I have been sketching proa designs for about thirty years. My first build TP01 was started in the mid 1980’s. It was 16ft, epoxy glass foam core with a sort of square rig, the sail could move fore and aft in the shunt, the mast remained stationary. The plan was to weight steer the asymmetric hull. It worked in light winds but I soon found the I could not get enough tension in the luff. Also the CLR was to far forward to control the thing. I took it down to the 1987 Weymouth speed sailing championship, the year of the great storm. Half way through the championships I cut the sail in half to be a sort of jib that was hauled to the new bow in the shunt. Still a failure but a great experience for a twenty three year old.

Over the years whenever I had a spare minute I sketched designs until about 2005 and I started building TP02. A 16 ft disposable ply box of a hull with ply and foam bulkheads. Centrally mounted uni Bermudan rig held up by two windward struts. Steering was by two counter rotating rudders, linked to a single tiller. This all worked well, it only had 8sq m of sail area and so not supper fast but seamed to track up wind ok. I had planned to fit a lager sail later but I have started to chicken out of high adrenalin performance. The rudder system was rather heavy and tended to drag in waves. I considered moving it all into daggerboard type slots but it seam complex to counter rotate the rudders and have an easy retract system.

I became more interested in a simple day sailer rather than an all out speed machine. I have now re fitted TP02 to become TP03. This is a schooner fitted with balanced lug rigs (5sq m each) on free standing mast. Lateral resistance is provided by a leeboard mounted so that it can be moved fore and aft under sail. Steering is achieved by a combination of sail trim and leeboard position. Anyway this was all ready to go when I smashed my collar bone snowboarding delaying launch.

I live in the North East of England and have two other boats, an RS Vision for family sailing and an International Canoe, moth balled while I develop the proa. It was a picture of the IC that sparked my interest in boat design. Professionally I done a fair few things including, inspired by the boat design, a product design engineer / protect manager for fifteen years. Five years ago I retrained to become a teacher and currently teach electronics.

Anyway that is me

Tink

For more pictures see http://proasail.blogspot.co.uk

Sorry about picture order TP03 current TP01 cica 1986/7 TP02 circa 2007

Welcome to proafile !!
More info and boats out there there the better.

Welcome to the forum, Tink, and thanks for the most excellent introduction.

Is the shallow ‘V’ rocker shape of the ama designed to encourage planing? How does it work?

I was initially influenced by a picture I remember seeing of crossbow 2 with a planning shoe on the windward hull. For TP01 the Ama had a semicircular side view and would just skim on touch down, I am pretty sure there was some kind dynamic lift going on.

For TP02 The Ama has a completely flat bottom but v shaped side on, I think the cad sketch explains this better than I can. it is the same length as the main hull as I very optimistically visioned myself trapezing off the rear of it. It has a relativlly high volume 100% of sailing weight from memory. As to does it work I, I think it does in the long thin proportions and the high volume mentioned. I never experienced any burying issuses. I will report when I get TPO3 sailing. Hull, Aka and Ama of TP02 and TP03 are the same parts.

As I say I had ambition greater than my skill and thie Ama was intended to fly. I am now drawing more peaceful craft with lower volume Amas of the same form but with pointy bows.

TINK

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