Firstly a big thanks to Claudio for assisting in the creation of this newest addition to the fleet!
I have been very busy of late and this is the first chance I have had to do this.
Having built SWE 96 I wanted to recreate her fantastic lines in accordance to the IACC 120 rules. I set about using the basic shape of the ITA plan that Claudio had released on the net. I then used my eye and knowledge to shape the lines to replicate her big sister.
Having moulded the first hull and faired it to a paintable standard. (and before freeing it from the male plug) I set about making a female tool using a white cement and chopped fibre glass mix.
This has not been tried out before but I was amazed with the results for such a low cost/low tech solution. The only downside is the weight, I used 35kg of cement to do one mould. Total cost=35€ and that was buying it in 5kg bags…
Attached are some of the build photos showing the progress so far. Please be patient this is proceeding at a crawl due to the sheer volume of work we have on the base right now… But I had to share something of what I have been up too!
Great work Jim, nice to see that the IACC 120 fleet becomes day after day numerous.
If you want you can post some other image also on IACC official site forum: www.iacc120cup.altervista.org
It is very interesting the mould.
Please describe the white cement/glass fiber mix. Is it “plaster of paris” with chopped fibers stirred in? Or a layer of plaster, with glass cloth laid into it, and more layers added?
That is what doctors used to use to make casts for broken limbs.
Hi,
Just a quick overview of the mould…
The mould was made from a type of cement. You can buy it at the builders merchant as ‘white cement’. Certainly not plaser of paris…
Its a very fine powder mixed to a paste with water and then fibreglass strands approx. 25 -75 mm added and stirred in.
Pour into the mould and then using wooden sticks and such I tamped and vibrated the concrete for half an hour to remove the air. I even used a club hammer and beat the sides of the mould as well - you can never be too vicious in gettin that air out!
It sets in about 6 hours and has the added bonus of being totally waterproof. It replicates the surface finish of the plug amazingly well so the smoother the better.
I have run a ‘post cure’ on the mould… slowly elevating the temperature and ‘cycling’ it (hot ,cold -hot again) to make sure it doesn’t crack and all seems well!
If it did shrink… I cant tell - so thats going to be a small measurement for sure!
Just a quick update… Last weekend was the first bit of time off and after the usual hangover I assembled most of the yacht still feeling quite dusty… I am quite pleased so far. This yacht will be the test platform as it is male moulded and has been faired and filled and carries a weight penalty already. The intention is for the first boat that I pull from the female mould will have the next generation mast and keel structure etc… and be fully ‘cocked’ from day one.
Next is the rig and sails…
Still struggling to fit much action in with the workload but it will hopefully begin to ease up in a couple of weeks.
Just a quick update… here are a couple of shots with the rig stepped… I am flying to the UK this weekend and I will be returning with the bulb… so hopefully by the following weekend there should be another maiden voyage… (spurred on by the fiancee being away visiting her friends in Sweden too!)
Reached another milestone - on went the keel, but still a long way to go… This weekend should see a big push to get her sailing. Going to use my IOM sails as they will fit the rig, which gives me less to achieve for a sea trial.
Thanks for the complement Claudio, I like the idea of getting things lower in the boat. Hence I carried the cockpit much further forward etc…
I have done a recut on the main and it looks much better now, I am still using an IOM jib but I hope to make a bigger new jib tomorrow… First test in anger is this weekend… We have a little “friendly” regatta organized!
No worries.
There is even a ‘notice of race’… I will try and post that as well
The challenge has been set and idea is that we put all the different yachts on the water and skipper every boat in succession for separate fleet races.
Then its the collective result that determins the winner…
Or that then gets you through to the final round where you get to race the defender…!
The race kinda went to custard… no wind changed in five minutes to 20knts and more.
So after everyone had recovered their yachts and retreated to the sanctuary of the base… I decided to do a speed run with the GPS data logger on board.
11 Kph or 5.9knts max speed recorded before “wipeout”…
Nice build any chance that you and friends may be able to meet up at one of the Italian IACC scheduled events http://iacc120cup.altervista.org/calendarioregate.html would be great to get a little “International” flavour into 120 racing & exchange some ideas.
As it is often posted on another rather well know sailing forum … 
any chance that you and friends may be able to meet up at one of the Italian IACC scheduled events