Boat Plans Australia | 2016 EUROPEAN BOAT OF THE YEAR

Boat Plans Australia

Solaris 50

The European boat of the year is a more meaningful contest than the boats of the year that are selected by many American and some European magazines. Regarding the American ones the number of boats considered by the European contest is hugely superior due to the bigger dimension of the market. While on a magazines Yacht of the year the choice is the one from just a magazine, making it easier that choice to be influenced by publicity on the magazine or other factors, the European boat of the year is the choice agreed by 11 different European magazines from eleven different countries, making it a more impartial one.

That makes a lot more difficult external influence, like publicity on the magazines or the nationality of the shipyard. There are several categories and all the nominated boats on each category are tested. From those  the finalists are chosen and then tested again by the main testers of all magazines involved.

The knowledge of the market and the boat knowledge that are reunited during those secession is huge and the exchange of opinions contribute to a meaningful choice. Sometimes the  new boats that appeared on the market are not many or at least not many great boats but that was not the case this year, with a great vintage. I am glad to say that the choices seems very good to me.

 All great looking boats, not a single obviously "fat" one, meaning sailors boats more than condo boats, that are also sailboats that can sail relatively well but where interior space considerations determines a certain level of fatness, to use a expression that my daughter use to apply regarding sailboat: she doesnt like fat boats :-)

And the winners are:

 Performance cruisers : the Solaris 50, a boat that I fall in love with on the last Dusseldorf boat show, it has not only beautiful lines, a great hull, as it is very well built, with a great high quality interior and surprisingly not as expensive as his quality may suggest. The other nominees were the Django 980, the Ice 52, the  Italia 9.98, the J 112 e, all great sailboats. A very difficult choice indeed. They said about the reasons why they had chosen the Solaris:

"The Solaris 50 is the most current, desirable new production yacht design, a bonafide trendsetter, with engineering quality to match her looks. She represents the melodious meeting of South American design flare with Italian styling. The result is luxurious performance. The Solaris 50 is sexy, elegant, sophisticated and a positive delight to sail."

I have already posted about it here, including a boat test movie:

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/07/solaris-50-boat-test-great-sailing-boat.html

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/03/solaris-50-i-love-it.html

Grand Soleil 47 LC

Luxury cruiser category: The Grand Soleil 43 LC, a boat that showed that a main market cruiser can offer a voluminous interior without becoming too fat or losing its sail potencial....for a price.

Two Italian boats between the choices show why I have been calling your attention to Italian boats and Italian boat design, I mean not only because I own an Italian boat LOL. The Grand Soleil was chosen among other impressive sailboats: Adventure 55, Maxi 1200, Oyster 475, Sunbeam 40.1.   They said about the choice of the Grand Soleil:

"The first real cruiser from Cantiere del Pardo in over 40 years, the Grand Soleil 46 LC, is for those after something a bit sexier, a little more luxurious, a bit classier, and a bit quicker than the norm. This thoroughly Italian product has bold, angular if somewhat stark styling that combines with a very light, spacious, inviting interior. She particularly suits warm weather cruising. The deck design offers both plentiful comfort at anchor and practicality at sea – she is easy to handle and nimble enough to enjoy light-wind sailing."

Post about the Grand Soleil 47 LC with video tests:

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/11/grand-soleil-46lc-video-tests.html

Hanse 315

Family cruiser category: Hanse 315. It seems that I have guessed this one ;-)  On a recent post I called your attention to this little boat that really does not look very innovative or out of the ordinary, but that is good looking and most of all surprised positively all that tested it. Like on the other categories the competition was big with particular focus on the RM 1070 that I believe it didnt won because it was just a remake of the previous boat, the RM 1060 and not a really new boat. They said about the Hanse 315:

"A family-friendly pocket cruiser, the Hanse 315 has a seductive hull shape that proves a delight to sail and has the beam for cockpit and aft cabin space. The 315 stimulates the small end of the new yacht market admirably. Space is apportioned wisely, with standing headroom and a great aft cabin. The Hanse 315 is a highly versatile and impressive new compact cruiser."

A post about it and a test video from Yachting world:

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/12/hanse-315.html and a test from Yachting World: 

Multihull category: Dragonfly 25. I confess that I did not expect this one to win face to a very hard competition but then it won by the fun of sailing and obviously I did not have sailed the boat: "The more fun and more sportive Dragonfly" Wow!!! it seems the boys and girls of the jury had a blast with this one LOL. The competition: Bali 4.3, Comet Cat 37, Dazcat 1495, Slyder 47. They said about the Dragonfly 25:

"Jens Quorning, the founder and designer of Dragonfly has a knack of keeping a family look, yet one that is updated to look contemporary – in the Dragonfly 25’s case, particularly with the reverse stem floats. As well as being genuinely towable, this offspring of the range is perhaps the most sporty, fun Dragonfly yet. Innovative outrigger designs and the ability to helm from either float ensure an exhilarating ride. "

Post about the boat and two test movies:
http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/01/25-years-later-another-dragonfly-25.html

Special Yacht category: Quant 23. I am really happy Quant won. These guys really deserved it and even if the competition here was big and a high quality one, Quant is really on another level: The really first flying dinghy, if we do not consider "things" like the Moth that can only be sailed by specialists. The competition: Bente 24, Corsair Pulse 600, Fareast 28R , Farr 280.

"The Quant 23 is a design that promises much but somehow delivers even more. Even if you didn’t even fit the foils you’d still have a blast on this super-fresh sportsboat – a lake sailer that ensures scows continue to have cult status. Add Hugh Welbourne’s Dyamic Stability System and you have a sportsboat on steroids, a craft that puts serious fun back into sailing, and makes foiling approachable. The Quant shows exactly what the ‘Special Yacht’ category is for."

A post about it with more videos: 

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/07/first-really-flying-monohull-quant-23.html

Do you find information about Boat Plans Australia are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Australia. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise | WILD OATS WON THE SYDNEY HOBART

Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise

For the 8th time and that is just incredible on these days were boat design evolves so quickly. That can only be explained by the very particular conditions that we find on this race that, contrary to most sea and wind conditions, favors narrow hulls and as we know that recent design hull developments favor beamier hulls. Also the use of the recent foil technology to increase dynamically righting moment (DSS) allowed just the bit extra performance to this already old hull to continue to be the fastest on this race on these conditions,

Comanche lost the race when he meat confused seas and light winds were the difference in speed for Wild Oats can be huge. Comanche, had found on the final part of the race stronger downwind winds and calm seas and started an impressive recovery but not in time to catch Wild Oats.

Regarding the rest of the fleet we assisted to several boats giving up with problems, among them some of the favorites, Giacomo with a broken mast, Perpetual Loyal making water after having hit something and a favorite of mine, Last Tango, the Salona 44 with bad luck having to head for port with a crew member with problems on his back and damaging the sails while trying to get back to the race. Other boats are making a great race too and I confess that besides the ones that win on real time I like to have a look at the smaller boats doing a great race and thats the case with Chutzpah, a Caprice 40 (Rachel&Pugh), Patrice, a Ker 46 (Ker), Simply Fun, a Chinese made HH42 (Judel&Vrolijk), Midnight Rumbler, a Ker 40 (Ker), Cadiparra 8 an older Jones 42 (Jones), After Midnight, a modified Farr 40 and the first "cheap" boat, Ariel, a First 40, all of them surrounded by much bigger boats.

Do you find information about Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Wooden Boat Plans And Kits | GLOBAL OCEAN RACE 2015 2016

Wooden Boat Plans And Kits

Maybe it is this year that this race gets the number of entries to make it a major one on the offshore solo/short crew racing scene. The idea is just great and it became even better: An affordable racing 40class boat for all, solo or duo crews and a circumnavigation race. Better because now, instead of multiple legs it is a circumnavigation with a single stop in Auckland. More interesting as a sporting event and also less expensive and less time consuming for the participants.
The 30 000nm race will start from Southampton in September 2015 and will finish in Portsmouth around March 2016. There are already 8 teams in and I am impressed with the American Dave Rearick that will race a Kiwi 40FC Class40. He is doing right now a solo circumnavigation on that boat....just for training for the big one LOL. Meet the guy, quite a character and ....not a young guy anymore. Cheers to him.

I am quite sure this is a great race, at least for the ones that are racing it...most of them have made more than one edition and keep coming back. This race has the potential to become a classic and I really hope that to happen: A non French major solo race, that would be interesting and would help to spread the concept of solo/short crew long range racing among other countries.

Do you find information about Wooden Boat Plans And Kits are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Wooden Boat Plans And Kits. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Wooden | WILD OATS LEADS THE SYDNEY HOBART

Boat Plans Wooden

That was before, now Wild Oats leads with a comfortable 40nm lead, the biggest difference between the two boats and confirms my suspects that on Comanche they should have kept a low profile in what regards all those statements about their boat being the fastest sailing monohull on the planet. I dont think Comanche will be able to catch Wild Oats that sails for another of the many consecutive victories on this race. What happened? Easy, light wind and bad seas, the worst conditions for Comanche type of boat, put him sailing at about half the speed of Wild Oats. The weak wind was enough to allow the  low drag hull of Wild Oats to slice through the confused seas while not enough to allow enough power for Comanche to force the passage trough it.
http://www.rolexsydneyhobart.com/tracker/

A great race as usual, cheers to the Australians and New Zealanders whose sailing passion has only a parallel with the French. I wish more countries will follow them on the love of sailing  that is also ours.

Some great movies about the Sydney Hobart race:

Do you find information about Boat Plans Wooden are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Wooden. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Wood Boat Plans And Kits | DOES CRUISING BOATS NEED TRAINING WHEELS

Wood Boat Plans And Kits

On the cruising forum where I post as "Polux" I have posted something about hull shapes and performance that may be interesting to this blog. The post is here (post 258):

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f47/true-blue-water-boat-extinction-a-fait-accompli-141354-18.html#post1754758
From here comes the basic question: The qualities that make a good racing solo sailboat are relevant to a cruising boat? Or putting it another way, the type of hulls and rigs used for solo racing are relevant for cruising, as a benefic global influence that can allow better cruising boats? The type of hull that allows a solo sailor to push and sail fast (many times under autopilot) a racer through ocean has advantages for an inexperienced, solo or short crew cruiser while sailing offshore on a cruising boat?

As a way to answer lets have first a look at the differences between the type of hulls used for solo racing and the type of hulls used for crew racing: Many think that the very beamy Open 60 are the fastest type of boat downwind (for the size) or on a circumnavigation but they are wrong. Certainly they are the type of boat faster sailing solo on a circumnavigation but not if a crew is used. On that case a boat like the VOR65 (with 60ft) will be faster, provided it has a full crew to handle it.

Let’s have a look at both hulls, a VOR 65 and a Open 60 (both sailboats designed for a circumnavigation on the trade winds, meaning mostly beam reach and downwind sailing):

The difference is evident, both have all beam pulled back but the Open 60 is a much more beamier boat. So why not make an Open 60 less beamier and theoretically faster? It has been made…and did not work out, they have been developing these boats for 30 years, and the actual configuration it is the one that at the moment allows for a faster boat…sailed solo. Why?

Let’s look at some videos of 11/12m racing boats, solo racing boats and crew racing boats to understand why. First a Beneteau Figaro II versus a J111. Both boats can go damn fast downwind, the J111 even faster but look at the guy on the Figaro that can leave the boat on autopilot to adjust sails or even to go ahead to set the Spinnaker. He has to leave it on autopilot on many occasions inclusive to sleep.

 

Compare with the guys on the J111, even with a short crew they need three guys to keep it out of broaching, one at the wheel, other constantly trimming the front sail and a reserve one for the mainsail or for helping if something goes wrong. The J111 is a cruiser racer, if look to truly race boats, like a Soto 40 or a Ker 40, the control has to be even more precise and a bigger crew is required:
Now compare with a same sized solo racer, a 40class boat sailed by a lonely sailor and will be on a completely different ball game. One guy is enough to drive the boat fast downwind, not as fast as a ker 40 or Soto 40, but certainly much faster than a Soto 40 or Ker 40 solo sailed. On a solo racer the boat has to be handled many times on autopilot since it is the same guy that is the trimmer, the bow man, the navigator the helmsman….and it has also to work on the winches and to sleep since most of the races on those boats are Transats or circumnavigations.
Bob Perry said once that those boats had training wheels and that he didnt need any training wheels on his boats. So the question is, do cruising boats need training wheels, meaning they can be sailed faster and safely with them …or maybe not?

J111

Luca, the guy from Comar maintenance said that he was part of the crew that test sailed the first Comet 41s (my boat) and that on the maiden sail they had sailed it at 18K. Well, I have owned my boat for two years now and I have never went faster then 14K (and even so on only one occasion) and I know that I will never sail it at 18k simply because for that the boat needs a crew. Don’t make me wrong, that is a fast boat and a relatively easy boat to sail with a huge resistance to broaching and an incredibly sensible rudder. Just with a bit of help with my wife, or even solo I can sail pretty fast on it, specially upwind but the downwind sailing speed (no spinnaker) is most cases between 9.5 and 11.5K, a bit more in  really strong winds, not anything closer to 18K. That is what the boat can do with a full crew and a spinnaker up in strong wind.

J111

My friend Eric, that is not much younger than me, said it has not taken him much time to sail his Pogo 12.50 to 13/14K and that is a speed that he reaches with some ease on the right conditions. I may be wrong but I seem to remember that he said that he had done once or twice 16/18K with his boat, with the help of the family crew, that includes not only a wife but a son also.

Me and Eric are the kind of cruisers that like to go fast, most cruisers will sail more calmly but the point is, would not this difference in easiness (that has to do with the hull of the Pogo to be derived from solo racers, while the one of the Comet is derived from IRC racers) will not suit even more less demanding sailors? I think that the answer is a clear yes and that’s why most contemporary NA use hulls influenced by solo racers in almost all main market production sailboats and in voyage boats too. The ability they have to go with more easiness, with more directional stability from a beam reach to downwind makes more efficient on autopilot that’s what most cruisers use while sailing. That type of hulls makes also for a more forgiving boat that can take more abuse without broaching.

Beneteau Figaro II

So what about upwind sailing? will more narrow boats, or IRC derived hulls, like the ones of the Salona or Dehler, Comet or J122 perform better? The difference will be not much on flat seas, just a bit better pointing ability but on  nasty seas or even on the typical med short period steep waves there will be a big difference due to wave drag.

While sailing on flat water the waterplane (and wet surface) of the boat like the Pogo will be a very narrow one, having to do more with its weight than with its beam but while passing waves all change: The wave envelopes the boat that passes through it and increases hugely the wet surface associated to wave drag that is much bigger on a solo racer beamy type of hull than on a much narrower IRC derived one. The beamy hull will suffer much more drag for each wave it crosses than the IRC type. Sure it can fly more sail due to its much bigger hull form stability but that will not even the match. The boat will have to open more the course (to gain power), probably it will go a little faster, storming through the waves (and that is less comfortable) and in the end it will be slower, or at least is what I have taken from the observation of race results even with more powerful 40class racers (on the Sydney Hobart and Med races).

Soto 40

Heavier boats with this type of hull, like the Oceanis 38, 41 or 45, Dufour 410, 500 (among others)  will have about the same comparable characteristics regarding cruisers with about the same weight and hulls influenced by IRC hulls, like the Jeanneau 409.

Is this less good performance upwind on some particular conditions a big disadvantage? Not for voyage boats that mostly will follow the trade winds, not for main market mass production boats because even if most sail on the med where these conditions can be met, most sailors just don’t go upwind on those conditions (over F4) or just motor most of the time when sailing directly upwind.

40class racer

That explains why the open solo race type of hull is the main influence on cruisers today: it just offers the best compromise for most sailors, not forgetting the big advantage that a bigger interior represents for cruising, in living space and storage.

Of course that does not mean that even in what regards cruising that would be the best compromise to all. There are many variables here and one can just prefer a narrower boat because it just likes more the way a boat sails on a seaway, because it is more nervous and fun to sail, because it values more upwind sailing or just because he finds narrower boats more beautiful. All good reasons. ;-)

Do you find information about Wood Boat Plans And Kits are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Wood Boat Plans And Kits. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Pdf | The SportzMaster 19

Boat Plans Pdf

Grahams SportzMaster 19 Build project:
Graham, who has built many boats from small sailing dinghys to 40 ft foam core power cats, approached us about building the Sportzmaster 19.
Heres just a few pictures of his boat being built this year.

Planking the Bottom panel

Planking the topsides

?

Glassing the hull

?

Laminating the rear deck

    Click this link to see more of Grahams Sportzmaster 19 build project

Grahams SportzMaster 19 Build

For further information regarding this design, please refer our website

Do you find information about Boat Plans Pdf are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Pdf. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Arch Davis | CARIBBEAN 600 BETTER AND BETTER

Boat Plans Arch Davis

This race is becoming a classic and it is really a shame the lousy site and the very poor race information. Much to be bettered regarding that. A race with a growing fleet with very interesting sailboats of all types competing. This year they had a top multihull trimaran, Phaedo 3, a Multi 70 that dominated the race. Phaedo used to be a much slower Gunboat 66 that used to be beaten easily by Paradox, a 63ft cruiser racer trimaran....not anymore, the new Phaedo showed of what is capable a top 70ft racing trimaran and made the Caribbean 600 in a record time well ahead of any other boat.

Phaedo³ at the start of the RORC Caribbean 600 from Ocean Images on Vimeo.

Outstanding performance of the new 88ft Rambler,much faster then the 63ft trimaran Paradox and than any of the 100ft racers, including Leopard.

Rambler Launch from New England Boatworks on Vimeo.

Great performance of the 100ft Luxury yacht Nomad (Finot/Conq) that come right after the big racing boats, ahead of a Volvo 70, beating by far all other Maxi cruising yachts. Great performance of the Ker 43 Otra vez, coming among the big boats (immediately ahead a Farr 60 and immediately behind a Volvo 60). Great performance of the Class 40 Tales II (first 40fter) coming just behind a Farr 72 and ahead of a Shipman 72. After the Shipman 72 another Class 40 beating two Volvo 60 and a Swan 60.

No Gunboats and almost no cats this year. Only a Moxi 61 that was not fast beeing beaten by the 40class racers (it took a shortcut at the end of the race).

Do you find information about Boat Plans Arch Davis are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Arch Davis. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans Stitch And Glue | SOLER 35

Boat Plans Stitch And Glue

Yes, not properly a nice looking boat, at least from the hull up and why I am posting it here is a good question. That is an intriguing cruiser with a nice hull, an interesting lifting keel and a very good sail performance with a bulkier and oddly designed cabin.

This yacht is a Morozov concept designed by Teixido&Harrold, a young and innovative NA firm based in Barcelona. It is the type of boat many cruisers say they want, but then when the bill to built such a boat comes up, they rapidly change of idea and buy a Bavaria. This is an expensive boat for a 35ft boat costing 250 000 euros and looking detailed at this yacht I can understand that price even I find that there is not a market for such a boat.

Probably the ones that would like the looks and the concept dont care much for performance and anyway they are on the market for an used 50 000 euros boat and the ones that will appreciate de speed will refuse to have a boat that looks like a caravan.

But I can be mistaken regarding market. Also this is just a prototype and Morozov is an interesting character, a talented guy and there is always the possibility of containing the price making it a much simpler and less expensive boat, improving at the same time the looks, since the hull and keel set up looks to work very well.

The boat includes some unusual features for this type of design, like water ballast, a  Open type hull, a lifting keel with not much ballast. I would chose to skip that water ballast and have a lot more on that keel, the 1100kg on a torpedo, even with a 2.30m draft are not enough to give a very good final stability to the boat.

An unusual and interesting yacht, that as it is, offers a lot, if one wants to live on a 35ft boat, wants to have  a good sailing performance and dont mind too much about how the boat looks. Dont miss the movie with the boat keeping up with a X35. Not bad for a caravan ;-)

http://morozov-yachts.com/soler-35

Do you find information about Boat Plans Stitch And Glue are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans Stitch And Glue. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Wood Boat Plans And Kits | 2016 just might be interesting

Wood Boat Plans And Kits

Henry Rollins on Trump, a little scary reading on bats, and yet another reason to simply avoid the idiocy that is Florida...

R2AK 2016



Yeah.

Listening to Scary Little Friends

So it goes...

Do you find information about Wood Boat Plans And Kits are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Wood Boat Plans And Kits. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise | a project you might want to check out during 2016

Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise

Some exciting stuff, regarding those dire predictions, and something well worth the read...

Someones been busy.

I expect youll be able to find out more as it develop over at Boat & Koad.

Listening to a plethora of good covers

So it goes...

Do you find information about Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the Boat Plans For A Chesapeake Deadrise. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..