Masterpieces in wood: 2x Trimaran “Val III” in Canada

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by Skip JayR, Sep 13, 2015.

  1. Skip JayR
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    I fell over this beauty....

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    ...and became curious about. I stick some few infos together about the VAL III , a 30 footer which was designed by Dick Newick.



    There have been built two VAL III together in Canada (the other with hightec carbon mast)... some more pics and videos here: http://bit.ly/1UPYJ8q
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    If you have more details about the VAL III (e.g. first year of design, sail plan, room plan etc. ...) feel free to complete. Tks :)
     
  2. ThomD
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    ThomD Senior Member

    Amazing boat. I can't really get behind a bright finish Newick, what a preposterous amount of finish work and maintenance. Hats off to those involved.

    I don't really know much about the Val III. I used to get various Val study plans included with the 20 odd plan packets that Newick would send out. I always found the modern Vals a bit of a disappointment compared to the original Val that was campaigned so effectively in various Trans At by sailor's including Canadian Mike Birch.

    The commercial mold for those boats hung around in the back pages of Multihulls magazine for a long while. It was a Newick master mold system which is a bit like a constant camber mold but for fiberglass, the same mold could make all the parts.

    The earlier vals used center cockpits and were very similar to the Tremolino in look and layout. The aft cockpit on the III looks like it is dragging the stern. I also don't get the shape Newick was working with in his later amas.

    Anyway, superb boats, anything by Newick is a jewel, thanks for showing her off.
     
  3. Gary Baigent
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    Gary Baigent Senior Member

    Yes, she is arse dragging; with crew cockpit aft and that big lump of a motor nearby won't be helping either. Drag a stern and you'll kill performance. It is such a basic. The central cockpit Vals are better in overall correct trim balance.
    The brightwork is beautiful, very cool; presumably there is an anti-solar coating because maintaining normal varnish would be hell.
     
  4. Corley
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    Corley epoxy coated

    The Val was supposed to be a super simple boat for racing but on the Val III seems somewhat to divert from that objective and are loaded up more heavily in many cases. Val III trimarans seem to sit ok on their lines in other photos I've seen I wonder whether it's the lever arm of the mast sitting over the transom causing the trim problem.

    http://valiii.over-blog.com/
     
  5. Gary Baigent
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    Gary Baigent Senior Member

    Of course the mast down image is placing weight onto and aft of the stern, but I wasn't referring to that photograph but the video sailing sequences - where the wake looks ugly.
     
  6. Corley
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    Corley epoxy coated

    Ah yes I see certainly it is doing some bum dragging in the video. It makes you wonder what it would be like if the cockpit had a couple more people in it.
     
  7. Skip JayR
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    I suppose these two French-Canadeans had lots of fun with the boat building process... probably the most important part of the project.

    On my own I am a sailor. I dont like to hang around on a boat which needs heavily repairings, maintenance, refitting. I can do the repairs, but mainly I have sailing itself in focus, to trim a boat best, do routing planning and weather navigation... and keep a crew in good shape to go through rough conditions, but still enjoying it as all is safe on board.

    As boating is a very technically "hobby", many owners love it to do all this repairings... again and again. It gives them pleasure and satisfaction to get dirty hands and find always something new they can optimize or re-configure.

    Probably I am not wrong to assume, that these two friends on their two Val3s think a lot about the technical part, steadily. And do not care a lot about excellent "weight trimming" and balance.

    I appreciate such guys who have the long breath to build over many years, summer and winter in their backyard their boat dream. I am not that kind of handcraftsman sailor... and like to overlet it some more "talented hands".
     
  8. redreuben
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    redreuben redreuben

    I hope the bright finished boat ends up in a museum someday, it's a working sculpture. I dread to think of it being painted white !
     
  9. rogerf
    Joined: Apr 2012
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    rogerf Junior Member

    Yes Skip, those guys look like they really enjoyed the build.

    People are drawn to boats for all sorts of reasons, and these reasons are mostly valid and probably none are valid. A conundrum!
     
  10. Skip JayR
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    No museum pls... let her swim and enjoy in her elements. ;) ... and let her be an inspiration to other Multihull boat builders.

    I am "only" a sailor. I am not a handcraftsman. And I do not like to invest lots of time in the workshop for repairings etc. ... I am very thankfully for those guys who do this effort to build a boat over years making it available so we can experience such beauties under sails.

    I think, we are little bit "too romantic" with "beautifully boats" in Western world. Its just a puzzle of woods, sheets, sail cloth, rigging etc. ...

    More important is the idea behind, e.g. the designer's concept, and the naval engineer's critical proof of this design to make it seaworthy and safe. Thats the most fascinating for me. And seeing that the concept works on the water, a boat is sailing fast, easy to handle makes it a great experience.

    I like the approach by professionally skippers and their racing boats. As soon the speedy boat has fulfilled its function, the job is done... e.g. winning races or breaking records... and a new, more modern boat is being built to develope further on the technical standard of design.

    A more practically approach to boats would help many, to keep a cool head and not being drowned by "romantic feelings/emotions". Isnt ?

    How many boat builders/sailors invested their last cent in an old wreck to repair it ? - And then seeing over time that the project is "too big", even destroying family, partnerships... ending in bankrupcy.

    The backyards of boat warfts are full of such boats rottening over years and decades. E.g. the shocking pictures of a Buccaneer 24, see attached pics.

    Rarely projects "on the green gras" are realized successfully...
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    So its great to see such a "master piece" on three hulls under sails... would be a torture to let sleep her in a museum, so I see it.

    ... and let wait for new boats coming :) maybe not so beautifully like this Italian Threefold 6. But its a boat and a dream was realized.
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  11. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Just reporting the news here....Several brokers have emailed each other about a trend emerging in potential clients. It appears they have been trying to get "expert" concurrence on forums pertaining to older design safety and obsolescence then using this material in an attempt to drive prices down. An interesting way to go shopping if true. ....

    They maintain production boat price depreciation guidelines don't translate well to one offs. Instead of low labor factory costs and dealer markup, one off labor is the huge expense with no dealer and the prices go down more slowly. An interesting response... the brokers are starting their own awareness campaign with the slogan, "Let the seller beware". In truth markets tend to be a free for all with huge differences as well as regional ones. In Australia prices are higher than the US for instance.

    The varnished Val 3 does look amazing. It is hard to cover up beautiful wood. I like the mk1 best, very simple with the weight in the center, though the big cabin is to the stern. The Val 2 with the wing aka is appealing but used the hull mold of the mk1 so floated a bit deeper.

    I keep the finish really practical, Adventure cruising away from infrastructure the boat gets sandy feet on deck from shore parties, assorted abrasions etc.... easy to touch up is my choice, it won't win a boat show but I can smile when 12 pairs of muddy feet hit the deck after a beach landing instead of scream. Keeping weight down is key to speed though. The polished Val has plenty of incentive to keep people off the deck.
     
  12. Skip JayR
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    Sailing in white...

    There was a time, e.g. 1895 during America's Cup... when skippers and crew followed strictly a dress coat, and sailed elegantly dressed in jackets and with hats...

    ... I am sure about that they had some strict procedures too about how to keep the deck clean and for people coming newly on board. ;)
     

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  13. pogo
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    pogo ingenious dilletante

    Are you sure not being a writer ?
     
  14. Skip JayR
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    Skip JayR Tri Enthusiast

    haha... Pogo, I am not a professional sailor. But a (cultural) journalist can be a sailor, isnt ?. And some sailors even make it to become journalists, as I see in your footer it seems you are from Germany, right ?

    So you might know the lawyer/judge Bobby Schenk, who became a sailor and author. - Or Wilfried Erdmann, first German single hand circumnavigator in the 60th and adventurer Burghard Pieske.

    All these guys are kind of "journalists/writers", too... having published even books or traveled through the country giving presentations and do story telling as speakers at boat exhebitions.

    Yeah... little bit too talktive I am, maybe :) Just job sickness... hitting 400 keys / minute. :rolleyes:
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    Hope you like my "short writings" ;-)
     

  15. ThomD
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    ThomD Senior Member

    Thomas Firth Jones who for a small time boat builder had enormous experience playing in the middle of the Atlantic, was terribly scathing about the Val aft Cockpit. He said it filled with water in any kind of bad weather. I forget whether he was opining or had some experience in the craft, or had possibly talked to some sailors who had. There are things that can be said about that opinion, like who says you have to sleep aft when way out there in an OSTAR of old, or what quality hatch do you have, or could you use a cloth shelter tube, or maybe just suck it up. But it interested me that he had this opinion.

    For his part, Newick used that approach over and over again of a lot of different tris, and I think it remains one of the best for at least normal conditions.
     
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