 2017     2 comments.

Crab claws on ice

 Reports  Rigs

A report by Peter Adrian from Sweden on his crab claw rigged iceboat:

Am sailing my second season my modified iceboat: an Isabella Classic with 5m2 (54 sq. ft.) crab claw sail. Just a win-win over all compared against the same boats with conventional Bermuda rig. Just one thing I’ve noticed is she no longer lifts the windward runner at over 60km/h (37 mph).

The yard is made fast to the apex of a bipod mast and fixed to the hull at…

Bullet the crab claw ice yacht

03 February 2017     6 comments.

Poland is Proa Land

 New Designs  Boatbuilding

The first production proa in a long while hails from Warsaw. Pjoa Laguna is based on Marshall Islands tradition, with a few changes. The form factor and distinctive crab claw sail are certainly “old school” canoe, however this version offers a sun deck, enclosed storage, dismountable for car-topping and storage. Like the original, this canoe is also 100% recyclable (no glass-reinforced plastics).

Read more here, and see them at Boot…

Pjoa Laguna

26 January 2017     1 comments.

When Cats Fly

 History

Continuing in the ‘Old School’ vein, here is the 1924 Savoia-Marchetti S.55 - a twin-hulled flying boat that set 14 world records for speed, payload, altitude and range. “The most incredible serial-built flying boat of the Interbellum.”

Designed by Alessandro Marchetti, the S.55 achieved great fame through spectacular long-distance flights: Lieut-Col the Marchese de Pinedo flew the Santa Mariafrom Sardinia to Buenos Aires and then…

1924 Savoia-Marchetti S.55

17 December 2016     3 comments.

No school like the old school

 Designers  History

Venerable multihull builder, skipper, designer and author Jim Brown is treating us to a series of podcasts done in his inimitable style - recounting his personal stories and experiences spanning over 50 years. Subjects range from Woody Brown and the birth of modern catamarans in Hawaii, to storm survival, cat vs. tri comparisons, and even a few proa related talks. View and download the collection here at Outrig Media.

Photo: before he…

Jim Brown

17 December 2016     1 comments.

CataProa - a micro multihull by Bernd Kohler

 New Designs  Designers  Outrigger Canoes

Modern multihulls got their start in the 1960’s by being relatively cheap and embarrassingly fast when compared to the monohull sailing yachts of the day, and so attracted an enthusiastic following of iconoclasts. Since then, multihulls have cruised relentlessly up market - leaving the “cheap” aspect in the wake of history. Bernd Kohler is one multihull designer and pioneer who still appreciates the virtue of thrift, and his online…

CataProa micro-multihull

01 November 2016     2 comments.

I want to believe

 New Designs  Hydrofoils

Dave and Steve Clark talk about their new UFO foiler destined for production. Dave demonstrates the launch procedure (piece of cake), and takes the boat out for a quick flight. The boat is designed to remove the “user hostility” from the Moth foiler sailing experience, thus broadening the appeal of hydrofoil sailing.

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27 October 2016     0 comments.

Tarawa With Spinnaclaw

 Proas  Rigs  Research

Gary Dierking is experimenting with the “spinnaclaw” - a crab claw rigging idea that I proposed way back in 2008. It’s pretty cool to see someone take an idea sketch and make it real - thanks Gary! Apparently, there is both good and bad news…

Read about it here on Outrigger Sailing Canoes.

Spinnaclaw experiment

12 September 2016     1 comments.

Quill - a crab claw tacking proa

 New Designs  Proas  Rigs  Research

QUILL is an innovative tacking proa designed and built by Kim Fisher in England. The experimental vessel features a crab claw sail and a unique sliding outrigger arrangement. Kim writes:

Firstly, I would like to say a BIG thank you to Proafile for giving me mountains of useful information and encouragement to actually build this boat. I have been accessing your pages for over 3 years and this boat design is the result. (*blushing*…

Quill

27 August 2016     1 comments.