So I’ve been looking at posts and I think I’ve detected a not so subtle undercurrent: for a lot of model sailors, the price is prohibitive. With this in mind, I am interested in starting a class that provide open design and (hopefully) close competition at a fraction of the cost of some of “those” classes.
With the idea of keeping costs down, my brother and I came up with these loose set of rules:
hull length: 24"
keel (and bulb) depth: 6"
materials: wood or fiberglass employed with hull and spar construction
purchased “at the local hardware store or hobby shop”
all hull cross-sections must be a box (4 corners with 90 degrees between the side)
two servo control
overhanging rudders allowed off stern
mast height limited to 30 inches
sail area is unlimited
The idea here is to build a class of boats that produce good racing and innovative design. The goal is getting speed out of what’s available: kind of like college sailing. We don’t have the fastest boats so you gotta know how to sail to do well.
Graham, interesting idea. You might want to look for the North Sails 600 in the archives:it is a 600mm(23.6") boat being developed in Auckland NZ. It has basicaly unlimited rules -I don’t remember exactly what they are.If you can’t find it in the archives and are interesed contact John Beavis-heis a member here and could tell you the straight stuff about the boat.
I’ve got a 23" model with a canting keel-keel is 10"(!) so I guess I couldn’t play but little boats sure have their place.
Good luck!
North Sails 600 rules from the archives:
1)LOA_ 600mm(23.6")
2) From top of the mast to bottom ofthe keel bulb maximum: 1050mm(41.3")-You can vary the keel length and mast length just stay under this overall height.
3) No other restrictions
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
edt: ad North Sails 600 rules
Doug Lord
–High Technology Sailing/Racing
the “Palo de Agua” seems to be “our boat”
it’s from the RG65 class , very well developped in argentina and brazil http://losveleros.8m.com/palo/palo.htm
plans are free and very well explain
the only difficulty is spanish but there is lot of photos
Graham: I think you might have been misreading the chatter here.
There are a number of very affordable boats and classes available in the US and around the world.
You can buy a complete Victoria or one of the Victor boats for under $200; you can buy an r/c laser for under $500; you can also home build boats in numerous classes for very little money.
Check out the AMYA web site to get an idea of all of the existing choices.
What you have picked up on this site is a desire to have a “high end” racing boat available for a low price; a trick almost impossible to pull off.
Graham, you have an idea that is worth pursuing; see my post below about the North Sails 600.
At this size almost anything can be tried very inexpensively so consider keeping your rules as open as possible.
If it does catch on there is plenty of room in the AMYA for a small development class: the smallest now is the 36/600. This new class has a lot of potential if you look at whats happening in New Zealand.
If you agree to keep the rules open then my little 23 wil fit the class; there are potential long term advantages to keeping the rules the same as the North Sails 600 but you don’t have to use the same class name-just the 600mm size-I have a boat built that will fit this class with the NS rules!
By the way, in one city in NZ(Auckland) they have 32 of these boats sailing!
graham
you idea. i love it. it was once the idea of the us 1 meter, and the IOM. you can build it yourself. and race it
the only thing i would like to see is a bit bigger boat. maybe a 30 inch hull. this is doable. the sails why not
the keel depth.’
why not?
i would keep the Keel . so that it looks like a samll version of an ec 12
why not
i love the idea
my clubs 7 yrs old designed his frist boat. and guess what it has boxed sides? and will use pine dowel for a mast. he is putting a plywood keel on his boat. he saw a picture of freedom . the rudder is going to be attached to the keel.
why not
cougar
long live the cup