May 2011
FEATURES
Achieving the impossible
As soon as we started digging deeper into claims of 'faster than the wind', we knew there was only one person to call... BOB 'IRON DUCK' DILL
In demand
After AC33 life will never be quite the same again for (former) architect and industrial designer MAGNUS CLARKE... as ANDY RICE finds out
Making amazing things happen
Perhaps an apparently new face in the world of grand prix raceboat – and spar – building is not so new after all. JASON CARRINGTON & ASSOCIATES
Unstoppable
You'd have thought that 80-years young, things might have started to calm down in terms of International 14 development. Not so, explain designer/sailor/builders GEORGE NURTON and TOM PARTINGTON
Time and place
In 2005/6 VO70 rig world was all about PBO cables then 3 years later it was carbon bundles. Now the standing rigging market has opened up even further as PHIL ANNISS explains...
REGULARS
Commodore's letter
ANDREW MCIRVINE
Editorial
ANDREW HURST
Update
TERRY HUTCHINSON earns his Extreme 40 stripes, GIULIANO LUZZATTO talks to Maxi class godfather GIANFRANCO ALBERINI, PAUL BIEKER brings lessons of nature to his foil designs and STAN HONEY... le navigateur
World news
Putting those records in perspective, VPLP flying solo, Swiss wings, joining the AC45 fun, Caribbean stocktake, NICHO's big moment, rising to the (Rambler) challenge and stadium sailing USA-style. PATRICE CARPENTIER, PETER HOLMBERG, ROB MUNDLE, IVOR WILKINS, CARLOS PICH, PIERRE MEYER and DOBBS DAVIS
Paul Cayard
That winning feeling and time for some new toys
Olympic and small boats news – Early days
There are surprisingly deep foundations beneath the development of modern sailing foilers, but one project has always stood out. JAMES GROGONO takes us to meet Icarus... the boat that really did fly
IRC column
Rating is not (still) all about the blue blazer... and there is also some quite sensible logic behind keeping 'that' formula secret... explains JAMES DADD
Design – Big (brave) step
There has been little interest in producing pure race designs for the ORC rule, perhaps because to date success could be found with a well-optimised production design. But now there is a new cat about to hit town... TORSTEN CONRADI
Seahorse build table – Good fit
It's been slow to get going in Europe but perhaps the Classe 950 is a better fit for the demands of New Zealand waters, suggests KEVIN DIBLEY
RORC news
EDDIE WARDEN OWEN
Seahorse regatta calendar
Sailor of the Month
Ooh la la... It's pastis time
Time and place
As with carbon spars, the acceptance of composite rigging has been swift. But with the growing number of system and material choices there is no longer that single, best solution, says Future Fibres' Phil Anniss
Ten years ago the debate about composite rigging was whether it would replace rod rigging in the raceyacht world. While composite was undeniably lighter than Nitronic rod rigging – to the tune of about 75 per cent – it still had a long way to go to prove itself.
Ten years on those questions have been answered. Reliability is proven, and the evidence increasingly points to composite cables outliving their rod counterparts, sometimes significantly. Some composite rigging manufacturers are now even starting to make claims about rigging lasting for ever… well, in the sense that modern fibres do exhibit excellent fatigue resistance, maybe that's true. But what about the terminations, where fibre still meets metal – that is where these claims have yet to be tested by serious interrogation.
Future Fibres in Valencia make no claims about 'the life everlasting', but we do believe the time is coming when sailors will talk about the lifespan of composite rigging no more than they do about the life of a mast or hull – in other words, not at all. As sailors become ever more comfortable with the idea of supporting their masts with non-metallic rigging, so the lifespan debate is gently becoming a non-issue.
The key developments in composite rigging can usefully be measured in terms of Volvo Ocean Race editions. Ten years ago, for the 2001/02 race, composite rigging barely had a presence in the Volvo 60 fleet...
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Below: Challenging and extremely unpleasant for the drivers, wet weather can occasionally provide those watching with a very vivid demonstration of Formula 1 aerodynamics
Unstoppable
The International 14 class has now been active for more than 80 years. Time enough then to see at least a flattening out in terms of development... Absolutely not, say class stalwarts George Nurton and Tom Partington
An international class since 1928, the International 14s have been relentless in innovating and adopting the latest technologies to remain consistently at the forefront of dinghy performance, holding their own comfortably even in this latest era of lightweight skiff design.
Recent advances in 14s have also neatly coincided with breaks in America's Cup cycles as designer Paul Bieker vents his pent-up creativity. As the 33rd Cup cycle dragged out, so a new Bieker 6 was clearly in the pipeline; but keen to jump the gun last winter I persuaded Tom Partington, a fellow 14 crew and a yacht design student, to create a new design for my own amateur but enthusiastic development plan.
I had previously set up, with extensive help from Pom Green (now of CMI, Thailand), the build of three modified Bieker 5s, one of which has since won POW and the past two world championships (see Seahorse April 2010). We agreed that it was now time to try out a few more ideas.
To read on simply come and join us TODAY!!!!!
Please take advantage of our latest subscription offer or order a single copy of the May 2011 issue of Seahorse International Sailing
Online at:
www.seahorse.co.uk/shop/index.php