Has anybody tried a Footy kit from Climate Models? (www.welasercut.com)
I emailed them because they do a lot of laser cut Balsa kits, so the Footy would fit into their business. Their reply was "We have been making kits of the Footy for customers for over 2 years. "
I don’t know if they do the glass hulls tho.
thx
Tom, I don’t think Peter offers a Footy “kit” as part of his product line. I’m sure if you sent him Brett’s BobAbout plans (or maybe he has them on file) he could cut out the parts for you. I have no idea what he charges, but maybe you could get a quote. Let us know if you follow up.
Bill
I just wanted to see more of the Footys and get some reviews. I would only buy a kit if it was a semi-finished hull (ready for paint & radio gear). Building one of these little buggers properly is critical for it to sail well, and as you know, balsa likes to split or break when you bend it.
He usually cuts them for his distributors as needed, and so doesn’t put it in his catalog.
thxl
Mate, if I can build one from Balsa then anyone can.:doggy:
Mine is not totally square but sailed right off the bench without any problems.
If you follow BRETTS plan you cant go wrong.:kisses:
It`s a no risk venture…trust me, would I lie to you.:devil1:
Interesting! I wonder what design they are laser cutting?
Anyone know?
Brett
Hopefully, I’ll get a reference from him so I’ll let you know mate.
Hello. I am a new member as of today and am the Footy class rep. for Canada. Yes Climate does cut a Footy hull kit for me as a distributor The kit is a hard chine boat made from laser cut 1/64 ply. This kit is simple to build using a building board.We currently have 24 boats registered and more being built at build sessions over the winter.We use a standard rig as opposed to a swing. masts and booms are carbon, sails are 4 ply mylar the same as we use on our victorias. Lead is a bit heavier but weight overall is ok. Sail servo is std. Futaba 3003 and rudder is a mini.I look forward to sharing ideas with all of you. The boat has been demonstrated at 2 hobby shows and this month is the feature of the CRYA newsletter on how to build the Footy with pictures. I have sailed my boat on Feb2 in the lake-12km wind. At first the boat wanted to submarine but moving the battery pac solved this. A regatta is planned for this summer and next winter we hope to pool sail.Hope this is helpful. Happy Footy sailing.
Who designed the Kit they are cutting boatguy?
Would it be possible to share that CRYA newsletter with us?
thx
I read a comment on rcgroups.com which included a comment from ClimateModels (although it’s from May, 2003) who didn’t think the Footy was feasible as a sailboat, because he thinks 30 inches is the smallest L.W.L. you can use on an R/C sailboat (according to a “thesis” he did).
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-117904
My Ocean 500 is 19 inches long.
I bet he’s saying something totally different now.
thx
Hi Boatguy, and welcome!
I just sent you an email telling you about this forum, then logged in and here you are. Glad you found us. Your work in Canada is certainly exciting, and we’re all looking forward to sharing with you.
I’d really like to have that article on our website. Charles could add it to the page or link to it if you have it somewhere already.
I’m sure eveyone would like to see a pic of the Footy built from your kit. It would be great, too if that kit could be made available to all. Maybe you could consider marketing it yourselves (but talk to Brett so you’ll know what to expect) or maybe you could work out a royalty arrangement so they could be made available from Climate Models.
Now that you have a bunch of Footys built, though, it’s going to look like a one-design class. Tell everyone about this forum, so maybe some of your guys will get inspired to develop new boats. We really want to encourage this as a development class, and I think we have a lot to learn about what performs well and what doesn’t. There’s some very interesting stuff on the website and here on the forum.
Have you set up a specific Footy course? I’d like to start collecting info here about different racing venues that people are using…ponds, swimming pools, hot tubs? It would be helpful to get suggestions about course dimensions that people think are optimal for Footys, and any experience people have about wind strength limits for these novel little fun boats.
I also hope your group will be willing to adopt our rules, beautifully illustrated for us by Roger Stollery.
Great to have you aboard.
Bill
The debate about the smallest size that’s reasonable to sail has been based more on opinion than fact.
Here’s what I’ve seen with my Footy’s:
They are very capable of sailing and handle better than most people expect.
In moderate, steady wind they are a joy to sail. In heavy, steady wind they can still sail well, in spite of waves in a typical pond (I don’t have any ocean experience with them except in calm conditions.)
In gusting conditions they react more quickly than larger boats to wind direction and speed changes, so they can be a real handful! Quick reflexes are needed in those conditions.
I think they may be more sensitive to COE changes than larger boats, so small changes in mast location may be important. I’m going to try to work on this next season to get a better feel for it. My theory is that a small change in mast location has a proportionally greater effect because of the percentage change it represents with such a short LOA.
A nationally rated, very experienced skipper told me, when sailing my HalfPint for the first time, that it sailed better than a Laser, but I haven’t sailed one so I can’t validate the statement.
I think I’ll copy this and start a new Footy Performance thread so you can all agree, disagree, and add to these observations.
Bill
I’d like to see a photo, too 
There may be a slight delay having a kit sent from (the toronto area) to Ohio, but not quite as long as sending it from NZ.
Good thing Bill brought up the question of an appropriate course size, and wind conditions.