Innovative Monohull Dinghy w/Buoyancy Pods

Very interesting monohull dinghy first posted on SA-lots of potential here......
Apparently sails at Lymington Town SC off of the same PY as a 49er:


---------------
Ah, it is a monohull isn't it?

[PI Design]

Hi Doug, there doesn't appear to be a link in your post, but I assume you are talking about the lime green boat with super slim outriggers (a Stealth F16 centrehull and sails)? I congratulate them on trying something difefrent, but I don't really see the advantage over a catamaran to be honest.

Pi, I agree with you. However, if one were to add a well designed bi-foil system then the likelyhood of beating a cat her own length would be great.

[Petros]

This is closer to a trimaran than a monohull, even if in light wind both sponson are out of the water, in heavy weather this would operate more like a trimaran.

I wonder if it races in a class, and what the competitors look like. Or if it is just a high speed fun boat. If it is significantly innovative and faster than the other boats in its class, you can be sure rule changes will outlaw it shortly.

[Chris Ostlind]

Originally Posted by Doug Lord

Pi, I agree with you. However, if one were to add a well designed bi-foil system then the likelyhood of beating a cat her own length would be great.

Then build it as a foiler and forget about those rather homely amas. There are much better ama shapes available to enhance the performance potential of the overall design. These dudes also present a huge windage drag profile while underway.

If it's gonna be a slicer, rather than a skimmer, the boat needs an ama overhaul. Even with foils, these amas would be a hassle more than a help.

I like that they are out there doing something, though. Where it is they are going with the experiment is still to be discovered. My $.02

I was looking at the "ama's" and they are sort of mini Moth hulls. By using the box section like that they can keep the length/beam ratio narrower than with a semicircular section(for the same immersed midsection area).Higher wetted surface but for minimal immersion a 'better' reduction in wavemaking drag.
I think they might do well with a significantly wider overall beam(foldable?) which would allow substantially smaller pods and maybe slightly lower weight.
It will be interesting to see if they are sailing the thing as a seahugger first to get used to it and might later convert to foils. Seems like an almost ideal platform depending on weight.More power to them...

[Chris Ostlind]

Longer, skinnier and connected via vert foil struts. This is displacement mode sailing with that skinny vaka hull, why handcuff the amas with short waterlines, excessive wind drag when lifted and wetted surface penalties with limited speed potential?

I can see that they wanted to keep the whole boat in a similar aesthetic environment. I just think it would be much better to go another direction.

I've seen several approaches to pods on a monohull- the M4,the Moth with semi-circular pods on the UK site("Is this a Moth-or a trimaran?"), the Bladerider & Prowler "bags" and the Bethwaite HSP planing pods.
I imagine that these guys don't intentionally sail on these pods-they're probably only there for back up to prevent capsize. As an ama they are a very poor design. As a pod I think they'd be better with about half the freeboard and significantly wider overall beam for the whole boat. They appear to be designed for minimum impact resulting from incidental contact with the water with most of the resulting RM coming from buoyancy as opposed to dynamic lift on the Bethwaite pods.
Great experiment and I hope to find out more about this project!