Historical multihulls

Gautier III must have been also one of the first carrying a square main. Also the reason for the stern pole rig kind of thing?

 

Just found that Gautier III is the bigger version of PIR2 which is still active in the Class50 http://www.class-multi50.org/and Golden Oldies http://www.goldenoldies.biz/.
There is quite an interesting and extensive article on Y foils in foilers; le blog des bateaux volants.
An article which also refers to the Y foilers of the honorable Gary Baigent!

http://foils.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/pir%C2%B2-foiler-a-foils-en-y/

 

Photos of Rehu Moana

A while back I asked for pics of Rehu Moana, the first cat to circumnavigate, but despite efforts was unable to contact anyone with pics, so I kept my eyes peeled and eventually found a copy of David Lewis' 2nd book, 'Dreamers of the Day', about the initial test voyage in Rehu Moana to Iceland, in which her experimental 'wishbone' mast was destroyed...among other adventures.

So I have scanned all the (unfortunately B&W) photos from the book for those who've not seen it or read it....most unusual design from Colin Mudie, built by Prouts at Canvey Island, Essex, in 1963.

Gary B and Sam will note the Kiwi guarding its egg on the junk-rigged mainsail, Lewis being a K1W1, of course!

Obviously, these are not ALL of the plates in the book, only those which feature the boat prominently....for the others, of people and places, you'll have to find your own copy..!!

Plate 1 shows the launch, to the tune of the ancient Polynesian launching chant:
"If I sail my canoe
Through the breaking waves,
Let them pass under,
Let my canoe pass over, Oh Tane!"

Plate 2 shows the actual launch into the river at Canvey

Plate 3&4 show the righting test, which, despite heavy keels (later removed) was a disappointing 75deg). Note the unusual underwing profile which, as Lewis quotes designer Mudie referring to the boat as a 'sled' may owe something to the Sea Sleds of Albert Hickman, as they too had a kind of 'reverse bow' hull profile with slab sides to the outside.

 

More Rehu Moana pics

Lewis called the book 'Dreamers Of The Day' paraphrasing TE Lawrence from the 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom':

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men [sic], for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."

But he was probably in turn referencing Edgar Allen Poe:
"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."
.........................................

Plate 5 shows the starboard saloon side, with the vessel's name, the aircraft canopy hatch cover and the hatches quite clearly, as well as the lifting mechanisms for the keels, one per hull, which today we'd call daggerboards probably, but these were steel and heavy!!

Plate 6 shows the boat at anchor prior to departure, with the experimental wishbone mast and it's skeins of rigging clearly visible

Plate 7 shows the boat sailing with original rig - note the Kiwi guarding its egg on the junk mainsail

Plate 8 shows the vessel leaving Iceland with the jury rig cobbled together from a couple of poles and fibreglass

Plate 9 shows the boat arriving in Plymouth with the second jury rig fitted in Stornoway, after the Iceland-built rig snapped

Plate 10 shows the deck and the clearly visible cockpit canopy

Plate 11 shows the aft view with the faithful Seagull motor purchased 2nd hand in Stornoway that eventually powered the boat during its circumnavigation. This is the pic I was actually looking for, originally, to illustrate an article for the Seagull owners journal 'The Gull' which I edit....

Not only was Rehu Moana the first catamaran to circumnavigate, she carried with her the first British Seagull to circumnavigate!!

I have only uploaded small low-res pics, but I scanned them in hi-res, so anyone who wants any of these in hi-res, please PM with your email address.
Cheers
Mark

 

Thanks PHil (aka catskeecher) for the article in the multihull world magazine (covers 10 pages). looking forward to reading it, I have just looked over the magazine for articles of interest at present

 

Unfortunately I'm not able to determine the age of the article but John Olin who worked in concert with Dick Newick on the production version of the Tremilino 23 trimaran has passed away. An obituary is here:

http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailing_breezes_current/articles/nov02/olin.htm

 

America's Cup 1988, first multihull

I did a couple of searches and was surprised to see no references to the HISTORIC use of a multihull in the America's Cup racing

So here are a few items I had in a pile of papers.

At that time I really thought this press exposure was going to kick-start the multihull movement into high gear. Turns out it happened quite a bit slower. I would also venture to say that the acceptance of multihulls by the French and then Caribbean charter fleets probably had one of the biggest impacts.

 

There was excellent coverage in Sail ... but the US cat's win didn't endear itself with the monohull establishment, even in the US, and especially so in NZ, claims of cheating, poor sports etc. ... but a small minority, here and overseas, naively thought the multihulls day had arrived - wrong, just too far ahead of its time, (say two decades).

 

At that same time Stiletto had developed their 23 footer. I think that little 23 footer could have won that race as long as she stayed out of the wind shadow of that big monohull.

 

I still remember seeing a video of the Stars and Stripes cat easily in control way ahead at the windward mark. Sadly I agree with Gary the undeserved animosity that the cup match generated was counterproductive for multihulls acceptance as valid cup challengers and it has taken a long time for the wheel to turn. Looking forward to the battle of the 72's!

 

Ha! I remember reading about that little flyer - but what about the Nomex Stiletto 27? Marvelous design, also ahead of time - but I never liked the central pod daggerboard.
In those days Malcolm Tennant had designed (much earlier than Stiletto 27) the giant killing 8.5 m Great Barrier Express - so we knew (that is, a small minority) about such boats and their performance.

 

awesome thread, its great to see some of the multihull history here, and Mr Tabarly sailing his tri.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to contribute. well done!!!

Keith

 

Wired

005.jpg (383.5 KB) John Hitch, testing the prototype of "Wired" called "Wings of Fantasy". Paul

 

Here's one for you, Doug; this is the original VSD, Derek Kelsall design with shark pectoral fin foils, way back, 1977, for the Route du Rhum - but Riguidel ran aground nearing Guadeloupe and the tri was lost on reefs.
But VSD number 2 also had foils and won the Double Transat 1979, beating Paul Ricard by a few minutes ... but the foils were damaged at Bermuda so they removed them, got excellent winds for the return and caught Tabarly and Pajot. Historic.

 

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Good stuff ,Gary. I don't get the purpose of those foils on a main hull in that position-what was the theory?