New jester class racing proa from Paul Bieker

Good to see some new racing proa designs coming online this version is 32'. Thanks to proafile for the link.

http://www.biekerboats.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/study-plans-ready-for-32-proa-it-has.html

 

How does this compare to Madness?
Any specs to share?

 

There are some specs on the sailplan. They came out a bit blurry when cropped but should be legible.

 

Amazing, just amazing!

Great to have a notable like Paul Bieker pop out a Proa design.

Quite a surprise to see the degree to which the basic form parallels the Russ Brown boats - Speaks volumes to the degree to which Russ "got it right" so many years ago - but then, if memory serves, Paul and Russ go way back (maybe even that Russ' boats have Bieker's thinking in them).

Hope to see the rudder details as it looks like he (Paul) is doing it a little different - interesting that!

And the mast location being at the edge of the hull (leeward side of the cockpit module) as opposed to the more windward location in Russ' (and the newer Harris boat which credited Russ for many of the features). There has been discussion about the bigger slot on Russ' boats being beneficial - and it's unlikely that Bieker's design would not have investigated that aspect.

Hope we eventually get to hear his thinking on these aspects.

Thanks Corley!

 

This is a Bieker/Brown design. Russell provided Paul with the hand drawn lines and essentially the overall dimensions, and Paul has done all of the dirty work . The two of them are responsible for what you see though. For a 32' footer it's become quite the little machine.

 

I've always been interested in proas, and I love the idea of a racing class of proa. I have a question concerning the rig - is the jib forestay placement worth the extra effort for shunting? I suspect an aero or hoyt rig would make the shunts faster/easier, so does the proposed rig make the boat faster overall?

 

Depends on what you consider "worth it". If I was cruising only and had the cash I would probably consider something else. For what the boat is really designed for, going up wind across the Atlantic, Russell and Paul agree this is a really efficient rig and obviously Russell has the miles to verify that, and transatlantics tend to have days spent on tack. It might get busy closing on the US coast though.. I don't have experience with the aero rig so don't have anything to contribute comparing it to a standard aluminum extrusion wing mast, which I do have experience with. As a preference I'd choose twin Hoyt masts (schooner) over the aero rig for cruising. I just like the way that looks on a proa.

 

If you want to build one of these sweet proas or just look at the design details study plans now available from Bieker Boats.

http://www.biekerboats.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/study-plans-ready-for-32-proa-it-has.html

 

Looks quite the goods.

Love to see one go up against a Rob Denney boat though.

 

I think everyone would like to see that, Rob and Russell alike. First boat to Newport gets a cheeseburger and a beer, or two.

 

Proafile have linked a blog of the construction of a Brown/Bieker 32' proa.

http://proa32.blogspot.com.au/

 

A bit more news has come to light on this project. Hull #1 is being used to attempt a solo passage from New York to San Francisco to set an initial record time. It's apparently the first time it's been done on a multihull in a record attempt so the time would become a reference for future challenge.

http://2oceans1rock.org/2014/07/30/the-boat/

 

Great way to set a record.
Do something you say has never been done before.
Now that is a challenge. A real benchmark - not.

I'm not badmouthing the fact that if successful that is a lot more of a sail than I will ever attempt.

But really, whats important about the record?

 

It's an old Clipper record from the pre canal era, stood for a long time until the trimarans took it.

 

I'm neither here nor there about the record part of the trip but it does have an interesting Corinthian aspect to it which is nice. Pretty much any time set by an amateur sailor can be smashed by a professional cashed up team with a fast boat. Records are something that a large proportion of sailors seek to set or improve there is no imperative it's just something they set themselves as a challenge. Does it bring world peace or end the scourge of malaria? No, but it's important for them as an individual or team.

Lionel Lemonchois set a crewed reference time for the round Mauritius route in recent times as did Francis Joyon with the solo record on the Friendship Route so there are plenty of modern precedents. Personally the prospect of soloing without decent rest through all of those heavily congested areas of sea traffic from New York to San Francisco doesn't appeal. The existing records are crewed multihull records as far as I'm aware.