Wild Oats XI fitted with DSS!

In a very cool development the 100' WildOats-perhaps the fastest boat ever in the Sydney Hobart Race has been fitted with DSS!

From Scuttlebutt: (more on the story here- http://www.dynamicstabilitysystems.com/wild-oats-xi-and-dss-collaboration/ )

Looking like a Swiss Army Knife
Published on August 14th, 2013 | by Editor

The Aussies won the 1983 America’s Cup with the wing keel, which spawned a collection of shoal drafted cruisers. In 1987, Tommy Blackaller had a 12 meter with a forward rudder, which led to Canting Ballast Twin Foil technology, developing the technology to swing the keel and control the dual foils.

And while canting keels are near normal now, with offshore designs married with dual daggerboards, it is hard to imagine that the next step is what Bob Oatley has done with his 100-foot Wild Oats XI, the 6-time elapsed winner of the Sidney to Hobart Race.

The R/P supermaxi, launched in 2005, is beginning to look like a Swiss Army Knife.

Wild Oats XI has been fitted with a radical, retractable, hydrofoil-type wing in a bid to improve the yacht’s ability to surf when sailing downwind in strong winds. The wing, licensed by Dynamic Stability Systems in England, will be put to the test for the first time under racing conditions at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, starting August 17.

“We considered many options while looking for a solution to the problem,” said Wild Oats XI’s co-owner, Bob Oatley’s son, Sandy. ‘After weeks of deliberation the hydrofoil wing became the logical answer.’

This has led to the fitting of a retractable aerofoil-shaped wing into a horizontal cassette that extends across the yacht at the waterline, between the mast and keel. The foil is extended and retracted using hydraulic motors.

The new carbon fibre wing, which was made in New Zealand, is 55cm wide, and when in use will extend 2.75 metres out from the hull on the leeward side.

The hull now boasts the new hydrofoil wing, a retractable forward rudder, two retractable daggerboards, the canting keel, and the conventional rudder at the stern.

 

What is the forward rudder for?

 

The boat was originally fitted with CBTF which had two rudders adjustable collectively and opposite each other. They removed the forward rudder and found that they needed some area up there in some conditions.
UPDATE 8/16/13- The forward appendage is a retractable rudder, which means that upwind the boat can sail like a CBTF boat with the attendent gains.

 

It will be interesting to see how this system handles ocean conditions.

 

Ahh, the old canting balast twin foil. I thought the forward foil was part of the DSS mod. I thought wild oats was commissioned long after CBTF went out of fashion. It certainly would make balance easy to adjust.

 

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Wild Oats XI was one of the boats that proved how good CBTF was-and is......

 

Wild Oats XI

Crew walks on water: (click and expand)

 

Too much crap hanging out the bottom of that boat IMHO . There is now a 5 times greater risk of hitting an underwater obstruction .

 

PMSL, why not just build a trimaran ?

No diesel required !

 

Dump the canting keel (also stinker), add some internal ballast a la Britton Chance, increase the DSS area and length, retain a vertical dagger - nah, why bother, still a ridiculous design.
Stop fooling yourself WOXI, go to the daaark side.

 

Wild Oats DSS

This is surely the first DSS boat I'm familiar with that has a canting keel-I guess they feel they need it upwind.

 

Those protrusions present an extreme risk for any MOB from the foredeck.
Boadicea's Chariot?

 

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You should avoid falling off the lee side.

 

It's a ridiculously dangerous blade. But I suppose it's so far out in front its risk of killing another crafts MOB is reduced, only of extreme risk to it's own crew. Hope they shorten all the tethers for the fore deck hands.

By all accounts it's a horrible boat to be aboard, the motion and the noise from the engine gets to everyone. Now it's just about guaranteed to kill you if you go over the side before the blade. What a boat ! If there is an injury I can see an interesting criminal negligence case occuring.

The engine noise comes from the turbo charged 150 hp diesel which runs incessantly from before the start to when the boat ties up after crossing the finish line. If the engine dies the boat cannot be operated and has to be towed to the nearest port with a diesel mechanic.

Nothing you could do for bisected crew though

 

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She is a winner-the fastest 100' mono in the world-and I imagine people would give anything to be part of her crew. An historic design with the highest technology available for a mono(so far)-I think she is a great boat.
I hope she wins the Sydney-Hobart again this year!