High Performance MPX Foil/Self-righting Trimaran-The Test Model

Check out the Sodebo thread for more: Sodebo Ultim 3 Foiling Trimaran https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/sodebo-ultim-3-foiling-trimaran.61627/page-3

From an interview with the skipper:
"The choice NOT to put liftable rudders is driven by the round the world race, single handed, which was planned originally for end of the year. We wanted to start with a tried and proven solution, and lighter too. A lifting system is heavier, more complex and therefore with more things to tune and get right. We wanted to use proven solutions. You have to be very humble on this type of boat. We also do not have foils on the main daggerboard. We will eventually,* but we are moving forward step by step. We did not want to have more problems upfront with a complex system."

*...like I said.

 

WOLF daughter of fire arrow
Specifications
Latest Update 6/21/19---Design 99% complete--ready to build!
Design by Doug Lord--- with a little help from my friends
Inspired by Fire Arrow
System usable on trimarans from one meter LOA to 100+'.
==================
A) WOLF specs(tentative) :
LOA 15' 8"
Max Beam 16'
CL ama hull to CL ama hull-14'
Target weight 175-190lb
SA-(mast length 24' all carbon wing mast)
--upwind: 185 sq.ft
--downwind: 300 sq.ft
--max pressure before depowering/reefing:
-----UptiP Foils= 1.34 lb per sq.ft. sail area.
-----Welbourn Foils= 1.8 lb per sq.ft. sail area.
* NOTE-see "F)" below for max pressure comparison with an F18.
-----------------------------------
SAIL LOADING- an indicator of hydrofoil performance. Divide weight in pounds by SA in sq.ft( reference: Moth= 2.86lb. per sq.ft. sail loading w 180lb crew).
WOLF- upwind SA 185, downwind SA 300. Weights using highest estimated boat weight* + 220lb for one person and +340lb for two people(MAX).
* 190lb
------
upwind-one person=2.21 lb. per sq.ft. sail loading @ 410lb total flying weight
two people=2.86 lb. per sq.ft. sail loading @ 530lb total flying weight
--
downwind-one person=1.37 lb. per sq.ft. sail loading @ 410lb total flying weight
two people=1.77 lb per sq.ft. sail loading @ 530lb total flying weight
------------------------------------------------
B) Advantages:
1-Singlehander- Excellent upwind and downwind performance with 220lb crew. Minimum crew weight 120lb*. Two people for daysailing-max about 340lb.
*Righting moment supplemented by mainfoil downforce.
--
2- Will foil in 5 knots of wind with 220lb crew .
--
3- Carbon rotating wing mast, carbon cross arms and carbon foils.
--
4- Retractable foils(from cockpit). Mainfoil retracts flush with bottom and tips are designed to not dig into sand. Rudder foil retracts above bottom. Ama foils retract above waterline when boat is level.
--
5- Extremely comfortable sliding seat* on each side. Allows crew to move 1.75' outboard very quickly.
* see picture below-
--
6- Uses the Fire Arrow Foil System(like Fire Arrow, Gitana 17, Banque Pop, Macif , Macif jr(24'Diam tri) and Maserati)-- the same as the original system first used on the Fire Arrow Test Model- except the larger boats use two rudder t-foils on each tack. WOLF has two UptiP ama foils-one used at a time-and one wand controlled mainfoil for very early takeoff and capable of substantial downforce- all working with a single rudder T-foil. Downforce can be virtually instantaneous adding RM in response to gusts. UptiP foils stay down-no adjustment when tacking or gybing.
(see #16 below)
--
7- Foiling throughout the wind range -including very light air-the essence of 3D SAILING!
--
8- Assy Spin/Screecher retracted under the front deck.
--
9- Boat folds from max beam to trailerable width in about 4 minutes. No waterstays.
--
10- Mid (wish)boom mainsheet so sheet* is always in forward hand and extension tiller always in aft hand.
*uses variation of the Swift Solo main +jib sheeting system=single sheet.
--
11- Quickly self-draining cockpit-large scuppers with backflow flap.
--
12- Planing ama hulls designed for incidental contact with water at speed and for inadvertent contact at slow speed.
Adjustable angle of incidence of planing surface of each ama simultaneously on prototype. Angle of incidence of ama foil has to be changed when this is done. Planing surface starts at +4 degrees.
Uses Two-Stage Amas-see attachments below. They consist of a planing ama hull(Stage One) coupled to a "curved piece"(Stage Two) that provides extra buoyancy in the event of a knockdown. Curved piece facilitates high dihedral crossarms which keep the crossarms clear of the water.
--
13- Planing main hull.
--
14- Aerodynamic surfaces added to forward and aft crossarms. Adjustable flaps added on rear cross each side. Jib foot and forward part of main foot to be sealed to deck.
--
15- Automatic Foiling: no foil adjustments required after shoving off the beach and lowering the foils.
--
16- Adjustable crossarm dihedral for prototype to facilitate testing.


-------
==================
C) ---Memorable quote from JG Baker, Designer and Builder of the Monitor foiler in the 1950's:
" The main need is to lower the wind velocities required for flying in order to increase the opportunities for high speed travel"

D) ---VPLP on the daggerboard main foil:
" On these big boats, when you ease a sail, it is a pain because it takes so long to grind it back in. But here you press a button and the angles of incidence change. And with the foil on the daggerboard you can use it to alter the flight according to the wind*. If it builds, rather than easing the sheet you increase the righting moment by increasing the angle and conversely, as it eases you can reduce it and let it fly more."
* done 100% automatically on Fire Arrow/ WOLF with wand controlled main foil.

================
E) --- Fire Arrow Foil System-first of its kind on any trimaran. Elements developed first by Fire Arrow include:
1) the first trimaran in history to use UptiP* ama foils,
*invented by Team New Zealand
---
2) the first trimaran in history to use a single wand controlled main foil capable of downforce,
---
3) the first trimaran in history to use Two Stage Amas.(see below for Two-Stage Ama pictures)*

=======================================================
F) Max pressure for F18 and WOLF before depowering or reefing :
1)-The max pressure for an F18 based on 229 sq.ft. upwind SA, CE at 16.9', 2-180lb crew on trapezes and 5320 ft.lb. RM is 1.39 lb/sq.ft..
---
2) --UptiP Foils-Max pressure for WOLF with 185 sq.ft. upwind SA, CE at 14', one 220lb crew sitting in a comfortable sliding seat, and 3486 ft.lb RM* is 1.34 lb/sq.ft..
---
3)--Welbourn Foils- Max pressure for WOLF with 185 sq.ft. upwind SA, CE at 14', one 220lb crew sitting in a comfortable sliding seat, and 4654 ft.lb RM* is 1.8 lb/sq.ft..
Note: Welbourn foils provide 1.34 times the RM possible with UptiP foils*.
*not including downforce automatically generated by the wand controlled main foil.
corrected 5/15/19
===========================================================
G) *The Two Stage Ama Design offers a lot both Statically and Dynamically:
1-Statically- the boat is sitting still and hit by a hand of God gust. It is theoretically possible that the boat could be knocked over with the mast horizontal but the two stage ama offers reserve buoyancy after the ama hull itself is immersed by the immersion of Stage Two("curved piece") . It is enough, however, to right the boat and/or prevent a 90 degree capsize.
2-Dynamically-the ama hull has two levels of dynamic vertical force:
a. first and foremost the ama lifting foil that works from very low speed on up,
b. Second, and a sort of back up at speed, is the planing hull design of the ama. To start with on Fire Arrow/WOLF, the planing surface only comes into contact with the surface at very low speed with the ama starting to fly before the main hull does. And when the boat is flying the ama performs as reserve lift during incidental surface contact at speed.
*Also see here for more on two stage ama theory: High Performance MPX Foil/Self-righting Trimaran-The Test Model https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/high-performance-mpx-foil-self-righting-trimaran-the-test-model.36058/page-191


======================================================
UptiP Ama Altitude Control-pictures A & B----
Note that the ama is flying before main hull-note ama flight altitude:


Now that the main hull is flying and speed and load are significantly greater than in "A" above, note that ama flight altitude is the same! And that's due to the ama UptiP foil design(no moving parts) :

=======================





WOLF Trimaran Foiler -update 6/21/19

Last edited: June 21, 2019
yes, it is a Revolution

 

WOLF Design Development:



Inspired by Fire Arrow:

 

Excellent quote from Peter Drucker's "Managing in the next Society":

Innovation requires us to systematically identify changes that have already occurred in business --in demographics, in values, in technology or science--and then to look at them as opportunities. It also requires something that is most difficult for existing companies to do: to abandon rather than defend yesterday.(bold emphasis by dl)

 

Next Races for boats using a foil system similar to the Fire Arrow Foil System:
1-Transpac start Saturday 7/13/19-- Maserati
Transpac 2019 | Race Information https://2019.transpacyc.com/race-info

2-Fastnet start Saturday 8/3/19--Gitana 17, Sodebo*, Macif
Home https://www.rolexfastnetrace.com/
* may or may not be equipped with the lifting foil on the daggerboard for this race but will be added.

Maserati:


Gitana 17:


Sodebo:


Macif:

===================================
Fire Arrow-the first tri ever to use this foil system:

 

Argo to adopt flying system similar to the Fire Arrow Foil System:
According to Team Maserati Argo will sail the Transpac with "flying rudders" the first part of her conversion to a fully flying trimaran similar to Maserati, Gitana, Macif , Sodebo and the new Banque Pop.
==============================================
New e-mail for any questions about the Fire Arrow Foil System or WOLF:
dwlord@gmail.com

 

Argo now leads the Transpac......
Transpac 2019 | Race Information https://2019.transpacyc.com/race-info

...and she won followed by Power Play and Maserati. She used her "flying rudders" for the first time. They are a first step in her conversion to a full flying foiler using the basic Fire Arrow Foil System. She and Maserati will be the only MOD 70's converted to full flying!

 

From Niccolo Machiavelli:
"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things":

 

The basic Fire Arrow Foil System was used on the first two Ultims to finish the Fastnet 2019!!!!

Gitana 17-100' Trimaran Foiler-Launch 7/17/17 https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/gitana-17-100-trimaran-foiler-launch-7-17-17.58231/page-12#post-858800 post 166

Ultims in next Fastnet race 3rd August https://www.boatdesign.net/threads/ultims-in-next-fastnet-race-3rd-august.62535/page-2#post-858799

 

I recently moved from Melbourne to Cocoa and both the little red aeroSKIFF/MPX 12 concept model and the WOLF concept model suffered severe damage-both had their stb ama broken clean off! Fixable but sad.......

In better days:

 

You'll soon have them right as rain.

 

WOLF daughter of fire arrow---- I am now in the best position I've ever been in to get the Wolf project going since I can spend 100% of my time on it. Hopefully, I can pull it together-only thing missing is money . I'm entirely self-sufficient in terms of food and a place to stay and a car. I will be paid ZERO out of any funds raised.(Until and only if the boat is put in production)
The plan is to have Falcon LLC build the first one off boat and then-after exhaustive testing-the tooling. I may or may not build the foils but I will do the primary design for the foils(as for the whole boat) but I will have engineering help from Matt and his team.
I want this really badly!!!

 

WOLF daughter of fire arrow:
Downforce is an important concept for use on modern foilers, particularly if they use the Fire Arrow Foil System or almost identical systems like Gitana 17, Macif, the new Banque Populaire and soon Sodebo.
I've discovered a problem with the use of mainfoil downforce on WOLF because of the sliding seat movable ballast system. Mainfoil downforce is applied at the center of the boat and on WOLF can provide 500lb of downforce. One of the original ideas was to have downforce provide the missing RM(as compared to the 220lb max single crew weight) when a 130lb (minimum crew weight subject to testing the ability of such a lightweight crew to right the boat) person sails the boat alone.
While the boat can easily provide the missing RM, it comes with a large penalty: in order to provide the same RM as a 220lb crew sitting max out in the sliding seat, the foil has to provide a downforce of 173lb-which is a pretty severe weight penalty considering that the missing crew weight is only 90lb! I have to admit that I was surprised by this oversight on my part when I discovered it. The penalty in weight would only have consequences in racing and is perfectly acceptable for daysailing.
------
One other consideration, that I have mentioned before, is that the mainfoil is set up with a+2.3 degree angle of incidence on a symmetrical wand controlled foil so the upflap for downforce first has to overcome the lift from the positive angle of incidence-a draggy proposition. Same setup as the Bradfield type trimaran foilers' foil system. The solution was provided by some guys that raced the Bradfield RAVE: arrange for the angle of incidence of the main foil to be shifted down when downforce is required. That allows for much less drag than a system that was standard on the Rave. Not required for "normal" use of downforce but important for racing.
------
The WOLF mainfoil UNLOADS immediately after takeoff and the speed at which the foil provides NO LIFT is 11mph(9.5knots).Takeoff is at 7mph(6knots) or less in a 5 knot wind(4.35 mph). From 11mph(9.6 knots) on up the foil can provide downforce. Since this is a wand controlled foil any slowing of the boat will instantaneously result in positive lift from the mainfoil as required. The lee ama foil automatically provides 80% of the total lift when boat speed reaches 11 mph(9.5 knots). I'm working on a system that will allow downforce to be switched on/off.
It's really cool to be working 100% of the time on the boat project rather than someone else's project!

 

WOLF daughter of fire arrow:
Some significant changes to the WOLF design in the next Specifications update as a result of a greater emphasis on performance with a 350lb crew weight.
( one me and a 130lb second crew)

 

WOLF daughter of fire arrow-- It's a blast to be able to work full time on finishing up the design details of WOLF! Making a lot of headway and and am now working on the details of the wand system for the main foil. I think I have all the foils worked out--time will tell....