Marine Designer James Brett of Auckland, New Zealand has updated his day sailing proa with a new polytarp junk rig. He reports the 16 footer with modern, high aspect junk rig can match a Laser in upwind pointing angle and has serious power downwind. James has also completed a design for a 16m cruising proa while at Massey University, and has built a sweet 1m R/C proa that shunts on a dime.
The model has demonstrated self-righting ability via a streamlined lee pod, and also uses twin counter-rotating ogive section foils for steering and lateral plane. Ogive section foils are symmetrical fore and aft, so ideally suited to a proa.
The rudders are very interesting, because ogive proa rudders usually have the shafts running through the center of the rudder, which cause the foil to be "over-balanced". The fact that the rudders are joined and counter-rotate may ameliorate this tendency, delivering a null total result, and I'd like to hear opinions on that, anyone? In any case, at the scale of this model proa, the effect is easily overcome by the servo motor, and the proa shunts more quickly than any I have seen. As I said... sweet.
Marine Designer 