hunt
Moderator
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Re:WELCOME! - 2007/02/08 21:14
PIL-
Thanks for the questions. We think the build quality including the materials is key for this boat -- she is a BIG 32-footer, so the only way to do that much panel area is to go for carbon construction, and to save weight with carbon beams and rig as well.
As to your question of beam -- at 18'6" I think we are right in the range of the boats down there. There is no magic ratio, it is all tradeoffs and what you optimize the boat for. Generally we favor a longer boat , and you could easilly think of this as a 29-30 footer with an extra 2-3 feet on the bow. That said, once we had a good idea of weights of all the components, we told VPLP we wanted to fly a hull upwind close hauled at 10-11 TWS so they came back with an 18'6" beam - which is fairly moderate. The problem is tradingoff lateral vs. longitudinal stability. A wider boat can carry more sail, but then there is more pitching moment. This is the problem with the ORMA 60s - they have a max length within which to optimize so they go wide. But look at all the new oceanic boats - long and narrow with long bows: B&Q, Groupama 3, Banque Populaire, Sodebo, Idec.
I really am not conversant in the R33 vs. OCRA situation. what I will say is that Beam is only one element in designing a cat that people can keep on its feet. Center of gravity is crucial (rig material), big rudders are crucial, and probably most importantly, sail handling systems are crucial.
keep them coming.
hunt
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