Update
A couple of images from a busy shop. Our new website is nearing completion so more detailed info will be available soon – on our UAV work especially, as well as the ongoing foiling sailboat projects.
Limiting
Ongoing testing with different foil configurations is confirming that ultimately righting moment will determine top speed. The diagram below nicely illustrates what happens as speed builds. The plot takes a constant true wind angle (heading relative to true wind direction). As boatspeed increases, the component of apparent wind from dead-ahead gets bigger, while the true […]
Mostro del Garda
Congratulations to Marvin Baumeister for winning the Foiling Week regatta for kiteboards. He used (for the first time) an all-new foil package (vertical, fuselage, and horizontals) created with project and design co-ordination by Carbonix. CFD and optimisation was by d3 Applied Technologies. Tooling design by Carbonix…
Critical Mass
Interest in our L foil kits has been overwhelming. We are at full capacity fulfilling orders and have additional tooling in the pipeline to shorten lead times. Will be sure to publish more images and detailed specs as soon as we get a chance. Market demand speaks clearly and people are ‘voting with their […]
Insight
Some thoughts following some recent on-the-water testing with a focus on handling. Specifically, we worked to gain data on how different foil configurations affect dynamic behaviour during turns in strong wind. The results confirmed observations we hear regularly from experienced Moth sailors, as well as those who race foiling multihulls such as the NACRA F20 […]
Imagineering Part 2
In Part 1 we looked at straight line sailing.We concluded that foils will always be a hindrance at very low speeds, but will give an advantage at higher speeds. More aggressive setups (read more foil area) are even worse at low speed but, since they allow earlier take-off, become superior ‘sooner’ (at a lower windspeed […]
Bravo
Congratulations to Sergio Vela, who placed third at the European Spring Championship, using retrofitted Paradox 2014 steering system.
Imagineering Part 1
In response to questions about where catamaran foil design may go in the future, especially if rule constraints are relaxed, here are some thoughts on the incentives driving design choices. If our goal is fastest time around a windward/leeward course, then the considerations are: – VMG upwind. – VMG downwind. – Control at low speed, […]
Disrupting
You’ve probably noticed that suddenly ‘drones’ seem to be everywhere. Multi rotor filming platforms, potential parcel delivery systems, recreational FPV (First Person View) quad-copters… Unmanned Aircraft Systems have exploded into the public consciousness. Seemingly every day a new, creative application is dreamed up to either do at a much lower cost what only manned aircraft could do […]
Golden Rule
One final reflection about recent events in the A Class, before resuming normal programming. Future posts will focus on hopefully interesting technical commentary, and updates on our projects…“The golden rule is that the words of a statute must prima facie be given their ordinary meaning.” Viscount Simon, in Nokes v. Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries, [1940] A.C. […]