Westlawn & Cruising World Announce a New Design Competition

[dgerr]

Westlawn is pleased to announce a new design competition in conjunction with Cruising World magazine - http://www.cruisingworld.com/ - as announced in the September 2006 issue, and sponsored by Island Packet Yachts - http://www.ipy.com/ Enter by March 1, 2007.

Here's the direct link to Cruising World's post of this competition:
http://www.cruisingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=43520&typeID=393&catID=559

Design the Best Cruising Boat

CW editors are excited to announce a new yacht-design contest: Cruising World’s Westlawn/Island Packet Yachts Design Competition. Its purpose is to encourage and highlight new and exciting designs for serious cruising under sail.

Entered designs must meet the following criteria:
1. The LOA must measure between 30 and 65 feet.
2. The design must be a sailboat and may have more than one hull.
3. The boat must be designed for serious cruising by two or more sailors for a three-week cruise, minimum.
4. The design may be for coastwise or offshore cruising.
5. The design may be traditional or modern, conservative or radically innovative.
6. The designer must submit a clear mission statement, explaining the goals of the design and how these goals are met. Maximum length of this statement is 1,000 words.
7. The designer must submit at least: general dimensions (LOA, WL, beam, waterline beam, draft); displacement; sail area; D/L ratio; SA/D ratio; ballast and ballast/displacement ratio
8. Drawings must include sail plan/outboard profile, deck plan, arrangement plan, and inboard profile; at least four joiner (cross) sections; at least one construction section at midships; hull lines .
9. Drawings must be submitted to scale as either manual drawings or CAD
a. CAD files may be submitted on CD, either in AutoCAD “.dwg” or “.dxf” format, and must be finished 2D drawings (not 3D files) ready to print. Print size is to be set up for paper no wider than 24 inches (609 mm.).
b. Renderings must be submitted in JPEG or TIFF format.
c. Manual drawings must be no larger than E size (36 inches by 48 inches or 914 by 1219 mm.).
d. Do not send original drawings. Drawings will not be returned.
10. The design must not be previously built or published elsewhere other than in preview form on a designer’s website before Cruising World’s announcement of winner(s) in the August 2007 issue.
11. No more than two designs may be submitted by any one entrant.
12. Contest is open except to employees (and family members) of Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology, the American Boat & Yacht Council, Island Packet Yachts, and World Publications. (ABYC members may enter, but not ABYC employees.)

Judging:
The judges panel will consist of top designers and sailing experts and will judge entries on:

• The designs’ potential success and utility as cruising boats;
• How well the designs meet their mission statement;
• Beauty (classic, modern, or ultramodern; innovation - whether in modern or traditional designs);
• Ease of handling, comfort, and safety.

All criteria will have equal weight. The judges will select from all entries a group of up to 12 finalists. From these, one winner and up to four honorable mentions will be selected.

Awards:
The winner will have his or her design featured in an article in Cruising World and will receive a prize of a $2,000 scholarship to any Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology course or $1,000 check, at the winner’s option, along with a certificate as the winner of Cruising World’s Westlawn/Island Packet Design Competition of 2007. Honorable mentions will receive a certificate.

The Editors, CW

Mail your design entry to:
Cruising World Design Competition
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology
613 Third Street, Suite 10
Annapolis, MD 21403

Web: http://www.westlawn.edu/

All entries must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2007.

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology

[Stephen Ditmore]

I'd like to invite anyone entering the competition above to utilize a Ditmore Monowing Keel, either with or without trailing edge flap on the winglet. Advantages include higher lift/drag ratio for better windward performance relative to draft, and (with flap) the option of dialing in more dynamic stability.

Either before or after you win the competition, I'd like to be a part of making your project real. Should a boat with my keel be built for sale as new, I will expect to be paid or offered a royalty agreement. But this is not a get rich quick scheme. You'll find me friendly, fair, and easy to work with.

Fair Winds,
Stephen

[competition]

Are you talented? Are you interested in joining a competition but don’t known where to find one?

Well! We at http://www.competearoundtheworld.com offer you a resource full of information on various categories of competitions that is going on through out the world.

No matter where you are or what your talent is, all you need is to log on to our website and join your preferred category of competition and win prizes and accolades from all over the world.

Come, Compete and Conquer!

Regards
Competitions Around The World.

[dougfrolich]

Cruising World design competition results

http://www.cruisingworld.com/index.jsp

[dgerr]

The results of the Westlawn/Cruising World design competition sponsored by Island Packet Yachts are in!

Of 53 entrants, Westlawn alumni and students made up five of the top ten entries! (Judges did not know who were Westlawn students or alumni or not.) Click here to read the details:

http://www.westlawn.edu/news/index.asp?displayfile=CWdesignCompetitionResults.htm

Click here to read the article about the design competition in Cruising World:

http://www.westlawn.edu/news/cw0708jm.pdf

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology

[competition]

Not everyone is talented. Not every talented are competitors. If you feel as a talented competitor, CONGRATS! You have reached your start place.

Get details about the competitions conducted world wide in no time.

Visit our Website http://www.competearoundtheworld.com and participate in your favorite competition and experience the pleasure of winning.

We also encourage people who like to report about their competition.

What are you waiting for?

Come, test your talent and get your hands on winning.

[brian eiland]

I think it might have been nice for the readers to be able to view the written submissions by the finalist if they are being ask to submit their votes on the contestant's submissions.

And considering these were limited to 1000 words each, it would not consume too much bandwidth on you 'finalist site'.

[yipster]

i too think it might have been nice to view all the submissions
from all designs at least a extraction or pic telling a 1000 words
my congratulations to winner clinker 31 looking classic and simple

[brian eiland]

Well I see it has been 3-4 weeks since the announcement of the finalist design winners in this contest, and yet only 111 readers have responded with a vote?? That would seem to be a pretty low turnout considering the readership of Cruising World??

I had suggested previously:
I think it might have been nice for the readers to be able to view the written submissions by the finalist if they are being ask to submit their votes on the contestant's submissions.

And considering these were limited to 1000 words each, it would not consume too much bandwidth on your 'finalist site'.

Nobody took up that challenge, so I will suggest another. I think it would be interesting to view ALL of the submissions (53 total I believe). There might be some other 'dark horses' in there that never see the light of day. Maybe that would excite the readers to a higher voting turnout. Or maybe some other interesting ideas would surface that got lost in the shuffle.

I had suggested that some of these might be published on their "finalist website'. But as I got to thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that they could be published right here on this subject thread. Why not! This is a Boat Design forum, and one of the best anywhere on the internet! This is the place to air out thiose other design ideas. (personally I thought that many of the final selections were rather ho-hum considering the contest definition "to encourage and highlight new and exciting designs")

Lets get ALL 53 submissions posted on this subject thread. Post the dwgs, and the 1000 word documents. And if that is deemed too much work by any one party, lets inform each contestant that he/she can do their own posting.

Since we don't have any numbering system to utilize, lets just say that the INITIAL posting of any particular design must be made under the name designation that the contestant utilized with their submission to the contest. Then subsequent responses by other forum members and guest can be directed to the particular design.

[bhnautika]

Brian this is a good idea, so I will kick off with a few pictures of my submission to start it rolling.

[brian eiland]

Thanks bhnautika,
Do you have a 'TITLE' for your design....so responders can refer to it later in the subject thread?

Please give us some more info. Looks interesting moving that mizzen into clearer air

[Alik]

And this one was my submission - Claudia43
Hull material - steel.

[yipster]

my original contribution was this one pictured here
meanwhile i've named her ladybird and changed the copy (http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15095&d=1185625951) a bit

[brian eiland]

And this one was my submission - Claudia43
Beautiful renderings, Alik !!

[brian eiland]

Here are a couple of renderings of my submission, along with a cover letter of introduction.

The drawings I submitted are for the most part now posted on my website at:
http://www.runningtideyachts.com/dynarig/ (http://www.runningtideyachts.com/dynarig/)


Cruising World’s Westlawn/Island Packet Yachts
Design Competition 2007

Subject: Cover Letter

Dear Competition Judging Commitee;
Please accept my submission, a 62’ Motor-Sailing Catamaran.

Upon closer review you will find that I have an existing website* that depicts a similar exploration/gamefishing vessel sporting a unique ‘single-masted ketch’ sailing rig. That prior design was presented in the form of a concept-scale model at the 2005 Miami boat show, but it was never built, nor published in any peer-reviewable form or magazine.

I now bring forth a brand new design based on that same theme, but quite innovative and new in its own right. It has not been published, nor shown in public yet.

Here I have chosen another unusual sailing rig for this new design, a modern version of the old square-rigger. My prior ‘mast-aft ketch’ had elicited notable resistance among members of the conservative sailing community. Today I am far more confident in selling this new design and rig, as a brave and resourceful gentleman, Tom Perkins, has so boldly presented a real-life ‘proof-of-concept’ of the DynaRig aboard his innovative and fabulous new superyacht, Maltese Falcon**

It might be interpreted that I have made two submissions, both utilizing the DynaRig. 1) One version of this vessel design is powered by a retractable rim-drive propeller unit that is just on the horizon as a real product. 2) The second submission makes use of a conventional propeller (duo-prop or single prop) driven by an unconventional chain/belt shaft arrangement. This second version is mounted in a heavier displacement hull, a modified Malcolm Tennant style ‘canoe stern’ hull. The rim-drive propulsion could also be adapted to this heavier displacement CS vessel.

My design offers a capability for world cruising under sail with a limited crew. I believe this meets all of the stated contest rules.

* www.RunningTideYachts.com
** www.symaltesefalcon.com

(These renderings were not submitted to the contest as they were only completed at a later date. They were also not done by me, but rather a talented young gentlman by the name of Eric Day)

[brian eiland]

This was a real challenge to stay at or near 1000 words in the 'description of the design'. (Contest Rule:The designer must submit a clear mission statement, explaining the goals of the design and how these goals are met. Maximum length of this statement is 1,000 words)
I'm not that happy with my essay in this 'outline form', but it was the only way I could point out all of the items of interest I wanted the judges to see.



Westlawn & Cruising World Design Contest
(Essay)

MISSON STATEMENT: Create an innovative, yet practical vessel capable of exploring the world under sail, either in private ownership or charter, with small crew.

The design of a modern offshore sailing yacht should take into account the older age of the population having the means and time to go long range cruising. The long ignored ‘MotorSailer’ concept should be a prime candidate for consideration.

Motorsailers are not a popular subject these days. Those old traditional, stoutly-built vessels, with a hefty engine(s), were necessarily compromised in their sailing and powering performances. The multihull platform holds great promise to modernize the motorsailer. Long slender hulls of the catamaran vessel have proven real efficient to push under both power & sail.....not only efficient, but not limited to slow traditional displ/length hull-speeds. Just what the motorsailer needs....far less compromised increases, both sail and power performances, while maintaining economy of operation that allows for long-range, and remote area capabilities. In light airs, running one engine often is all that is needed to generate an apparent wind that allows the sails work harder, and the combination can provide much better results than either motoring or sailing alone, …….sailing synergy/harmony, the motor taking over in the lulls and the rig taking over in the puffs.


SQUARE-RIG: The rig chosen for this motorsailer is pure innovation itself, having proven itself on the recently launched ‘Maltese Falcon’. A modern day square-rigger, that happens to possess some very favorable characteristics for use aboard multihull vessels:

· Optimum (renowned) parabolic aerofoil shape

· Sailcloths can be light-weight & low-tech due to low-loads imposed by extensive ‘square edge support’ by DynaRig’s yardarms

· Non-heeling multihulls experience difficulties keeping ‘aerofoil-shaped sails’ in light-winds,…mitigated by yardarm’s support & lt-sailcloths

· 3-4 panels in height with douseable (reefable), upper, hi-leverage sails

· Topsails of extra-light sailcloths could offer ‘blow-out protection’ in microburst squalls. Meanwhile their superior area/height promotes light-air performance.

· Very considerable stability under ‘course sails’ alone. Storm trysail possible.

· Only 160-degree mast rotation needed, thus headstay and backstay support possible for rough conditions.

· Balance center remains centered upon reefing

· Automated, single-handler for older couple, or charter captain. No winching

This free-standing mast does not exert big compression loads, but mastbase needs considerable bending and torque support. This is provided by the X-structure formed by the athwartships ‘spaceframe’ bulkhead, the longitudinal nacelle & front-frame combination, and a reinforced arch built into cabin-top. There’s a possibility of sealed mast floatation. Finally a unique ‘running backstay’ is envisioned that would alleviate some bending loads at the mastbase.

ASYMMETRIC CENTERBOARDS:
Superior tacking, leeway reduction, and balance could be attainable with optional nacelle-mounted centerboards.

An edge-on flat plate is located down the centerline of the vessel acting as a rib to strengthen the fore-to-aft rigidity of the vessel (weaker characteristic of catamaran). A tow bundle of carbon fiber (kevlar, PBO) is laid along the bottom edge to produce a ‘bottom truss structure’. On either side of this plate/nacelle two asymmetrical centerboards are mounted with their flat sides up against the nacelle, and rotate on oversize diameter bearings. Only one board at a time is lowered, possibly linked together such that the act of lifting one automatically lowers the other. Both could be rigged to 'kick up' upon hitting any solid object, or shallow cruising.

Several advantages to an asymmetrical shaped centerboard;

· Requires less surface-area (smaller board) to develop a leeway reducing force
· The boat itself does not have to be sailed at a skewed angle of attack to develop the 'board's lift' (leeway reducing force)…resulting in less leeway.


Drag forces are on the centerline of the vessel, producing minimal turning moments about the center of the vessel…improves the tacking capabilities of the square-rigged vessel.

Front of this nacelle/plate could be configured to act as wave splitter, attacking the formation of those peaky waves under the tramp areas that eventually slap the bridge deck underside….slice those waves down a bit. A fairing could be added to nacelle.

Maintenance of this board system, particularly in remote cruising areas is much improved. No need to haul-out to repair CB problems, or bottom paint hull-mounted trunks and boards. Everything,…cables, bearings, and boards is all above the load waterline.

Eliminating board trunks in the two hulls results in greater watertight integrity, and reduces initial building cost.

HULL SHAPES:
Long slender hulls are key factor…never below 12-to-1 slenderness ratio.
Two offerings:

· Lighter-displacement semi-circular bottoms offer better sailing attributes, but less volume for ‘cruising amenities’
· Heavier-displacement ‘canoe-sterned’ Tennant type will tack slower, but carry greater loads


PROPULSION:
1) Adopt the latest ‘Rim-Driven Propeller’ technologies:
…reference http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9432

· Smaller diameter than prop counterpart at equal power densities
· Tucked close under the hull skin for less draft and more keel-protection
· Located forward away from the transom pitching
· Partially retractable in shallows,…fully retractable under sail
· Propulsion unit contained in accessible ‘waterbox’, & potentially serviceable without hauling the vessel
· Less nosey
· Less susceptible to fouling lines, etc
· No reduction/direction gearboxes required, instant fwd/reverse
· Phenomenal maneuverability, joy-stick operable (real plus on gamefishing version)



2) These rim-drives are electrically driven, so they would require some portion of the latest technologies associated with ‘Diesel/Electric Propulsion’:
…reference http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9310

· Diesel/Electric power generating units preclude need for additional ‘auxiliary-generator(s)’….fewer engines onboard.
Versatile power options…entire vessel could be powered by:
a) 1 big main-unit,
b) 2 equal-size units,
c) 2 unequal size units, for high/low power operations
· Considerable electric power available would provide for all auxiliary equipments and sail furling operations


3) Conventional propeller propulsion might be augmented with Steyr engine/generator combo-unit(s) to dispense with auxiliary generator units.
________

She could be a real fuel-sipping machine with considerably less fuel weight to haul or propel around. Under sail she could make 18/20kts. Under power 25kts. Range…unlimited.

She could skim over depths as little as 4'. Explore those rivers, mangroves, coves, lagoons. Dive or fish the flats and the reefs from the Bahamas to the Pacific atolls.

This could be the ultimate Motor/Sailer… a passagemaker for your contest requirement’s, “serious cruising under sail”.




[1044 total words, less the title words, signature words, and these words (30) = 1014 words]
.

[bhnautika]

Brian the boat did not have a name as such just code number C1760.
I will post a feature list soon but here is the interior plan and profile, had to do it in three pic’s

[yipster]

looking forward and hope to see some more ideal cruiser designs posted here

[brian eiland]

Brian the boat did not have a name as such just code number C1760.
That is quite a unique layout bknautika. I will have to make a few prints and study the headrm of the dbl cabin below the cockpit. Not so easy to picture at first glance.

looking forward and hope to see some more ideal cruiser designs posted here
I sent the same wording as at my posting #9 to Cruising World magazine's 'mailbox', in hopes they would print it and let the other contestants know of this forum subject.

I would also ask Dave Gerr, or another party to this contest to please inform the other contestants as well.

The fact that this subject thread is 'hidden' in the Education subheading rather than in the more general Boat Design heading doesn't help in its visability.

[bhnautika]

Brian here is the deck layout and a sectional view through that aft cabin
C1760
Mission statement.
The boat is to be a contemporary design with a medium to light displacement hull. Its to have an easily handled sail plan set up for short handed sailing by one or two people with out the need of help from a crew or guests.
The boat should be able to be cruised by two people for up to a month with out provisioning; it shall have sleeping accommodation for four with provision for an extra two on a casual basis.
The boat must be good for relaxing and entertaining guests both at home port and at its destination.
Principal Dimensions (metric)
Loa 17.6 m sail areas Jib 30.7 m
Lal 16.5 m Main 100.5m (roach included)
Beam 4.95 m Mizzen 35.8m (roach included)
Bwl 3.7 m Spinnaker (asymmetrical) 146.5m
Draft 2.65 m Code sail 109m
Displacement 19500 Kg WS 64.8 m
Ballast ratio 42%

Hull/deck: Cored grp
Keel: fabricated metal with lead bulb
Keel attachment to be by tab and slot into hull. Raw water intake to be built into the trailing edge of the keel and piped up through the keel tab to wet box for distribution.

RIG: Main. Gunter rig (modern version “the sliding Gunter”) Curved yard slides up on mast track. Some possible advantages of this rig, curved yard shape gives better elliptical sail shape, small section of yard becomes leading edge of sail, no wind shadow from larger mast section. Designed flexibility of yard gives some automatic gust response. Reefing sail also reduces mast CG. Shorter main mast enables smaller mast section due to shorter panel lengths. Single spreader rig can be used reducing windage. Shorter mast enables access to area’s, under bridges not normally available to a yacht of this size. The yard allows for a good sail aspect ratio for a mast this size.
Jib. Self-tacking blade. Small sail can be held onto up into the wind ranges, less sail changes. Light air sails can be code sails flown from the bowsprit. Asymmetric spinnaker for down wind.
Mizzen. Mast is an inverted squared off U shape made of an asymmetric section in either carbon or fabricated aluminium. A track at top and bottom enable stay to be moved athwartships. This enables mizzen to be moved into clean air away from main, also the luff of the sail has no mast shadow. The movement of the mast to the outside removes the obstacle of a centre line mast, free up the cockpit space. Also there is less compression on the hull from standing rigging. The mast could be filled with foam, which would add to the AVS in the case of knockdown.

Deck/cockpit. All control lines lead aft to winches clustered around helm stations. Cockpit can have table up but still have walk through access. Rear boarding platform is large and can act as a sun deck (sun lounges) or swim platform, can also be used for tender storage while under way. A retractable or removable bimini top could be installed the full length of the cockpit and with the addition of clear plastic sides could turn cockpit into an enclosed weatherproof space at anchor,etc.

[bhnautika]

Lines of C1760

[brian eiland]

Interesting that in the final results of the voting the number 7 entry, that of Eric Sponberg won out over the other top ten finalist.
http://www.cruisingworld.com/polls.jsp?ID=845

Also interesting the small total number of voters considering the readership of that magazine. (294)

Personally I thought this design was the most innovative and complete of all of the top ten. I was surprised that it even lagged behind at first in the voting. But it appears there were some observant readers in the end. Read his website description of this vessel:
http://www.sponbergyachtdesign.com/Globetrotter45.htm

I was surprised at a couple of negative comments by the judges concerning the use of this free-standing rig in the open ocean, particularly considering Eric's vast experience with these free-standing designs, and other vessels that have utilized free-standing rigs. He even provides for a conventional rig alternative.

I think it just speaks to the very conservative nature of the American sailing scene, including the judges in this contest.....too much same old...same old.

[brian eiland]

It does appear as though we may have a difficult time getting in touch with the other contestants of the contest so that they might present their entry into this discussion...too bad, we might have seen some more interesting revelations

[Willallison]

Brian, Have you emailed Dave (given that he started the thread..) or Cruising World to see if either can contact the other contestants?
I've emailed one who I know entered...

[brian eiland]

Brian, Have you emailed Dave (given that he started the thread..) or Cruising World to see if either can contact the other contestants?
I've emailed one who I know entered...
I've emailed him, and a number of the judges, and I sent a reply to Cruising World mag to ask that they notify the other contestants. All to NO Avail...no reply...total silence

[yipster]

good initiative, well done Brian and Will, lets hope to see a few more designbriefs here
only now i read this poll (http://www.cruisingworld.com/polls.jsp?ID=845) and with all respect i have to say for example a free magazine
or postcard covering the contest would have been decent to the rest of us in my book
than again, contestboat shows redone renders on their site without any reply eighter

[dougfrolich]

Here is my brief for my submission. I would have liked to take it for a second trip around the design spiral, but I ran out of time. Managing time is just as importanat as anything else---

It would be nice if these kind of contests would occur more often.

[brian eiland]

Hey Doug,
I think you posted the wrong PDF. And you might consider a smaller file size with the correct one so more people can open it with slower connections
Brian

[dougfrolich]

Hi Brian,
I posted the T.T. my contest design because it was my favorite part of the entire submission. I thought it would be cool for a couple to be rowing together and looking good on the way to the dinghy dock.

[Mark Bowdidge]

In regards to the Oceansky 57 cat, the boat itself was concieved and drawn up 2 and a half years ago. When the competition was announced and with the deadline approaching, I was up to my armpits in a 45 ft alloy power cruiser. With 1 day to the deadline, I decided to do something different. So I dragged out that design and for fun, I entered it. :D It was good to see that it was voted "Best Cat' and the only multihull to get into the Top 10.
Regards Mark (ARINA)

[yipster]

well done Mark, any chance posting some pics here so we can we see it too?

[brian eiland]

When the competition was announced and with the deadline approaching, I was up to my armpits in a 45 ft alloy power cruiser. With 1 day to the deadline, I decided to do something different. So I dragged out that design and for fun, I entered it.
With that short of a timeframe, did you have trouble with the 1000 word write up??

That sure took me time to condense mine. Of course I can get too wordy at times. :rolleyes:


...It was good to see that it was voted "Best Cat' and the only multihull to get into the Top 10
This was quite a surprise to me as well, considering the huge amount of space in Cruising World magazine being devoted to multihulls these days. ...And the very considerable praise being given them by their cruising staff. (I guess these folks weren't in on the judging though)

What little I saw of your design reminded me a bit of Lock Crowthers work. Do I imagine you were influenced by him ??

[Man Overboard]

I finally got a chance to review the finalist in the Westlawn/Cruising World Design Contest. I was a little put off by some of the comments that I read by various judges. Not that they were necessarily mean spirited, but the comments seemed contradictory, and not in keeping with the purpose of the contest. According to the site:

The competition's purpose was to "encourage and highlight new and exciting designs for serious cruising under sail."

I don’t want to second guess the experts here, at least not in a disrespectful manner, but I have some reservations about their decisions. The winning entry has a 32 gallon water tank; and 22 gal fuel tank, that just doesn’t strike me as sufficient for “serious cruising”.

The following comment was made about the second runner up Bisol's Deep Blue 48:

Both Johnstone and I remarked that it would be tender, and I remain doubtful that "light displacement" and "round-the-world sailing for a family" are compatible statements, but the basic design has considerable merit and is well worth exploring.

Deep Blue 48 has a displacement of 20,286 lb. (9,200 kg.) for a B/D of .3 and D/L of 104 Are they aware that their first place boat only weighs 9,351 lb. (4,241 kg.) with B/D .4 considering the mast heights, and beam of the 2 boats, I think their comments are dubious at best. Judging by other comments they have made the panel puts a heavy emphesis on comfort at sea; yet the first place boat is going to be a cork tossed in the wind in any kind of a blow.

A comment was made by Bob Johnson of the first runner up.

Bruce King's comment—"Nice presentation of a contemporary design"—echoes most of the judges' thoughts about the runner-up, a 57-foot sloop from Keimpe Reitsma, who lives in the Netherlands, though Bob Johnson noted that it would be expensive simply because of its size.

The design criteria in the rules specifically stated between 30 and 65 feet; expense was not listed as part of the judging criteria.

I think it’s the comments about Eric Sponbergs Eagle I find the most troubling.

While the unstayed cat ketch has a proven record, Sponberg's rotating wing masts and attached "half wishbones" add a level of complexity that, coupled with the windage issues they raise in heavy conditions both offshore and at anchor, is probably above the comfort level of most cruisers. A simpler, proven arrangement, detailed with the same care seen in other elements of the design, would have found better favor with the panel.

Owners of wishbone masts say they are easier to handle than conventional rigs. As far as the comment about the windage in heavy weather, am I missing something? A rotating wing mast has the ability to sail under bare poles. The extremely high aspect ratio of a wing mast with no soft sail attached provides necessary driving force with the least amount of healing force. Windage at anchor could be a problem, but I would think that allowing the masts to weather vane would minimize this. I think the final comment about Eric’s boat kind of sums it up:

As to the overall impression, Bruce King said simply, "This design is quite far from connecting with my values, both functionally and visually."

In the end, the panel was not really impressed by “new and exciting designs” Instead they chose a cork bobbing lead sled without enough tankage to last the mandatory 3 week cruise in the design brief built out of all things, wood laptrake. They seemed enamored with the idea of CNC cut /computer generated panels; a technology that is over 2 decades old.

[dgerr]

It’s always good to get thoughtful comments such as Man Overboard’s. It isn’t possible, though, to further explain the judges' reasoning (all from their own very different individual perspectives). I can tell you it was extremely difficult to evaluate 53 designs, each of which had so much thought put into them. Several had some really radical and promising features, but—unfortunately—most of these designs also had some serious flaw.

Keep in mind, the judges were some of the most experienced designers anywhere. They represented together well over 250 years of design and sailing experience. Though I may not have agreed with the details of all the other judges evaluations, I certainly consider their opinions highly valuable and well reasoned, and would disregard them only with great reluctance. Of course, all the judges didn’t agree on everything and neither should you. That’s what forums and open discussion are for. Keep the thoughts and comments coming.

Man Overboard does seems to be under a misconception, however. It’s possible that the quote he gives that the purpose of the competition was, “to encourage and highlight new and exciting designs for serious cruising under sail,” came from some later less-accurate recap of the competition, but the competition judging standards and goals were stated in the entry rules posted for the design competition and also posted here on boatdesign.net. They were:


Judging:
The judges panel will consist of top designers and sailing experts and will judge entries on:

The designs’ potential success and utility as cruising boats;
How well the designs meet their mission statement;
Beauty (classic, modern, or ultramodern; innovation - whether in modern or traditional designs);
Ease of handling, comfort, and safety.

All criteria will have equal weight. The judges will select from all entries a group of up to 12 finalists. From these, one winner and up to four honorable mentions will be selected.

Note that all criteria have equal weight and that “new and exciting”—innovation in and of itself—though part of the criteria, is only one small part.

We are considering holding another design competition in the next year or so. It might well be a powerboat design next go 'round to keep things varied. Stay tuned.

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology
www.westlawn.edu

[Man Overboard]

Dave,

I would like to thank you for your reply, and also for your participation on this forum.

You are correct about the quote I gave; it appears in the beginning paragraph of the article entitled:

2007 Westlawn/ Island Packet Yachts Design Competition: Results Overview

You will notice that in that article the statement appears in quotes; it appeared originally in the 'contest rules of entry' page in the first paragraph:

CW's editors are excited to announce a new yacht-design contest: Cruising World's Westlawn/Island Packet Yachts Design Competition. Its purpose is to encourage and highlight new and exciting designs for serious cruising under sail.

Ref:
http://www.cruisingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=43520&typeID=393&catID=559

I, in no way, mean to ruffle the feathers of such a distinguished member of this forum, and am appreciative of your participation. In reviewing the judge’s comments, I weighed them against the purpose statement given in the competition rules synopsis. As you have stated, the judges come from a background of considerable experience; yet some of their statements seem to be inconsistent with what we are seeing develop in the cruising scene today. As a student of yacht architecture and design, I look to those with experience to quantify, and to justify their opinions; not to be brash, but rather to get a handle on the often times divergent views of the experts. If I expect to be successful in my own designs, I need to be able to assimilate the various expert views into quantifiable and repeatable formulas that can accurately predict yacht motion, performance and behavior.

[brian eiland]

Westlawn is pleased to announce a new design competition in conjunction with Cruising World magazine - http://www.cruisingworld.com/ - as announced in the September 2006 issue, and sponsored by Island Packet Yachts - http://www.ipy.com/ Enter by March 1, 2007.

Here's the direct link to Cruising World's post of this competition:
http://www.cruisingworld.com/article.jsp?ID=43520&typeID=393&catID=559

Design the Best Cruising Boat

CW editors are excited to announce a new yacht-design contest: Cruising World’s Westlawn/Island Packet Yachts Design Competition. Its purpose is to encourage and highlight new and exciting designs for serious cruising under sail.
Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology
I repeat the words from the very first posting on this forum subject thread submitted by Mr Gerr, "Its purpose is to encourage and highlight new and exciting designs for serious cruising under sail". Maybe he is saying he did not write these words, but they appear in his posting as though it is a goal of the contest. Maybe I read too much into this statement, but it sure appeared to me they were looking for "new and exciting", in addition to all of the normal things one would consider in designing a sailing craft. From what little I've seen of the entries I don't believe a full 50% of the winners could be considered 'new and exciting'.

Regrettably I have been ignored in my call for the other entries to be published, and/or for those persons to be notified of this forum subject such that we might see some of their entries. I had posted previously, "I think it would be interesting to view ALL of the submissions (53 total I believe). There might be some other 'dark horses' in there that never see the light of day. Maybe that would excite the readers to a higher voting turnout. Or maybe some other interesting ideas would surface that got lost in the shuffle.".

I finally got a chance to review the finalist in the Westlawn/Cruising World Design Contest. I was a little put off by some of the comments that I read by various judges. Not that they were necessarily mean spirited, but the comments seemed contradictory, and not in keeping with the purpose of the contest. According to the site.....

In the end, the panel was not really impressed by “new and exciting designs” Instead they chose a cork bobbing lead sled without enough tankage to last the mandatory 3 week cruise in the design brief built out of all things, wood laptrake. They seemed enamored with the idea of CNC cut /computer generated panels; a technology that is over 2 decades old.
When I first saw your posting I was going to reply 'bravo' right away, but I thought it would be better to see what other replies came in first. You appear to have read what little info they chose to publish with a thoroughness, and picked out a few disturbing judgements I detected also. It harkens back to that extremely conservative thinking in the USA sailing community/industry I ran into when I got involved with multihull sailboats back in the early 70's. (the CEO from RubberMaid corp expressed it so interestingly when he described the colors of kitchen products from his company that sold well in the USA....black, beige, and white. When ask what all of the other bright colors were for...."Europe and the rest of the world")

Keep in mind, the judges were some of the most experienced designers anywhere. They represented together well over 250 years of design and sailing experience. Though I may not have agreed with the details of all the other judges evaluations, I certainly consider their opinions highly valuable and well reasoned, and would disregard them only with great reluctance. Of course, all the judges didn’t agree on everything and neither should you. That’s what forums and open discussion are for. Keep the thoughts and comments coming.
This leaves the impression that all of the judges reviewed all of the designs. I don't believe this was the case??
I believe a great many of the submissions were whittled out by only 3 persons, and then that remaining group of 10-12 were put before the other judges. So, many of the designs were never seen by the majority of the judges. Is that so??



1) While the unstayed cat ketch has a proven record, Sponberg's rotating wing masts and attached "half wishbones" add a level of complexity that, coupled with the windage issues they raise in heavy conditions both offshore and at anchor, is probably above the comfort level of most cruisers. A simpler, proven arrangement, detailed with the same care seen in other elements of the design, would have found better favor with the panel.

2) Several had some really radical and promising features, but—unfortunately—most of these designs also had some serious flaw.

3) it would be expensive simply because of its size

4) potentially too expensive
Sounds similar in tone to many the critizisms that preceeded the new Maltese Falcon yacht....which is certainly new and exciting to the sailing world.

There were more than several references to a design being too expensive. I don't recall ANYTHING about the price being a consideration in this contest submission.

Finally I don't believe the goal of such a contest should be to consider only 'flawless' designs, (nor, only professionally correct designs), but rather creativity to bring forward new ideas....not just rehash old ones.

[bhnautika]

The problem I think we are seeing is the commercial realities of the magazines need for a broad-brush approach in order to attracted as many entries as possible to satisfy their readerships different tastes. Although this approach gives full scope for a wide variety of designs it seems, as it turned out, a little at odds with the somewhat narrower definitions, thoughts and design philosophes of the judging panel. Maybe in the future a more focused design brief would be better.

[yipster]

who am i to question procedures but since i now feel beeing spoken to
i recall mentioning in my brief mine was a concept design under study

a simple e-mail with a link for seeing the rest or jury findings in this competition
or a thank you for entering would have been the least i was expecting...

than again i'm a designer and sucker for boats and like powerboats as well...

[PI Design]

I've only just discovered this thread, which is shame because it is what BoatDesign is all about! Great stuff.

[Eric Sponberg]

Owners of wishbone masts say they are easier to handle than conventional rigs. As far as the comment about the windage in heavy weather, am I missing something? A rotating wing mast has the ability to sail under bare poles. The extremely high aspect ratio of a wing mast with no soft sail attached provides necessary driving force with the least amount of healing force. Windage at anchor could be a problem, but I would think that allowing the masts to weather vane would minimize this.

Man Overboard, Brian, and others--
I appreciate your support, and I am happy about the public response to my design Eagle. I, too, was a little taken aback at some of the comments by the judging committee, but in these kinds of competitions, that is to be expected. I am happy to have made the top ten out of 55 from around the world.

I attach the Mission Statement that I wrote for the competition so that you may see how I presented the design. Besides the drawings, I also presented a weight summary, hydrostatics and stability calculations, a STIX calculation, 3-D renderings, and some photos of mast bearings, mast & stubmast assembly, and bending tests on the new carbon fiber wingmast for my new sailboat design Saint Barbara which will be launched next spring.

In the Mission Statement, I address the issue of anchoring a boat with wingmasts, to quote:

Finally, what to do about all that sail area in the wingmasts when at an anchorage or at a dock—not a problem. Simply set the main mast angle 45º one way and the mizzen mast 45º the other way. The boat sits dead in the water and does not move—it’s remarkable how it works. In fact, it will probably be more stable than other boats in the harbor.

This characteristic comes from both my first-hand experience and second-hand accounts of people who have owned wingmasted boats. There are precious few of them, but their owners are devoted to their boats, because they work. You do not want to let the mast or masts weathervane. They will start to oscillate side to one side, back and forth, which then sets the boat to rolling as the masts cause lift one way and the other. In one instance, an owner of a wingmasted sloop said the rolling got so bad that the boat almost capsized right at the mooring. You want to keep the masts tied down and not allow them to move at anchor. This keeps the boat absolutely still.

I would like to repeat my Mission from the Mission Statement, and also the design summary:

THE MISSION:
Design a sailing yacht to carry a crew of two to four persons on transoceanic voyages. Safety and performance are to be consistent with an overall size of yacht that is capable, comfortable, easy to handle, and affordable.

I think my design documents showed this very well. I tried to present design information and data that addressed all aspects of using the boat in the way it is intended. It is a very practical design. And yes, I did not get at all how the judges could say that the wingmasts with their half wishbones "add a level of complexity...above the comfort level of most cruisers." Excuse me?? A major part of the presentation pointed to the fact that the wingmast rig is simpler, safer, easier to sail, and more reliable than a conventional rig with its myriad parts and potential failure points. Is this rig not proven??? Not at all. It has been proven sufficiently many, many times to work as stated.

Aside from being scaredy cats, in my opinion, and not wanting to commit to true innovation as evidenced by their final selectinos, the judges did say my presentation was "utterly professional." I thank them for that.

The summary:

SUMMARY--FUNCTION WITH FORM:
Eagle and her crew will function well both at sea and in an isolated anchorage. Most of these features are fairly traditional because they have been proven to work well. The rig is innovative but relies on proven technology. Eagle combines these elements into a very practical whole. At the same time, the proportions and shape of the yacht are aesthetically attractive, which, like her namesake, give her dignity and grace.

Thanks again for everyone's support.

Eric

[dgerr]

This all rather reminds me of the judges at an Olympic figure-skating event. Everyone knows they’re always wrong. I guess the biblical saying is right:

“Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

Regardless, it really was a pleasure to get to look over all the many excellent design submissions for the contest, especially those in the top 10 or 15 like Eric Sponberg’s. All were really fine work.

This is a great thread. It’s what boatdesign.net is all about. Keep the comments coming!

Dave Gerr
Director
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology
www.westlawn.edu

[J DUFOUR]

Dear Mr Gerr,

When will you lauch the next contest ?

Best regards,

JD

[Mark Bowdidge]

After reading this thread several times , I decided to post my description of the Oceansky 57- the only multihull to make it into the top 10. The design itself, was originally thought of 2 years ago which was based on our own experiences of living aboard a cat for 11 years, cruising Australia and offshore through the Asia/ Pacific region.
Crossing the equator on numerous occassions, where the wind is light and variable, I wanted a boat which would sail comfortably and with speed through this region. It also had to have max freeboard under the bridgedek area for example, the distance between the crossbeams and the DWL is 5 ft. The control or helmstation had to have maximum all round vision and all controls leading to one point for max safety and control. Being that the nature of the boat is for fast passages, all aspects of this design have been designed with this in mind.
Cats in general, now are becoming larger and more "houseboat" like. Being of such a large volume, people tend to try and fit "everything" that a normal house would have. This tends to make the boats heavy, for their nature, to the point now where normal mono's are surpassing them. Only 2 weeks ago we delivered a 34 ft catamaran for a client on a passage of 900nm. One leg entailed a windward passage of 140nm. During this leg a little 28 ft mono ( cruiser) caught us, eased his sheets, had a chat, then sheeted in and left us in his wake. The current trend of cat are great for downwind and reaching, but with the current trend , they're a waste of time for windward work. WHY. Because they're just to heavy. If one gets back to what cats are good for and design them as much ( in other words keep them light and slick) then for windward work, they can go like rockets.
That is what this boat was designed for- carry the essentials and and just go.

Regards Mark Bowdidge (ARINA)

[Vega]

After reading this thread several times , I decided to post my description of the Oceansky 57- the only multihull to make it into the top 10.

Nice looking boat. But what about the interior space? There are no drawings?

[yipster]

dgerr,
i dont like the cold and cant skate but do some aprox figures, much rather being judged than judge, well said

Vega,
looks like a centerpod and at 57ft guess Oceansky has planty room for essentials

Mark Bowdidge,
nice to read and see, sharp boat you drew. reading wharram who rather lived -long time too- in the hulls,
overloading can cost 1/3 in speed witch is today easely checked in mitchlet and kaper
speed i agree is the major virtue of a cat and sure would be nice to just stay ahead of most mono's
in a motorsailing houseboat and weight does dampen slamming and jerking, ads stability etc
all theory and still looking fwd sailing a big cat for real

[Spiv]

Crossing the equator on numerous occassions, where the wind is light and variable, I wanted a boat which would sail comfortably and with speed through this region. It also had to have max freeboard under the bridgedek area for example, the distance between the crossbeams and the DWL is 5 ft. The control or helmstation had to have maximum all round vision and all controls leading to one point for max safety and control. Being that the nature of the boat is for fast passages, all aspects of this design have been designed with this in mind.


Hi Mark,

all you say makes a lot of sense.
As I am currently looking for a liveaboard cat I am very interested in any new concept.
Do you have 'metric' specs? all those lbs, sq ft are just too confusing....
How do you beach your cat, are the rudders retractable?
Do you have any layout scketches?
Do you have a web site?