Mirabaud LX 2010

[Doug Lord]

From Scuttlebutt Europe:

Records Ahead for the Mirabaud LX 2010
Thomas Jundt's Mirabaud LX during the first trials in May. Photo by Pierre-Alain Folliet / Mirabaud LX. Click on image to enlarge.

Geneva, Switzerland: The Mirabaud LX sailboat, version 2010, undertook its first trials during the month of May. Sponsored by Mirabaud & Cie, private bankers, Thomas Jundt's foiler has impressed the international sailing community since its first launch in 2008. The video of the now famous flying hull-less boat, posted on YouTube, has been viewed nearly 30,000 times. Today, the sailboat's latest innovations for 2010 are unveiled.

First of all, the float has been modified in order to improve stability by light wind. In principle, the flying boat doesn't need a hull; however a float is necessary under eight knots of breeze. The volume has thus been increased from 800 to 1200 liters, while the stern now measures 1.2 meters, the same width as an Australian 18-footer.
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sailing photo: Copyright Pierre-Alain Folliet / Mirabaud LX
A new system for adjusting the forward foil has also been developed to improve sailing in choppy conditions. The previous mechanical system was unable to anticipate the waves. A crewmember now observes the waves and can manually adjust the foils' incidence whilst sailing at high speed*.
A centerboard that allows a rapid change of foils has also been developed. The current foils limit the boat's speed to about 23 knots. Smaller foils, which have been designed to attain speeds of up to 28 knots, will be installed during the summer.

The Mirabaud LX's goals for 2010 are to set new records on Lake Geneva, namely for the kilometer, the hour and the Ruban Violet (which uses the same route as the Bol d'Or Mirabaud). The crew will also participate in the famous Weymouth Speed Week in October. Other regattas are also on the agenda, such as the Geneva-Rolle-Geneva regatta, which the team won last year ahead of Jo Richards' famous Full Pelt.
http://www2.jundt.ch/blog/
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Objectives for Mirabaud 2010-races, Weymouth etc: http://www2.jundt.ch/blog/?page_id=289


* The use of manual altitude control of the main foil flap, particularly for rough conditions, is only the second bi-foiler in 10 years to use this set-up and the third to use some version of manual altitude control.Much more use of manual altitude control will be seen as time goes by......

[Doug Lord]

Great shots of a lot of the boats-very light air:

http://www.skippers.tv/skippers-tv/index.php?id=437

[Doug Lord]

Great rendering with something missing(besides crew and water)-do you know what it is? Can be important to foilers-or not......


Click on image and then click on resulting image for super large view:

[Doug Lord]

Manual control lever for control of the main foil flap instead of a wand:

[Doug Lord]

In just 12 knots of wind Mirabaud did the top speed for "boats" of 23 knots-3 knots faster than the Moth! Congratulations, Thomas!!

Winning Boats Name Speed (kts) Prizes Awarded
1st Thomas Jundt 23.248 Dakine Luggage
2nd Katherine Knight 20.096 Dakine Rucksack
3rd Torix Bennett 12.657 Dakine Kit Bag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0wb2...layer_embedded


http://www.speedsailing.com/2010Results.htm

http://www2.jundt.ch/blog/?p=394


click on image:

[P Flados]

The foiler did quite well against "boats".

However, you failed to note that the top 10 positions at Weymouth 2010 went to sailboards and kites with kites at positions 1 and 3. This shows that on a level playing field, a kite did 33 knots when the best boat did only 23 knots.

I really want to see improvements that push boats back on top for real. However, the difference above shows just how much better fast boat technology needs to get. I also think it needs to be done fast. If some Kiter ever figures out how to fly a clean rigid wing on a short bridle, the Cl/Cd efficiency would make a huge jump. Overall speeds approaching the current record would probably be possible at normal wind speeds (not the >30 at Namibia).

[Doug Lord]

Originally Posted by P Flados

The foiler did quite well against "boats".

However, you failed to note that the top 10 positions at Weymouth 2010 went to sailboards and kites with kites at positions 1 and 3. This shows that on a level playing field, a kite did 33 knots when the best boat did only 23 knots.

I really want to see improvements that push boats back on top for real. However, the difference above shows just how much better fast boat technology needs to get. I also think it need sot be done fast. If some Kiter ever figures out how to fly a clean rigid wing on a short bridle, the Cl/Cd efficiency would make a huge jump. Overall speeds approaching the current record would probably be possible at normal wind speeds (not the >30 at Namibia).

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No, I quoted EXACTLY the Weymouth sites' results for boats-I was quoting the results for boats- not the overall results. This is not a "Weymouth Speed Week" thread-the thread is about Mirabaud and the only results of interest in that context are the results for "boats" as defined by the Weymouth authority. This was for real and is a major accomplishment since he also beat the Moth-the fastest sailboat under 20'.
But I'd like to see the foilers on top as well... And they may well be before all is said and done....
By the way Jundts top speed was higher-read his site-it would have been great to see the results in more wind: the Moth Class top speed is now 31 knots +.
Significant in that a 26' ,three person monofoiler could do almost twice wind speed!
Significant in that there were no multihulls(that I saw) in the results-just monohulls! Who would have ever thought that monohulls would be the fastest sailboats when I was a kid.....

Note: the top speed ever recorded(according Steve Clark if I remember correctly) for a C Class cat is 25 knots. And the projected top speed of the new AC wingsailed cat is 32 knots.

[Munter]

Doug - Flados is calling you for limiting your proclamation of results to a small sub-set of the all competitors. Third place in "boats" reached a blistering 12kts so a win in this division doesn't really hold the prestige it used to (though I still fully credit Mirabaud for getting their boat together and sailing instead of just copy/pasting on the internet).

As for the significance of going faster than a moth - are you really surprised that a boat built to the moth rule has been beaten on a straight line course by a boat without the same restrictions?

You might have been quoting the website but you did it in a way that invites mis-interpretation. You seem to do this regularly to push your foiling barrow. If you were a little more objective in the way you present information you might make better headway.

[Doug Lord]

From the front page of SA:

skeleton crew
Mirabaud was fastest boat at Weymouth Speed Week - 23 knots in 12 knots of wind - 3 knots faster than the Moth...
10/26/10


http://www.sailinganarchy.com/index_page1.php

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According to Thomas at 12 knots wind, speed was similar-boards 21.8-Mirabaud 20.8

"But as soon as the wind is stronger boards are way faster"....

[Doug Lord]

Found this very detailed and informative Press Packet in English for Mirabaud-very well done and very detailed.

[Doug Lord]

Fantastic development for the fastest two foil monofoiler in history! This boat has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that bi-foier technology is not limited to the 11' Moth or the longer RClass foilers and is a major demonstrator of this technology with many new innovations such as being the largest of its type anywhere in the world, using manual altitude control in a system that allows switching back and forth between the wand and a manual control lever and now the wing.
Congratulations, Thomas!

release: (Foilers!) http://foils.wordpress.com/

Thomas Jundt and Mirabaud announce the conception of a wing sail for the 2011 season. Following the success of the foiling monohull, Mirabaud LX, the Geneva-based engineer and sailor now plans to develop a wing with the aim of breaking new records.

Geneva-based sailor and designer Thomas Jundt plans to develop a wing mast for his foiling monohull, Mirabaud LX.

Since the radical boat hit the water in April 2008, Mirabaud LX has undergone constant improvement including new floats, sails, foils and continuous fine-tuning to the structure in general.

World renowned and the subject of heated discussion in the International sailing community, Mirabaud LX has had considerable success on both salt and fresh water. In particular Thomas Jundt, Antoine Ravonel and Eric Gobet blew off the 200-strong fleet in the Genève-Rolle-Genève 2009 race, winning the monohull category and breaking the event record.

The same year, in May 2009, Mirabaud LX sailed for the first time without any floats, flying solely on her foils.

This autumn, Mirabaud LX won the yacht category of the prestigious Weymouth Speed Week with a run over the 500m course at an average of 23.24 knots and a top speed of 25.8 knots.

“I visited Newport (Rhode Island, USA) this autumn to take part in the Little America’s Cup and to check out the latest rigid sail developments,” explains Thomas Jundt. “I’ve been watching the evolution of wing sails for many years, but this time I was really struck by the amount of new technology on show, their ease of use and the associated performance. I was convinced that we needed to add this development to the Mirabaud LX project.”

Mirabaud LX will only be the second yacht with a wing on Lake Geneva, after Philippe Stern’s catamaran Altaïr XII that caused a stir in the early 90’s.

“We have supported Thomas Jundt’s projects for the past three years and have keenly followed the successive developments of Mirabaud LX,” comments Mirabaud Associate and CEO Antonio Palma. “Thomas has a unique and innovative approach and his projects are professionally planned and implemented. We are delighted to be able to support this new development.”

Mirabaud LX’s wing is currently in the conception phase and will be completed before the major racing circuit begins on Lake Geneva.


Click on image:

[Doug Lord]

Updated specifications:

--LOA 32.8'

--Beam 17.7'

--Hull length 27.8'

--Weight(w/o crew-incl foils) 374lb including 55lb for foils

--Weight with crew 902lb

-- Upwind SA 344sq.ft.

-- Downwind SA 839sq.ft.

--W/SA= 2.62(equal to a moth with 159lb crew)

--Foil area(planform) 7.5sq.ft. total(main and rudder foil equal)

--Structure 262 ft. of 1.73" carbon tubes with a .047" wall

[Doug Lord]

Mirabauds new wing under construction: http://www2.jundt.ch/blog/


(click on image)

[Doug Lord]

Mirabaud wing render(kevlar leading edge) and picture flying. Note the "buoyancy" pod under the rack and the dual wands:

(click on image for drastically improved detail)

[Gary Baigent]

Doug, I know you've got their ear so tell those Mirabaud blokes to deck the bloody skeleton in; look at all that draggy junk, I mean, they could skin it with something really light - and then they'd be much closer in performance to the kites, maybe even beat them ... in a proper boat.