The proa has unique requirements for a sailboat rig, the main one being that it is reversible fore and aft. Since no Western craft have this ability, we who are developing the proa for use here in the West are truly in uncharted waters.
The obvious place to look for inspiration is with the traditional proa rig: the Oceanic sprit, developed over thousands of years of ocean voyaging by the Pacific Islanders. This rig, often called the…
Loïck Peyron: Triple winner of the Ostar, holder of the Jules Verne Trophy, champion of many other races including the Barcelona World Race and the Transat Jacques Vabre, and an America’s Cup helmsman in 2010 (Alinghi) and 2012 (Artemis). In 1986, he finished fifth overall and first in his class in the Route du Rhum (Saint Malo, France to Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadalupe), despite a dismasting at the start. “One of my best races”!
After…
Paul Bieker has announced this interesting new design on the Biekerboats blog. The foils resemble what is quickly becoming the standard on high performance race boats such as the A-class. We don’t think the B53 is intended to completely fly both hulls with this set up - the foils reduce displacement and provide dynamic stability.
Introducing the B53 high-performance cruising cat, just beginning construction at Gold Coast Yachts in the…
The illustrated glossary of bilaterally asymmetrical sailboats.
aerohydrofoil Sailboat concept pioneered by Bernard Smith in the 1960’s and described in his seminal work The 40-Knot Sailboat. Smith’s analysis of sailboat kinetics led him to a groundbreaking design involving no traditional sail or hull, instead utilizing solid airfoils and buoyant hydrofoils, arranged in a proa-like formation. Many of today’s proa advocates credit the…
Yann Quenet has come up with a design for an 18’ sailing outrigger with some features we really like for a minimal multihull pocket cruiser.
Bit&Kontell 5.50: “Not really a cat or a tri or a proa, cruise freely combining storage volumes and light, and space for a kayak or various boards.”
He’s put the outrigger ama to good use, with the daggerboard and mizzen mounted there, as well as providing a big hatch and enough volume to carry…
Russell Brown at Port Townsend Watercraft is now offering posters of CHEERS to benefit the Newick family. It is a painting by Bruce Alderson depicting the proa in action, racing singlehanded across the North Atlantic in 1968. This is my favorite image of the most famous modern proa in history. The posters belonged to the late Richard C. Newick, and are in limited supply. Find out more here.
Spring is in the air here in the northern latitudes - the ice is melting, trees are budding, and the forums are becoming more active. Some recent threads of interest:
Bionic Broomstick: Skip launched his 14’ proa on March 13 at Lake Somerville, Texas, for a successful first sail (nothing broke!). The boat is highly experimental and features a buoyant “floil”, stem mounted rudders and a cambered panel staysail. The…
The Proafile Forum has some interesting threads we’d like to point you toward if you are so inclined. This is just a teaser, head to the forums to check it all out.
Skylark: A Dymaxion Yacht. Your editor asks the question: “What would Bucky Do?” and finds an enclosed teardrop, aluminum, wingsailed proa in the answer.
Wingsails on Proas! Inspired by the circular cam of Peter Worsley’s wingsails, members are hard at work adopting the…
Quick on the heels of the proa Madness, John Harris of Chesapeake Light Craft has announced the new Outrigger Junior as the latest member of the CLC stable. A 15’ plywood stitch-n-glue sailing outrigger, OJ is car-top-able, beach-able, tack-able, build-able and afford-able, so maybe not so crazy after all. Special thanks to Proafile reader Brian P. for the submission!
Inspired by Warren Seamen’s Malibu Outrigger, this boat is truly a…
Paul Bieker has announced that study plans are now available for the 32’ Jester class proa - a collaboration between himself and Russell Brown. This design has already got the interest meter pegged in the forums and this will only turn it up to eleven.
