ultimate 20 to 26' bouy racer

[rapscallion]

Originally Posted by Doug Lord

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Comrade, grab a beer(or diet coke) sit yoself down and read this and check out da pix. Scroll down past the German and the pictures:

I can't wait to see that dog hunt!

[rapscallion]

Originally Posted by Gary Baigent

Melges 24's are rocket ships but a WB 7.5 (or maybe a DSS 7.5) would go okay. The bow volume of the skimmer is large, tending towards a scow (to carry foremast rig) but in moderate wind and reaching/planing, the skim boat would be hard to beat (because it is so light). But the 5.5 is designed as a knockabout, different, but fast boat; if seriously meant to attack M24's and the like - go to same size multihull and you win easily.

I wish going multihull was all I had to do. In my neck of the woods, multis can't race against monos... I can't wait to race multis, but a hot rod single handed mono would be a lot of fun..

[Doug Lord]

Originally Posted by rapscallion

I can't wait to see that dog hunt!

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Did you read it?

[bruceb]

I race at a club with a very fast fleet of M-24s, and many of the same sailors also have Vipers- and the M-24s are at least 15-20 seconds faster around the "standard" windward-leeward course. Always! My primitive Buc 24 tri is a bit faster than the Melges in most conditions, and really better up-wind, usually with a very light crew. I have mostly cast-off M-24 sails, so that sort of puts it all in perspective. We also have a pretty diverse fleet of other designs, so there are quite a few direct comparisons. All of the sport boats depend on crew ballast, and a very good jib and main trimmer. It would take quite a man to single hand any of them, as he! would require an extra appendage that could either sheet or steer- women needn't apply Extra ballast doesn't make the difference. Something like the skimmer has potential, as it doesn't need so many hands (or other parts) to keep it trimmed. Cleating one sail and playing the other seems possible, and fast. The water line should help up-wind, and being light will help reaching. I hope it gets developed more B

[Gary Baigent]

Originally Posted by Silver Raven

G'day Gary. THANKS for the insight. Greatly appreciated. So about $15K to $20K NZD - in round figures? Fab value for what 1 would get out of the end-result - IMHO Sure does look the - full-monte!!! I just gota get over there & sail it - oh - & play with that big red-stick in the background. WOW + +

Now to something that I really want to know about. Maybe in the wrong place here - 'thread drift' but - I notice the 'very pretty' rocket-ship in the background - I need a 'wall-screen' (4' square) c/w 3 mil mega-pixels - but how is that beaut machine going? - notice a nice wing on it now - WOW. More info Please. You sure have been a busy 'lill-vegamite!!!!

23*C above here, raining 'wheely-bins' - the wet season might have arrived. Notice Denver, Col @ -2 to +10, Moscow -12 to -6, Montreal, Qeu - -11 to -6.
How do you guys manage to stay alive?? I'd just curl-up & die, for sure. That's why I moved from Vancouver, BC (@-14 to -4) to sunny, WARM Far North Queensland. Keep well & close to a BIG heater guys. Ciao, james

James, there's stuff in the multihull section on Groucho Marx. In short. boat is over 35 years old, 11 x 11 metres, 15.5 x O.5m wing mast, had various rigs and foils, weighs around 650 kgs. Right now I'm getting it ready for a short Gulf cruise. Here's a shot of the Marxist and Sid.
If you come over here, sure, go for a sail on the skimmer.

[rapscallion]

Originally Posted by Gary Baigent

James, there's stuff in the multihull section on Groucho Marx. In short. boat is over 35 years old, 11 x 11 metres, 15.5 x O.5m wing mast, had various rigs and foils, weighs around 650 kgs. Right now I'm getting it ready for a short Gulf cruise. Here's a shot of the Marxist and Sid.
If you come over here, sure, go for a sail on the skimmer.

Awesome boats Gary!

[rapscallion]

Originally Posted by Doug Lord

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Did you read it?

Yes. They basically described what I'm looking for in a monohull to a T..

Low drag
Light weighti
easy controls
Fast!

I can't wait to see how it stacks up against the mini fleet and the melges 24

[Doug Lord]

Originally Posted by rapscallion

Yes. They basically described what I'm looking for in a monohull to a T..

Low drag
Light weighti
easy controls
Fast!

I can't wait to see how it stacks up against the mini fleet and the melges 24

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Cool! It's going to be very interesting to see how this boat goes against the other mini's -especially the scow....

[Perm Stress]

Originally Posted by Gary Baigent

Hi James Silver Raven, I designed and built the Cox's Bay skimmer for a friend at very cheap mates rates and I think total cost was around 7.5 grand NZ. Boat measures 5.5 x 2.25m and weighs around 130-140 kgs, wing masts are 6.5m, sail area around 20m2. There is a water ballast tank below the cockpit floor but we always sail with it empty.

It looks like the hull shell is made from just two sheets of ply, bent to shape

[rapscallion]

Originally Posted by Perm Stress

It looks like the hull shell is made from just two sheets of ply, bent to shape

it's interesting tho. I wonder how a 7.5m version would stack up against the sportys in that part of the world...