I thought some may be interested in this very small class. There have been many boats built around the world from various plans and kits.
There is racing at a few clubs around the world,all pretty low key at this stage but some development of the boats is occuring and people are having fun sailing them.
I would like to get some discussion going on possible class rules, there are a few different schools of thought at present.
These little boats are very cheap to build and you can throw one together in a week between races. It is a way to see if ideas work on a small and cheap model.(tank testing for models )
I have attached a couple of shots of a new boat by Richard Alford from the Southwater club in the UK. It is a development of my orginal design “BobAbout”.
No performance data or race results from this design yet!
cheers
Brett http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~bsmack/
brett
ilike the idea of a started boat for people to start building. but i wonder something so small. would not a person who does not have alot of experinece building or sailing, have trouble with this? i dont know a lot about the footy. but it does seem like a good boat. and would be the ideal starter boat IF it is not to completicated to run and set-ep.
keep us informed
cougar
good work
I?m in!
I wanted to build one for the longest time ??. Well, actually only since last year when I saw one the first one.
As for class rule, I like the one published on (I?m assuming?.) your web site, sort of ?box? rules ?? the boat has to fit in a 12x5x27.5 box? with only some electronic (servo size) and total weight (by the way, how heavy is your boat?) limitation. Maybe some restriction on hull materials can be included too, to avoid Kevlar or CF (?exotic? materials)? but I don?t think that the ?to keep cost down? reason could apply in this case? You will need so little ??
Anyway, I will start building one as soon as I?m done with my USOM ??
only you matt:-)
would come up with something that radical. the servo turn the mast , not the sails. i love it
you wierd brit
from your strange cousin
cougar
Hi Gio,
Glad your interested.
A typical “Footy” has a displacment of around 500-600g
made up of
100g for hull/rudder/rig
200g standard radio setup
200g ballast.
I don’t see any advantages to using exotic materials in the hulls.very lightweight glass is strong enough.
Some are already using carbon spars and my new hull will have a 1.2mm thick carbon keel fin.
I would like some input on class rules.
Do you think only standard radio equipment should be used or should micro servos and small batteries be allowed?
Footys are a great way to promote radio yachting…you can race them in swimming pools at boat shows etc.
Brett
BTW, if you have never seen a 50 foot tall mast on a 14 foot long boat, it is quite the spectacle - especially when they crash (much to the delight of all the drunk bermudians in the spectator fleet). Usualy at least 2 of the 7 crew members are dedicated to full time bailing - that is until they are jettisoned in a flat dive off the transom to propel the boat across the finish line.
These boats have 4 or 5 rigs which they change for different wind conditions (much like several RC classes). The #1 rig is so immense (1500 square feet of SA and 50+ feet tall mast) that the boat will tip over at the dock when you put the #1 mast up unless you hold it upright…
I got a chance to sail on the Royal Bermuda YCs Fitting Dighy back in 1995 when we went out in drifter conditions to settle a bet with some of the I14 sailors that had come down to Race week. It was no contest. The Fitted Dighy had probably 5 times the sail area of the I14 for the same size hull and despite the I14 weight advantage (2 crew versus 6), the fitted dinghy sailed circles around the I14.
So imagine a footy class boat with an IOM rig on it and that is about what these boats look like…
Well, I guess that sail height restriction and overhang restriction will keep it from becoming too radical… But it does look like movable ballast is allowed? And what about a gaff rigged main - would the gaff count as part of the mast height? If not you could add a lot of sail area there…
Brett,
Im honestly not sure if I will build one or not, but I would like to see it stay with standard radio equipment. I like the idea that I can build the boat out of spare parts lying around and keep cost wayyyyyyy down. I think I could build a “competative boat” out of scraps around the “shop.”
As for limiting carbon and CF, I would say dont bother. The gains in these light materials in boats where electronics will be making up over 50% of the hull wieght. . . it will be self regulating in my opinion, and I have scraps of carbon around big enough to build a hull . . . I would have to actually go buy fiberglass to make a glass hull. . . people should be able to use WHATEVER they have laying around as long as it fits into the box rule. Want to use the bow of a cracked up one meter of 36/600, go right ahead.
So imagine a footy class boat with an IOM rig on it and that is about what these boats look like…
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Sounds like a candidate for the “Speed Sailing Records/Discussion” thread ! [:D]
I agree that we should make them out of whatever we have around. I myself am very interested. and would love to throw one together. Got so many other projects.
I would hope that whatever rules would allow maximum freedom to experiment.
The footy whould be great whare we sail because we can’t park anywhare nearby so carrying is…, and the pond tends to be shallow many times of the year.
I would think a boat that small would require a quick easy way of shortening sail. I’m imagining going sailing in a person carrying sized boat in like a nine hundred m.p.h wind. A little C rig would be easy enough.
I don’t see any advantages to using exotic materials in the hulls.very lightweight glass is strong enough.
Some are already using carbon spars and my new hull will have a 1.2mm thick carbon keel fin.
I would like some input on class rules.
Do you think only standard radio equipment should be used or should micro servos and small batteries be allowed?
Footys are a great way to promote radio yachting…you can race them in swimming pools at boat shows etc.
Brett
<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
Oh, yeah, I totally agree about the use of CF or Kevlar in hull construction, not worth the hassle. Although, I might consider the use of a CF mast, something like an arrow shaft. As for radio equipment, TB makes a good point and I agree, only standard radio equipment should be allowed ?? I really think you won?t need anything more, or less, and I know I don?t want to end up paying more for the sail/rudder servo/batteries than for the whole boat.
I like the ?open? sail area idea (it?s going to become ?self regulating?, there is an area limit with such a small boat) and the possible, ?regulated? use of bowsprits; it gives the boat an ?authentic? look.
I think that with radio equipment restrictions, as long as the boat fits in the box anything goes (or almost everything), but I?m open to discussion and other ideas.
Cougar; I’ll take it to the pond this sunday and take some pics of it sailing backwards, that always gets some funny looks! Incase your wondering its a very wide boat, thats why it has next to no ballast on the fin, originally it didnt have any, till it got knocked down in the middle of the lake and didn’t come back upright! [:D]
matt
you can sail backwards? wow these footies are the way to go. I would love to see them. does anybody think school kids. say age 7 -10 could build them. maybe as a school project?
one of my friend teaches grade 2 (age 7) and she would like to see them do something consturctive as opposed to destructive( her words not mine)
cougar
Cougar,
I will post some basic plans when I can so that just about anyone could build and sail one.
My first Footy designs where free sailing that I built for my kids.
All my plans are in CAD…I need to learn to change them to other formats so everyone can view.
I have also written up some new class rules which I will post later.
Will,
The height and overhang rules pretty much sets the sail area…it is not that extreme if you take a look.
I have outlawed movable ballast…but with control limited to 2 servos it would have taken a genius to have come up with a workable solution anyway.
Over here we have had a bit of sucess with these little boats…some 30 odd have been built,for many it is there first r/c sailboat. Some are now going on to other classes so I think this little boat does have a geniune place.
Cheers
Brett
FOOTY CLASS RULES
1 HULL
1 maximum hull length of 12 inches.
2 prohibited - bowsprits or bumpkins.
- movable or shifting ballast.
- outriggers or pontoons.
- multihulls or tunnel hulls.
2 KEEL
1 maximum length of 7 inches measured from the underside of the hull.
2 prohibited- changing keel weight during a race or series of races.
-movable keels .
- centreboard,leeboards, bilgeboards.
3 RUDDER
1 The rudder must be aft of the keel.
2 prohibited- overhanging rudders.
4 SAILS/RIG
1 No part of the sails or rig shall be higher than 20 inches above the deck.Measured
adjacent to the mast.
2 No part of the sails or spars shall overhang the extremities of the hull by more than 2 inches.
3 Only 3 rigs may be used in a race or series of races.
5 RADIO CONTROL
1 2 channels maximum is permitted
2 Only 2 Standard size servos with no modification can be used.
3 Only 4 AA size cells may be used for battery power.
6 CLASS LOGO
1 The class insignia must be placed in the top third of the mainsail of each rig.
They sound reasonable, shame neither of my boats would fit the rule as they both have overhanging rudders and I think the masts are just over 20". Why no overhanging rudders?
All my plans are in CAD…I need to learn to change them to other formats so everyone can view<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
Brett -
for a very “unreasonable fee” (free) - you can send your CAD drawings (probably DXF(?) format) to my work email address. I have a program that will convert to JPEG format. These are viewable by many. You could also try saving to PDF (Adobe Acrobat) as they are also viewable by most readers.
Problems:
JPEG: Lines get rather fuzzy if you try to really enlarge, but for the “FOOTY” design, my guess is they would be viewable and useable. One would just need a soft batten to fair off the lines.
PDF: Very easy to share files, but as noted here by Earl Bobert, sometimes difficult to post on forums. If you convert a CAD drawing to PDF, it will be viewable at full size or even enlarged size right on the monitor. We have all our building CAD drawings saved in both DXF format (CAD) so they can be updated, and we provide CD based PDF files to contractors, who can print or view for specific jobs but can’t change any of the drawings or dimensions.
Let me know.
Dick
PS - if you want a slick program, that allows viewing of CAD drawings, and conversion to JPG or BitMap, and will also print “Sections” of drawings (you can then tape together for full size) I recommend CadViewer 3.2 They have a demo program that is a free download. Company is in Australia as I recall. Remembr - it is a viewer - not a drawing program. Use your search engine to find company’s URL.
Agree bowsprits, boomkins, overhanging rudders would do no harm and allow more creativity, especially scale boats, which is more fun. (Always wondered why we don’t have them in other classes) I love good old fashioned gaff rigs.
You might go faster in light air with the tall rig but this doesn’t sound like an olympic racing class
How about a Micro servo for the rudder?
Humble two cents
)
