GC32 racing catamaran launch video

This promo/launch video steps through some of the philosophy behind the GC32 racing catamaran design with lots of sailing shots of the boat in Dubai and description of the objectives of the design and the associated one design race series.

Phuket King's Cup event just about to commence

The Phuket King's Cup has for many years now integrated a multihull division and also the one design Mark Pescott catamarans built to the "Firefly 850" design which provide thier crews with close and exciting racing.

Sail-World article by Guy Nowell

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Phuket-Kings-Cup-Hall-of-Fame/104301

After 25 years there is still no outright winner when it come to bragging rights for winning the Phuket Kings Cup. This year’s entry list is lacking some of the usual faces, possibly leaving the field open to a new name.

In the early years of the event it was Henry Kaye, Bill Gasson and Jeffrey Lowe whose names kept repeating on the leader board, and then Ray Roberts, and Neil Pryde as well. Gasson, Pryde and Roberts all have four wins apiece, but none of them are competing this year. How about a ‘Masters’ division next year?

read more here

 

'Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2011 - Moto Inzi makes a splash' Guy Nowell © 

US Multihull Championships (F16 Catamaran)

An article from Sail-World.com by Jake Fish summing up the event which was dominated by Sarah Newberry and Kenny Pierce with 14 wins in 14 races.

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/U.S.-Multihull-Championship---Historic-victory-for-Newberry/103890

Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and Kenny Pierce (Hialeah, Fla.) ended a perfect week by finishing first in Sunday’s only race. The duo claimed victory in the 2012 U.S. Multihull Championship, hosted by the Pensacola Beach Yacht Club, with 14 wins in 14 races. Not only were they undefeated, but Newberry made history by becoming the first female skipper to claim the U.S. Multihull Championship for the Hobie Alter Trophy, a US Sailing National Championship.

'I’m so pleased and so honored,' said Newberry, who was sailing in her fifth U.S. Multihull Championship, all as a skipper. 'It was great to sail with Kenny this week, who’s such a great sailor, and has been a hero of mine.' Newberry and Pierce are members of the Miami Yacht Club. Pierce is the 2006 Nacra 20 National Champion.

Newberry and Pierce won by a 23-point margin over Sandra Tartaglino (Tiverton, R.I.) and crew Glenn Holmes (Pensacola, Fla.). Finishing third was Eric Witte (Fairfield, Conn.) and Tyler Holmes (Panama City, Fla.).

more here

Full results for the event here

Vestas Sailrocket 2 record, A new outright nautical mile record has been set

More from Paul Larsen, the team have now smashed (subject to ratification) the nautical mile record.  No mean feat considering the limited space available in flat water at Walvis Bay in Namibia to do their runs.  The new record is 55.32 knots for the nautical mile with at 63.98 knot peak speed.

article courtesy of bymnews.com

http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=111931

Vestas Sail Rocket :Update from Paul: New PB... and nautical mile record smashed

 

Sunday, 18 November 2012

Just in after the most incredible run. A whole nautical mile dipping well into the 60's on each gust. We peaked near or over 64 knots and beat our previous 500 meter average. I don't think we cracked 60 knots as a 500 meter average though. But anyway... we smashed the nautical mile record. The TRIMBLE file is big but on the small GT31 we averaged over 55.5 knots

 

(Hang on STOP PRESS: Trimble data in now... 55.32 knots for the mile subject to wssrc ratification. That's it).

63.98 knots 1 second peak... so definitely over 64 for a spike in there.

... and just marginally quicker than our previous best 500 meters at 53.38 knots... subject to wssrc stuff!

 

It's not an easy run to do on a course that is only 1.04 nautical miles long. I have to wind the boat up in rough water at the start and launch it out into rough water at full pelt at the end. Bloody interesting sailing in a boat specifically designed for flatter water.

So that was a big tick on our job list. We didn't even think we were going sailing today. Our media job list is huge and we had to drop everything to go sailing. The team is getting slick now and we made the switcharoo to sailing mode pretty effectively.

So it's Sunday and the town is shut. We're alone in the container with one paltry bottle of Pol Roger champagne left. Our local Champagne dealer is enroute.

This boat is wearing us out. We have barely recovered from the first hangover.

Damn that was good ride. I had the time to look around and just enjoy the sensation that that awesome piece of kit delivers. She was on the edge there a few times.

 

Bloody brilliant. Go Team.

 

Enjoy all. Cheers, Paul

 

 

Vestas Sailrocket 2, Video of the record run

Paul Larsen and the Vestas Sailrocket 2 team have posted up a video of the record run and the ensuing celebrations.  Great to see they have been rewarded for all of their years of hard work and that they have raised the record so significantly over the previous mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnjyusAgk8I&feature=player_embedded

On the 16/11/12 VESTAS Sailrocket 2 set out on it's 13th run for this session Walvis Bay Namibia. In moderate conditions with around 25 knots of wind average... VSR2 smashed the previous Outright world record by the biggest margin in the records history*. Paul Larsen averaged 59.23 knots over the record 500 meter course and peaked at over 63 knots. The waters of Walvis Bay became speed sailing holy turf and the home of the Outright record for the first time. This represents the culmination of 10 years hard work. The team promise it still represents the beginning of this boats potential. Africa turned on a spectacular setting and the flamingoes are just the icing. You couldn't make that stuff up. Happy days.
* Subject to WSSRC ratification

Hydroptere project loses support of major sponsor DCNS

From the following bymnews article

http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=111396

France. DCNS and Hydroptere end partnership

Wednesday, 07 November 2012

French naval defense group DCNS stops its support towards Hydroptere's oceanic program. Alain Thébault's hydrofoil trimaran, originally set to attempt the Transpac record this summer, had to post-pone her departure due to the absence of favorable weather windows. This new calendar doesn't meet with the group's expectations which does not have a market in the US.

Alain Thébault and his team thank DCNS whose support helped launch the 'flying boat' oceanic campaign. The team also acknowledges the work done by the group's engineers and by all those who have supported the project over the year.

"We are surprised and obviously disappointed but we remain hopeful. This is the first time a hydrofoiler attempts an ocean record. DCNS gave us the means to start the adventure and we will go all the way. The project demonstrated it can generate a great enthusiasm and we hope that this pioneering challenge, in which we strongly believe, will find new support in France or abroad", says Alain Thébault.

Supported by the Consul General of France in San Francisco, sailors Alain Thébault, Jacques Vincent, Jean Le Cam and Yves Parlier will create "Hydroptere Pacific", a Californian structure with the objective of encouraging potential American partners to be part of this adventure.

 

 

Farrier production F22 trimaran update, November 4th

More updates on the Farrier F22 trimaran.  The deck plug mold is now gelcoated and prepared for the final (female) mold construction.

http://www.f-boat.com/pages/News4/FM-Factory2012.html

Motive Trimarans 25r, more development in progress

Press release reposted from the Motive Trimarans blog:

Motive Trimarans Blog

Motive Trimarans Website

Following a successful Annapolis show, and Sailing World Magazine's, Boat Of The Year, judging, development is going very well and the boat continues to impress us, as we fine tune control systems, with the usual small adjustments to block placement, etc. The boat is in for a quick, pit-stop at the shop of A-Cat Worlds contender, Lars Guck, in Bristol, RI, for a few tweaks before heading down to Florida for the winter season.

The wave piercing, low profile hulls are working beautifully as designed, slicing through the water, reducing unwanted windage, and enhancing the experience of being close to the water while moving fast, like a beach cat on steroids! With 250% buoyancy in the outer hulls, we are looking forward to hoisting the screecher and flying the center hull soon.

 

We have also figured out how we can easily raise the water stays, both improving their angle ratio, and allowing for more effective tensioning, as well as eliminating any drag we are occasionally getting from them in rough seas.

We have also come up with modifications to reduce launch time, with an improved mast step system and faster trampoline installation.

 

Four boats are on order, so far, for spring delivery. The boats continue to be all US built, with components sourced from CA, WI, NC, MA, AZ , CT, and NY, by some of the world's finest designers and fabricators and we're proud to showcase their craftsmanship.

We'll continue to post updates of development.

 

Thank you all for your support.

 

Pete Ansel

Design Director

MOTIVE TRIMARANS