Building the fastest sailboat ever !

[jimbunyard]

Have you done any calculations based on what your target weight will be versus the displacement, and taking into regard the expected, resultant waterline?

From what I see in the pictures, depending on if the two proposed are the 'ama's on traditionally configured tri (where the outriggers are much smalller than the 'vaka' or main hull) or if you plan on making a sort of three 'ama' trimaran using the same sized hulls, your main concern will be getting over hull friction.

For lifting foils to operate there is a certain hull speed that will need to be attained. Friction caused by excessive hull area (surfaces in contact with the water during initial acceleration) is likely to be your limiting factor, followed closely by (as before) weight, simply because to join those (already heavy) panels together strongly enough to provide the rigidity to hold your foils in the attitude correct to/for both the water and each other may (will likely?) make the hull unable to reach foiling speed.

And that leaves out the weight of the rig, sails and 'aka'.

Have you considered building a large scale model first? They work very well for developing and testing ideas...and can save tons of money.

[keyway]

Keep on posting pics. I really appreciate what you are trying to do.

[watermanmax]

jimbunyard- Thanks for the comment, Done a few calculations but not to the point of exactly.... Yes I am "winging" it......I will be able to move a small amount of weight around to center the point of Gravity.
You are correct on the first design you first asked about....much smaller pontoons for the stability. They were actually under the table in the pic....but no fiberglass skin on them yet.

[zstine]

I'm curious what configuration your foils are going to be and how you will manufacture them? Are you using a naca 63412 section? Surface piercing V foil or T foils with ride height feedback or something else?

If you are using a kite for power, then over-turning moment will be low and you may be able to balance on a bi-foil setup (vice 3 foils in a triangle) which will help reduce drag. I think your biggest problem is going to be having enough power to make it over the drag hump and actually take off. In post #14 you said 6 ft amas with 18ft x 3ft main hull, then you have foils under water too.. I suspect you will have significantly more drag than a Hobie 18, which carries ~22m^2 of sail area. That's significantly bigger than a typical kite used for kite surfing. So, what kite are you planning to use? like a para-glider type kite? You won't be able to water launch those. how do you plan to solve that issue? Perhaps consider a hybrid-hydrofoil, in other words a buoyancy assisted hydrofoil. You loose some of the drag reduction after takeoff, but need less power to obtain lift off. so you could use a 16m kite surfing kite and not be 'the fastest' but still fast.

[admiral 31]

Originally Posted by SV Siren

I do have to say the "Flyin' Hawaiian" thread on Sailing Anarchy was one of the most entertaining threads I have ever read..

yes it certainly was, cos he had "Rutters"

[watermanmax]

Update....Well haven't done much cause life is moving TOoooo fast but. Just sold my business.....so.....do I finish this project this winter.....or just buy a motor boat and start on the great loop of the USA.....ahhh decisions decisions....what ever may be....going to be a good winter (minus the cold up here in the North).

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by watermanmax

Update....Well haven't done much cause life is moving TOoooo fast but. Just sold my business.....so.....do I finish this project this winter.....or just buy a motor boat and start on the great loop of the USA.....ahhh decisions decisions....what ever may be....going to be a good winter (minus the cold up here in the North).

It depends whether you want to spend your time tinkering in the garage or being on the water. This is a very common problem for DIY boat project, where all the good years are spent on building and only little time is left afterwards to enjoy the boat. Great loop sounds a lot more satisfying if you want to be on the water.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Shrew

The America's Cup was founded in 1851. Since then teams have spent millions to design (from scratch) the fastest sailboats possible.

Millionaires checkbooks and the experienced Naval Archictects haven't tried duct tape and a junker for a reason.

Actually for most of that time, they purposely avoided faster designs.

Only recently have they started to adopt actual fast designs and even there they struggle with not hamstringing the designers.

[watermanmax]

Ok the main fuselage is starting to look like something??? still have to add about 3 feet on the aft

and that is the little outrigger on the floor without any fiberglass yet....and the small slot in it is for a foil on the bottom that will raise and lower....I figure the top littl mast of the foil will be 5 feet tall, so when fully in down position it will be about 3 1/2 feet under the bottom of the boat

[Benz]

Originally Posted by watermanmax

Ok the main fuselage is starting to look like something??? still have to add about 3 feet on the aft

and that is the little outrigger on the floor without any fiberglass yet....and the small slot in it is for a foil on the bottom that will raise and lower....I figure the top littl mast of the foil will be 5 feet tall, so when fully in down position it will be about 3 1/2 feet under the bottom of the boat

Your workspace is remarkably clean. I both envy and congratulate you for that.

[Apollo19.5]

Originally Posted by Joh.Ghurt

It depends whether you want to spend your time tinkering in the garage or being on the water. This is a very common problem for DIY boat project, where all the good years are spent on building and only little time is left afterwards to enjoy the boat. Great loop sounds a lot more satisfying if you want to be on the water.

I reckon there are two types of sailors. Boat builders and boat sailors. The first wont hit the water without the boat being perfect and everything fixed/prestine. This was my FIL. The second will hit the water the minute the boat can raise a sail and safely get back. This was me. His boats were always awesome to look at and a credit to him. I could sail over the horizon against him and finish in all conditions. Each of us were happy with how we sailed/boated. He got more enjoyment out of the tinkering/building aspect of sailing. I enjoyed more of the on water aspect. His workshop was immaculent, mine not so. Neither wrong.

[Jamme]

Originally Posted by Apollo19.5

I reckon there are two types of sailors. Boat builders and boat sailors. The first wont hit the water without the boat being perfect and everything fixed/prestine. This was my FIL. The second will hit the water the minute the boat can raise a sail and safely get back. This was me. His boats were always awesome to look at and a credit to him. I could sail over the horizon against him and finish in all conditions. Each of us were happy with how we sailed/boated. He got more enjoyment out of the tinkering/building aspect of sailing. I enjoyed more of the on water aspect. His workshop was immaculent, mine not so. Neither wrong.

This!

[watermanmax]

I really hate fiber glassing....but it is starting to take shape

[watermanmax]

I could have done sugarscoop or more of a sailboat back end ... but I wanted something vertical to attach all the other drives and steering to.

[watermanmax]

ok, update on this 9 degree F. morning,
Please no comments on the fiberglassing, its not done and looks bad I know. But the outside skin is over 6mm so I should be good.
My questions....if ya look in the middle...the planning hull.....as you start to move threw the water don't you think the air will get trapped under neath and help break the water friction? I know ..... the comments "oh that is too heavy, a Motorboat planning hull will never work....its just too heavy" I am sitting at about 175 pound right now. so its a lot lighter then I was expecting.