Oh my, oh my!!

Venturing into dangerous territory here, but why not? This is Feral Cheryl, a sort of C Class trimaran foiler that I'll begin next southern winter. Inspired by a very rapid, no frills, 7.1 metre Tennant design of years ago called Demon Tricyle - but Feral Cheryl will be quite different, square platform (25 x 25 feet) three element hard sail rig, minimal floats and inverted T foils. The major problem is reducing sail area; either you start off the day (if it is breezy) with the after element down and secured across the platform (with folding racks to support it set off the wing beam trailing section), or have it set up so that it can be safely lowered at sea. I'm envisaging split base second and third element bearings that will allow sideways and aft lowering with halyards. This of course is a major - anyone with ideas out there?
The advantage of solid rigs is well known so the sail area does not have to be so large nor the rig as tall as conventional soft sail setups, and yet you still have higher efficiency and lower drag than normal. The other major problem is getting twist into the rig and yet retaining single unit elements. From my experience with fairly large wing mast/soft sail setups, you can handle large chord rigs if they are fixed fore and aft at mooring - so this boat's first and main element will be near a metre chord; the boat will lie steadily if the foils and rudder are lifted. Sailing is not a problem but you will have to feather the boat if the wind is high. I know, I know, this is dangerous stuff - but can be handled.
This single or double handed boat is for fun and speed and obviously not intended for Round North Island races and the like.

 

Oh my!

Wow! Absolutely inspirational! Did you ever read Alan Smith's site about his C Class foiler? Talked about a wingmast+soft sail that could compete with a solid wing. Why inverted T-foils instead of surface piercing? Are you using wands? Good luck-what a fantastic boat.

 

Well it is very early days at the moment Doug - and I'm changing things in my head daily. For example, since the lowered rear hard sail element has to be carried on the tri platform, it would be better to make the boat over square, say 7.5 x 8.5m wide, that way the overlap would be less. I like inverted T foil rudders and thought for a change to go over to the same with the float foils. May change my mind tomorrow. I've found nothing wrong with angled surface piercers and there is the advantage of, IMO, less wetted surface area for the work that they do. And I've got a thing about wands and flapped foils - fixed, clean foils again IMO, are just as good, if not better. I'm very much anti drag and flaps drag.
image: plan view of minimal main hull.

 

Gary, don't change the main hull-it is simply gorgeous! I'm not as convinced as you seem to be about your method of reefing-my feeling is that it will be a real pain. Don't listen though-that may be the latent,repressed conservative in me finding a voice.....