Looking for MacAlpine-Downey Slingshot Pics

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by BobBill, Oct 26, 2013.

  1. BobBill
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    BobBill Senior Member

    Looking for pics of this boat. Only seems to be one on WWW. Seems crazy that are not more available.
     
  2. Richard Woods
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    Richard Woods Woods Designs

  3. BobBill
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    BobBill Senior Member

    Thanks Richard. You are likely correct.

    I have never been sure. I know Coleman piloted it and I have used this as a reference.

    Have always been a MacAlpine-Downey fan is believe his Shark was one of the best cats ever designed, even with today's flying machines on the lee.

    The two boats are easily confused for me though I use the below ref mostly.

    "Sir Timothy, who lives in Bixley Manor on the edge of Norwich – the house where he was born – commissioned designer Roderick Macalpine Downie and Reg White, both acclaimed catamaran sailors from Essex, to build the boat."

    Read more at: http://www.angliaafloat.co.uk/herit..._s_memories_of_crossbow_40_years_on_1_1663606
    Copyright © Archant...

    That aside, odd that photos of Slingshot and Crossbow are so limited. They were so unique and apparently ignored by photogs.

    I remained so enamored that I decided to build an outrigger based on the venerable Malibu Outrigger, using derelict Hobie hulls and was looking at adding a soft wing mast...later...but no foils, to keep it as simple as I can for local and near shore sailing.

    A sail boat 65 LOA only 22 inche beam has always fascinated me...the above is 18 feet with 15 inch mean and 230 square feet of sail...at least at this point.

    I copy many things and tweak them to see if I can improve things. Fun for me, anyway.

    I have no boundaries.

    Weather went cold here so was doing some on-line research looking for both the two Crossbows and their predecessor, Slingshot and not much avail.
     
  4. gggGuest
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    gggGuest ...

    We tend to forget in these days of digital cameras that photos were a rather rarer beast back then, and few people wanted to take far more expensive and vulnerable kit out on the water, and those that did tended to be real pros who are understandably not generous with giving away the catalogue.
    The biggest difference between running sailing websites now and running them in the 1990s is the ready availability of large quantities of adequate quality photographs.
     
  5. BobBill
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    BobBill Senior Member

    GggGuest +1. I am still transitioning from film to digital...If I may add one observation: Digital has opened the photo process to too many who have no clue...like some sailing, and we bump into their detritus here and there, like flotsom in the middle of the Pacific, as interesting as it might be at times. Good point, GGG, as usual.
     
  6. Corley
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    Corley epoxy coated

    There are a few photos of slingshot under construction in the Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction.
     
  7. BobBill
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    BobBill Senior Member

    Corley, Much thanks. I have the PDF and did not remember the pics were there. I was looking for pics of the boat underway, etc. As gggGuest notes, taking a nice Nikon out on that proa would have been a harrowing time and likely why very few pics have been passed on, if taken at all.
     
  8. Richard Woods
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    Richard Woods Woods Designs

    Also remember that Crossbow1 was only ever sailed for a couple of weeks, and Crossbow2 not much more (I only ever saw it at anchor). And that in the 1970's speed sailing and multihulls were definitely "lunatic fringe"

    Richard Woods
     

  9. BobBill
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    BobBill Senior Member

    Richard, I had not thought of that. Stands to reason. Thanks.
     
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