For sake of repeating myself , check thread in the f16 forum
all welcome dart 18 speed onward , furthest traveller last edition was from Spain .

yes, it's on, and entries are starting to pour in

Micky Todd has confirmed he will be returning from Spain to enter this year's event.

It's all looking good - you all need to be there!

Nessie

We have a confirmed Spanish Entry
We have an almost definite entry from South Korea (ex pat returning on holiday)
We have an Australian trying to arrange his European tour to take part

This race will be bigger than last time, and Marine Design International have really stepped up as sponsors to help us make this happen.

Long Distance fans - this race is truly unique, and a race to do at least once in your life. Make it 2007!

email lochnesscatamarans (at) hotmail.co.uk to register your interest

Nessie
(i like cats, but couldn't eat a whole one)

Ideal Stelrad Formula 28 Racing Team are intending to take part.

Would be great to see cats of all sizes taking on this all comers challenge!

going to join us?!!!!!

contact lochnesscatamarans at hotmail.co.uk

A truely F*kin awesome event once again ,

Winner Andy Mac Pherson (Tornado )who had travelled from Australia to take part likened it to Texcel and the Archiapeligo raid which he had recently completed in stature of challenge , and a race that has to be done !!!



Nessys' breath eventually came to fruition after a slow start 90% of the distance must have been covered in wind that reportedly exceeded 30 knts !! and was totally mind and body numbing FANTASTIC !!, the highs and lows you go through on such a long race in such winds is absolutely amazing and something everycat sailor should experience , the fleet was over 40 boats and despite crews being totally exhausted all vowed to return .



I covered a distance of 50.1 mile and only two capsizes !!!



Can't wait for the next one .



Was also awesome to see the likes of Basillica racing and the beautifully built Tekcat ,



I predict this event has more "monsterous" growth still to come as the word of Nessie now spreads world wide as Nessieites gabble insessantly over a pint when ever the opportunity arises .



If you weren't there you certainly missed out on one of the most challenging and awesome distance races we are lucky to have in the UK .



As they sang at closing time in the pubs of Glasgow in days gone by "come on and have a go " are you up to it ?

There will be more



Many thanks to Chris Browing and the SNECCA team and the sponsorhip by MDI, Blaser Chiropractic , JJ Cats and Cairngorm Brewery was most appreciated.

Saturday dawned, the day of the race, not the sunshine of the previous day but rain. We arrived at the field, from when we had left another 30+ boats had arrived. After attending the briefing the fleet went afloat for the approximate 11:00am start. The fleet consisted of boats ranging from the VX40, Basilica, the new 23 ft all carbon Tek-kat, Tornados, Hurricane 5.9 SX through to Dart 18s. The wind however like the weather had changed and was now more NE and not the predominant SW that was expected, this meant a downwind start.

3 boats made an early break, Basilica, Tek-kat and the Team Musto-Australia/Tacktick Tornado of Macca and Stuart Offer. These 3 pushed each other hard to Urquhart Castle, were most sightings of Nessie have been, the 1st mark only to become becalmed going into it. There were worried glances over the shoulder from crews, not only at each other but the fleet was arriving in pressure. This must have been a great sight for all those visitors to the castle, seeing approx 43 catamarans heading for the mark. It was finally Basilica that rounded the mark first ahead of the Tornado, apparently they were not going to be beaten to the mark by a Tornado and then the Tek-kat, with the fleet no more than 50 metres behind them once again the 3 boats started to stretch a lead, this time with differing tactics, the VX40 and the Tek-kat taking the Northern shore and the Tornado taking the Southern shore, as the fleet got caught in the same calm patch. About half way to the 2nd mark in building pressure this time from the predominant SW direction, disaster struck the Tek-kat, with them breaking their mast. As the pressure built this allowed the VX40 to stretch her legs and open up on the Tornado. With most of the fleet out of sight from the leading 2 boats and the leading boat sailing into the distance from the Tornado, it was hard to say what was going on behind them. So at the 2nd mark it was Basilica and then the Tornado. At this mark the lead Tornado was asked if they wanted to continue, in the shelter of the bay they bravely said of course and carried on wondering why they were being asked this, 200 metres later they found out, the wind was now 20-25knots with gusts on top, still to late now a battle to Fort Augustus another 13 miles up the lake. The main fleet was now well out of sight and the VX40 was out of sight of the Tornado. Still no disasters struck the lead 2 boats and a clean bear away and hoist and set in the relative calm of Fort Augustus, now for the 26 mile run home with 1 mark at Urquhart castle to do before the finish line at the Dorres Inn. With lots of pressure in the sails, both Basilica and the lead Tornado stretched their legs.

However once again the calm of Urquhart Castle parked both boats however once they were clear of the castle the wind came back with a vengeance. Both lead boats having interesting moments on the final legs. It was Basilica that took line honours with the Tornado 22 minutes taking 2nd place but winning overall by a considerable margin. 3rd place on the water and 2nd overall went to the Hurricane SX, of Nigel Lynn and Alan Nesbit who finished approx 55 minutes after the lead tornado.

Thanks must go to the sponsors and organisers of the event, Marine Design International Ltd, Blaser Chiropractic, JJcats.biz, Cairngorm Brewery Company, DH systems Ltd, Peterborough SC and the biggest thanks To Chris Browning, whose tireless efforts were well rewarded.

We would also like to thank our own sponsors Team Musto Australia, Tacktick and Mardon Marine.

No Helm Crew Boat Type Sail No. SCHRS (HH:MM:SS) Elapsed Time (s) Corrected Time (s)
1 Andrew MacPherson Stuart Offer Tornado GBR406 0.935 04:55:43 17743 18976.47
2 Nigel Lynn Alan Nesbit Hurricane SX 455 1.007 05:50:29 21029 20882.82
3 John Beech Ben Burns F18 GBR699 1.005 05:57:16 21436 21329.35
4 James Grant Mike McIntyre + others Extreme 40 Basilica 0.76 04:33:11 16391 21567.11
5 Neil Rosie David Sinclair Dart 18 7268 1.181 07:07:10 25630 21701.95
6 Russell Clark n/a A Class 42 0.979 05:59:35 21575 22037.79
7 David Kent Ian Kent Hurricane SX 458 1.007 06:10:32 22232 22077.46
8 Ian Keam-George Simon Keam-George Spitfire 188 1.035 06:27:50 23270 22483.09
9 Dave Parker Dave Harcourt Tornado GBR389 0.935 05:53:25 21205 22679.14
10 Lindsay Henderson Colin Lawrence Nacra 6.0 350 0.981 06:20:44 22844 23286.44

I've visited the Tek-Kat website and I've fallen in love. I covet it and am already planning to rob a bank to be able to pay the undoubtedly elevated price for it, Marstrom 20 territory?. Lately I've thinking about how my ideal cat would have to be built, and Tek-Kat seems to be spot on. Big, wide, carbon everything, canted hulls, offset daggerboards to provide lift. I hope that they won't shatter to many masts, I will be following them. Can anyone tell us more about this beast?

Sorry for the off-topic declaration of love for the Tek-Kat, I've enjoyed reading the reports the race here and on Sailing Anarchy. Hope to participate one day

If you send me a PM I will put you in touch with the person in charge of the Tek-Kat.

My understanding is that it will be competively priced!!!!!

Tek-kat? Links?

Jake ! go to :

http://www.tek-kat.co.uk/





Ohh no, not another "lets make everything from carbon and we'll win for certain this time" design.

Welcome to the long list of predecessors


Marstrom M18
CFR 20
Ventilo 20 "with some fancy name that I forgot already"
Marstrom M20 (twice, second time 20 kg heavier so it would stay in one piece)
Hobie Fox special edition (found its grave at Texel 2005 if I remember correctly)
Eagle 20 (about a dozen different versions of this design have been launched already)
M20 GTI (second generation M20 but now with a sloop rig instead of just a mainsail)
Volvo Extreme 20

Wasn't there also an all carbon Tornado sailing the USA somewhere ?

And this is only the listing of all the beach cats of 20 foot length.

Basically this boat will suffer the same problems as all it predecessors above.

-1- stay in one piece long enough to finish a series of races.
-2- stay ahead of the lead F18 that is only a quarter of the purchase costs.
-3- stay on the legal side of the law during road transportation.
-4- accepting the fact that the lightest doublehanded racing catamaran will still be another design.
-5- accepting the fact that a hacksaw or very big purse is not included as standard to allow international shipping by sea container.


Added to this is the fact that its "mathematically perfect" lines have been designed by a monohull (dinghy) designer whose call to fame is the RS300 and RS600 dinghy as well as his participation in the invictus C-class catamaran. If I remember correctly none of these boats made a hit world wide.

Sorry, we've all been down this road too often before.

We already know that the doorway to higher performance lays not in the choice for carbon as the building material but in aerodynamic improvements in the rig as well as hydrodynamic improvements in hull shapes and foils. Most of these breakthroughs have already been achieved and all of these can be attained while using different (much cheaper) materials. To make things worse many cheaper designs have already incorporated these features in their designs. There are no easy wins anymore when designing a new catamaran. The F18 class and its spin-offs like the new Tornado and F16 boats have develloped to far to allow easy wins.

Wouter

Thats one sexy looking boat.

Wouter,

If people did not try stuff, we would still be living in caves eating roots.




And how will this be a problem ?

Take it to bits, put it on a trailer !

I assume this is how the VX40's travel around and so I don't see a problem. Please explain.

Jake:

Here you go. Interesting chute is a integrated part of the boat?

http://www.tek-kat.co.uk/

Doug

Try http://www.tek-kat.co.uk/

that is interesting. Spin is tacked off a bow bridle - old-school like. The slot is pretty small but then the forestay is pretty far back on the hull. I know the recent swiss big cats (forgive me, I can't remember the name and don't have the time to look it up) also use a central pod to stiffen up the boat...I would like to hear how it goes.

Dear Wouter,

I really appreciate reading your conrtibutions because of the your knowledge. However I might even enjoy them if you weren't such a vinegarpisser. Have you never thought "PHWOAR!!" when you see a good looking lady walk by and have said to yourself: "I want her"? If it turns out that she is out of your league well so be it. Or perhaps she is attainable but her breath smells of old socks or she turns out to be as thick as 3 planks stuck together with stupid glue. Whatever the case you can have fun lusting after her, you can even be a source of entertainment to your friends while you make an butt of yourself pursueing her. Or perhaps in that alluring package is a soulmate that is happy that she crossed your path and you'll be happy together ever after.

What I'm trying to say is that I just had such a PHWOAR!! moment, and I want to know more about this boat. And if you are not in the least bit curious about it you really disappoint me.
I know for a fact that right now, I can't afford a new cat but I would like the idea that the moment, hopefully in the near future, that I can there wil be some interesting choices, preferably some new designs.

yes, the Tek Kat showed up.

no road transport problems - split down on the trailer, Tornado style

took maybe two hours to fully rig.

went like a train in the light stuff

mast snapped before wind really got up, though. No pitchpole or gust, but a design error in the mast, and the lay-up is not quite right yet. Other than that - cant fault it.

Yes, it is new, it's different, and may not beat 'everything' out there, but it is challenging pre-conceived notions, trying something new, and we need people like this out there.

Come and take on the Monster next time.
I didn't get a bite in this year, but i will be waiting for you in August 2009!

This is a real challenge. Not everyone can drive home and say they beat the Monster!

Who's all talk, and who is going to join in next time?!

drop an email to lochnesscatamarans(@)hotmail.co.uk to get yourself on the e-mailing list for 2009 race


Nessie

(i like cats, but couldn't eat a whole one)

Okay, what on this boat is totally new. As in untried on another catamaran ?

Wouter

Wouter,

Why do you have a downer on development ?

It's a new boat, it looks like it should be fun, why have a go at it because someone has tried something different ?