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Mike w · 25-04-2012, 20:42

Just wondering if any racing trimarans had bladders filled with helium in the Amas, main bow and stern for racing? I would think with proper bladders in those areas that it would give great advantage in weight especially in the right areas. Also should last 4-8 days maybe much longer if the bladders were engineered right.

**cal40john** · 25-04-2012, 20:59

Let's be generous. Round ama, 2 meter diameter, 12 meters long is 37.7 meters cubed. Buoyant mass of Helium in air about -1.113 kg/ m^3, so 42 kg of lift in one ama. Make a water tank 42 liters smaller for same result. Many of these designs are pumping more than that amount of water around to improve lateral and longitudinal stability.

Lifting gas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John

SunDevil · 25-04-2012, 21:22

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I'm afraid that you won't make it any lighter that would have any impact.

**senormechanico** · 25-04-2012, 22:50

Not to mention the added weight of the bladders.

One thing I've always wondered about is why racers will spend major $$$ on the latest bling for their boat in the interest of saving a few ounces, but then the whole crew is fat from drinking beer all the time. WTF??

**Wotname** · 26-04-2012, 01:27

Helium is a very difficult substance to contain, it will leak through most materials given some time.

Moe R · 26-04-2012, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Not to mention the added weight of the bladders.

One thing I've always wondered about is why racers will spend major $$$ on the latest bling for their boat in the interest of saving a few ounces, but then the whole crew is fat from drinking beer all the time. WTF??

Could fill the crew with helium lol

**minaret** · 26-04-2012, 10:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by senormechanico

One thing I've always wondered about is why racers will spend major $$$ on the latest bling for their boat in the interest of saving a few ounces, but then the whole crew is fat from drinking beer all the time. WTF??

Rail meat. More moveable ballast. And the grinder gorilla effect.

**David M** · 26-04-2012, 11:25

Probably not worth the effort for the amount reduction in weight.

Helium is a very small molecule so whichever material is used to contain the molecule must have an even smaller molecular "holes" between its molecules and must itself also be very light.

**Bash** · 26-04-2012, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by senormechanico

One thing I've always wondered about is why racers will spend major $$$ on the latest bling for their boat in the interest of saving a few ounces, but then the whole crew is fat from drinking beer all the time. WTF??

There you go, again, thinking like a multihuller! On a mono, those fat guys on the rail are worth every beer you can pour into them.

**David M** · 26-04-2012, 11:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bash

There you go, again, thinking like a multihuller! On a mono, those fat guys on the rail are worth every beer you can pour into them.

They are called righting moment going up wind and dead weight going downwind.

Sand crab · 26-04-2012, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by David M

They are called righting moment going up wind and dead weight going downwind.

On a multi they are just dead weight period.

**44'cruisingcat** · 27-04-2012, 00:20

If the amas are sealed, (and strong) you could hook them up to a vacuum pump. As long as they didn't collapse, that would be the most effective "gas" to lighten them. Nothing weighs less than um, nothing.

**Wotname** · 27-04-2012, 01:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

If the amas are sealed, (and strong) you could hook them up to a vacuum pump. As long as they didn't collapse, that would be the most effective "gas" to lighten them. Nothing weighs less than um, nothing.

Plus the weight of the vac. pump etc.