6.5 to 7.5 metre performance/cruise multihulls

What I was after was low drag with aerofoil cross section shape, not lift - but if lift was produced, then that would be a bonus.
The common beam design with chopped off after section, no complete wing shape just seemed wrong to me.
However I can't really feel lift when sailing although it must be there. Groucho has the same beam shape and both boats FEEL very slippery ... so maybe the idea works.
Probably it is a mental thing and maybe delusional?

 

Sailing on big Sid, (11 metre Groucho) a couple of weekends ago with Jacques de Reuck. in very light, actually non-existent winds but lightweight Groucho (650kgs) just slid along at 4 and 5 knots.

 

Okay Gary, What are you up to? You haven't posted anything in a while. Boat building? Sailing? This forum is not so interesting without you.
Russell

 

Apologies, Russell.
Well today I went sailing on Jacques' Shifty (radically altered Farrier 24) with Flash Harry's old mast (plus added carbon) with a beautiful new Doyle main; first sail with this setup - and Monsieur J was very happy and impressed. We had an old jib as a make-do headsail until J receives his new Doyle flattie ... but what was really impressive was dropping the jib later when wind increased and sailed una with just wing mast/main; Shifty immediately began to point maybe 5-8 degrees higher along with acceleration.
No-one here in Auckland believed me when I have/had repetitively bored them years past that a wing mast/flat main will way outpoint conventional setup.
Anyway we meant to celebrate later with finest Belgian beer ... but the refrigerator was booze bare (everything closed Easter Sunday) ... so drank iced water instead.
Haven't done much on the 6.5, built and painted boom, added a couple of deck stringers inside hull, made tiller ... but ... have been repairing Sid after a savage cyclone hit here and ripped the wing mast down, also broke one float off. I think the whole boat may have been blown onto its side (that would have been 28 feet into the air) and then crashed down again onto sand, tide out at 2am, to cause all the damage. Should have/could have lowered the mast earlier because we all knew the 3 day blast (peak of 66 knots) was coming.
Oh yes, Stuart Rogerson, the original brains behind the French Golden Oldies multihulls, visited and we sailed on Groucho a day or so before said cyclonic winds arrived, crappy weather with rain but he was flying out next day so sailed reefed down and he steered for some time; Groucho behaved decently and went okay. Stuart and his son Zack repaired the famous VSD Kelsall trimaran and also the Charles proa Tahiti Douche. You'll know all about that proa, no?
Here's also a shot, after the ones of Shifty, of VSD and Tahiti Douche at Ibiza, where Stuart lives ... and regularly does the trip up to south of France for Golden Oldies regattas.

 

Thanks for the update Gary. The new mast and sail on shifty looks very nice. Did you stay with the stock mast height? Sorry to hear about the damage to Sid. On the plus side you built him so you know how to repair him. With a name like Sid I am not sure if Sid is a her or a him. Sure is a beautiful boat either way.
nelson

 

Increased the height 300mm of Flash Harry's/Shifty's mast to 9.3 metres; straightened the above hounds curved luff and bent back the above hounds leading edge, (see photograph of original shape) cut and paste job, some fiddling and cheating but looks fine now.
Yes, will also cut and paste Sid back together, coming along slowly, will go down this afternoon when tide drops.

 

Hi Gary,
Any pics or tutorials on how you built the boom? How much and what weight carbon do you add to the outside of your masts? I am looking to build one about 13m long. What do you suggest?
Tim

 

Nothing special about my booms; this is the 650's, bent ply (actually it might be thin alloy tube) with carbon laminates and stiffening flanges. It is Flash Harry's old one with some adaptions to fit the 650. If you use alloy the first stiffening laminate HAS to be glass, then the carbon.
The wing mast cross section is Sid's 11.5m x 500mm - which would be fine for a 13 metre version. Lay three layers of uni directional carbon each side at thickest mast area section for extra stiffness. The near central I beam is 4 mm ply with flanges where the bent ply skin is attached. If you can be bothered searching "alternative to marvelous B24" thread, you'll find more information. Otherwise send me an email: coxcreek@slingshot.co.nz.

 

Thanks Gary, I have saved that drawing of Sid's mast. I have a 30' Newick tri in need of a new mast and this looks like a great alternative. I watched the thread on Sid as it was being written and how you built it, I just wasn't sure of the layup schedule of the carbon reinforcement.
Tim

 

Thanks Gary,
I like Shifty. The only Farrier 24 I know is the F-24. I this the same boat?
Glad you are getting some sailing in. Me? still working on the G-32. Need a cruising boat as summer is coming, but I'm still not nearly ready of paint. Feeling boatless.
Russell

 

Shifty is a much modified TT 680 - about 8 meters long now. It has been interesting watching the 2nd set of mods taking place since Jacques took her over. Love the wing mast Gary . I'm going out for a splash tomorrow around late morning - will keep an eye out for you.................

 

Greg, Shifty was originally 7.20 metres, F24, now lengthened to around 8m. The wing mast and new and larger main has made a huge difference. Jacques is now ranting on about two old farts doing next Coastal Classic, so confident is he.
Russell, by the looks of the absolute perfection you're achieving with the G32 modifications, no wonder you're boatless. But your Gougeon 32bis will be something very special when it becomes "at one with the sea."
Here's a recent shot of Groucho in Auckland's superb weather (mostly, in between cyclones) - getting the main up the 6mm bolt rope track requires concentration and careful feeding.

 

Au contraire mon ami, we have had this discussion before when trying to work out the boats pedigree, although many moons ago now...whatever length Shifty was originally built she has the shorter TT 680 cabin, The TT 720 with longer center hull, bigger cabin and stern cockpit sans lazarette, was partially a response to people building stretched and open cockpit versions of the 680. The F24 refers to the later Corsair production boat.

http://www.f-boat.com/pages/trimarans/Trailertri680.html
http://www.f-boat.com/pages/trimarans/Trailertri720.html

 

Greg is right; he is THE encyclopedia of small boat sailing ... and I should know better than to attempt contradiction.
Shifty was/is a 680 with the stern cabin chain sawn off, decked in original cockpit and new cockpit shifted aft leading to the longer open transom, main hull rudder removed and rudders shifted to lengthened float transoms plus main hull board also removed and slot filled and two new daggers placed in floats as well. Then the main hull bow was plumbed and foam/glass filled in a similar manner to the main hull after sections.
Why did we do all this work instead of building new boat? ... because previous late owner Mike sold Shifty to Jacques for a bottle of Chimay plus a dollar.
Jacques had nothing to lose and wanted more performance ... and with new/old mast rig has been successful.

 

I wish I knew what a 680 is. maybe homebuilt Farriers were more of a "down under" thing. I'm pretty well up on vintage multihulls, though. I know VSD and I know Tahiti Douche and it's really cool to see the photo of the two of them in whatever bay that is. Tahiti Douche was a record breaker. I would like to know the Golden Oldies guy.
Yes, I am putting a lot of energy into the G-32 and am hoping it is worth it. I miss the days when I could just throw things together and not worry about how long they lasted or how they looked.
With the boat bare like a plucked chicken it's easy to see what "should" be done, that's the problem.
Wish I had met you Gary when I was in NZ. Did you ever see my boat on the mooring off Devonport? I was there for a couple of months working. I think it was 03.

Russell