The Proas of John Pizzey - Part 1
John Pizzey may be an unfamiliar name to proanauts outside Australia, but we hope to correct that. John has been experimenting with proas as long or longer than any modern inventor, and he has an immense body of both practical and theoretical knowledge to share. Proafile is pleased to present the first article in a series, authored by John Pizzey. ~Editor
A few thoughts on cruising proas after many years absent from sailing them but…
Proaler Skate
To remind us that not all proas are watercraft, we exhibit the 1958 Zündapp Janus. This tiny treasure is part of the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum, which is contracting with RM Auctions to liquidate its inventory, with just under 200 Microcars to be auctioned off without reserve over two days.
Lot 248, the 1958 Zündapp Janus, stands out as strange, even among a field of curiosities at auction. Like its namesake, the Janus appears to…
Archival video of CHEERS
Archival video footage of some golden oldie multihulls, including CHEERS sailing in Newport after finishing third in the 1968 OSTAR. Proaporn begins at 7:20.
1968’s London’s OSTAR (Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race) featured a large fleet of capable entrants, mostly traditional monohull types with a few of the relatively newer multihull yachts mixed in. Among the latter group was a little yellow proa designed by Dick…
The Need 4 Speed
VESTAS Sailrocket 2 with Paul Larsen helming has just smashed the world speed sailing record with a 59 knot average speed over 500 metres! All still to be confirmed and ratified, but this is such a deserved record! ~Mark Jardine
That’s it, we’ve smashed the arse off it! One small step for proa, one giant leap for proa-kind!
A nice write up by Brian Hancock: The Rocket that is a Sailrocket
Der Kanu Mann
Der Kanu Mann is René Richard Hohmann, a German boatbuilder/artist who is building Pacific proas like Stradivarius built violins. If you’re into wood working perfection and sailing canoes (and who isn’t?) then these examples are masterpieces. See more of his work at Derkanumann.de
There is a curious German affinity for the canoes of Oceania that perhaps harken back to an unwanted gift:
In 1900-1930, one in twenty of all postcards of…
CLC Madness Photo Shoot
John Harris of CLC has shared some new photos of the screaming yellow proa, Madness.
I’ve enjoyed proa sailing this spring in all kinds of conditions, mostly on the rougher side. This year, with all the rigging sorted out and the happy addition of a #3 jib, covering distances at double-digit speeds is a revelation. The Chesapeake Bay really shrinks once 10 knots starts to feel slow and boring.
It is terribly difficult to get…
Renaissance of Lady Godiva
The first sail of Lady Godiva in a quarter century. The Richard Newick designed proa was built in Martha’s Vinyard by Rory Nugent, for the 1980 OSTAR. Now owned by Anne and Paul Buttin.
Thanks to Frederic M. and Golden Oldies Multihulls for the submission.
The ArcSail Proa
Malcolm Smith always has something really tasty cooking in his workshop. His latest project is a force-balanced design utilizing a ‘ring wing’ that he calls the ArcSail. The concept has huge potential for boats both large and small, and I’m very pleased that Malcolm has opted to share it with us at Proa File -Editor
I have a long time fascination with sailing boat configurations that minimize heeling moment, due to their potential for…
More than zero
Russell Brown has posted a new (Sept. 2011) video to the PT Watercraft Channel on Youtube. It features some excellent sailing footage of his proa Jzerro, as well as some running shots of a cool power outrigger that Russell designed for a friend to use as an aquatic pick up truck in the islands. The outrigger is powered by a 20hp outboard and goes about 18 knots!
Viking XX - the solar road proa
I’ll bet you didn’t know a proa won second place in the first solar race ever held in the United States! Originally called Sunrayce USA, the first race was organized and sponsored by General Motors in 1990 in an effort to promote automotive engineering and solar energy among college students. The original, 1,800 mi (2,900 km) Sunrayce USA route started at Disney World in Orlando, Florida and ended at the General Motors Technical Center…
