30" ex cat. foiling sportsboat.

im looking at the feasibility of using a single catamaran hull for a low budget (arent they all) sportsboat experiment.

any lightweight and strong, low freeboard catamaran hull between 25' and 30' (2' waterline or less) in any state of repair would work, though may need some slight hull shape alteration, through foam fairnings. (im banking on the fact that when a fast cat is destroyed, hopefully not both hulls are) An Old C-Class hull would be perfect for instance, providing it is symmetrical.

The boat would be set up with reasonably wide but not outrageous wings, sporting buoyancy pods, a light but deep keel, and a carbon rotating high-efficiency rig, possibly a tornado rig, (stayed to the wings) with a medium-sized aso off a retractable bow pole, or a furling code zero. jib would also have a furler. The idea is that it is to be sailed as a monohull, but the buoyancy is there for safety, (shaped so that it doesnt drag too much when it hits the water, but not so it looks like a hull) and there is not so much of it that it would hold the boat turtle in a capsize.

The ultimate goal would be to foil, with a large flapped T on the centreboard and rudder, or alternativly a pair of surface piercing foils on the wingtips with a T foil rudder, so it needs to be as light as possible. you could sail it with a keel untill the crew of 4 or so get their heads around it.

so i would need:

2nd hand C Class hull or appropriate carbon cat hull
2nd hand tornado rig

(does anyone know where these might be found close to australia)

a lot of pretty robust carbon tube for moth-style wings
keel and rudder
hydrofoil centreboard, rudder and wand mechanism
sails and furling gear
appropriate life jackets and personal epirbs and rescue RIB.

is this a stupid idea?

 

foiling sportboat

You, of all people,KNOW this isn't a "stupid" idea. However, if you have enough ballast to make the boat self-righting AND enough SA to foil upwind then you may want the ballast to move.
I'm doing a similar thing using a Hobie Miracle hull-sketches and pix should be up shortly on that thread.
Do you have any numbers worked out yet?
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Sportboats: Design for Flight - Boat Design Forums
Address:http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14606&highlight=Design for Flight

 

doug, i knew you would be first post on this mate. nup i have no numbers, in lieu of a hull. and i really like trial and error, as you know. i was thinking a canting rig (for lift), or a mast step on a lateral track, if that became a problem. movable balast is in the form of 4 or 5 fit young go-getters, as i see it weight that cant pack a kite is a burden and nothing else. a canting 50 to 100kg bulb probably isnt on the cards, i would get rid of it altogether when foiling and wear the capsizes / drama. definitely aiming to foil upwind, though the power to weight ratio needs to stay in check.