In looking at the potential for the F18 class to be (nearly)all things for (nearly)everyone I have remembered that there has been a box rule 18' catamaran class for a long time. I deregarded it because of the 11' or more beam. I have had a collection of experiences that have made me realize that at least 19' and 20' boats need more beam. I think we may find an ultimate solution that allows use of 2 or more sets of main and rear beams. Since learning that there are other 18 squares besides the Nacra 5.5 attached to 11' beams, it occurs to me that the 18 squares have already done a lot in hull performance and light weight. My searches have turned up just a small amount of anecdotal information. I have learned from Kirt Simmons that the 2 classes shown on the Portsmouth tables are for less than 300# and more than 300#.
My questions are: What are the box rules for the 2 classes? Are they strictly single handers? Are there any tortured ply builders? Where and when were they popular, and what did the sailors of 18 squares go to if anything? Are they still raced somewhere? If there is any kind of website, I couldn't find it.
Following is the description for the attached picture:

Here is a picture of Wild Turkey, she was built by a builder named Brad Johanson. The wing was built by a guy named
Terry Richards. The previous owner spent $140,000 on the project. The boat weighs 264 lbs. The wing weighs 110 lbs. and
the rest of the boat weighs 154 lbs. The hulls are constructed of 3/32 acumy plywood, 3/32 mahogany, carbon fiber and epoxy.
The hulls weigh 52 pounds each, they take far less load from the mainsheet system on a ridged wing because you don't have to
flatten the rig by honking on the mainsheet. The mainsheet is only a 3:1 purchase and a certain amount of the wings area is in
front of the bearing on the main beam.
The wing is composed of 3/32 acumy ply below the $2600 titanium platter bearing and 1/16 acumy above the bearing. The
"D" section is covered in carbon epoxy and Imron. The aft portion of the wings front panel is covered in 1 mil aircraft
monocoat. The aft panel is covored in 3 oz. dacron. There is a sophisticated system of cams and rollers at the bottom of the
wing which articulates the panels so that in light winds the panels can be positioned to create a slot between them the entire
length of the 28' wing. This ventury will overpower the boat in as little as 4 knots true with the sailor on the wire. That is really
saying something when you consider that the boat is 11'6" wide. It is the fastest 1 man course racing cat your ever likely to
see .
The rudders are all carbon including the posts and weigh 1.4 lbs. each. They are through hull mounted yet can be kicked up
because an entire section of the hull swivels up. You would never sail this thing up on the beach, you would instead pick it up
and set it on pads. It is a one man boat but it requires a support crew of 2 or 3 to set up and run. I'm bringing it here next
weekend to complete the trailer restoration.

What a great piece of eye candy!

With the hulls so light are there durability issues?

If you capsize this will it damage the wing-sail? How waterproof is it?

David Ho
TheMightyHobie18 1067

Dear Steve,

I enjoy reading and hearing of your pursuit for speed!

I hope you have an oportunity or have had an oporutnity to see the Eighteen Square pages that M. Coleman has set up at:
The 18 Square Pages

Now what about some recognition for the 62 mph that I attained in your yacht?

There is still a concentration of a few active squares on Lake Norman (Charlotte, N.C.). Good bunch of guys - but they're hesitant to travel for obvious reasons. The following are the class rules which also explains the demise of the class. Yes, it was a box rule but with very few rules defining that box. It obviously was intended to be a developmental class but as shown by the image you attached, it lead to variations of which it became impossible for the class to compete with. When such variation started coming to light, the class broke into Type 1 (over 300lbs) and Type 2 (under 300lbs) in an attempt to try and level the playing field. You could probably fit the 18sq class rules on a 5X6 note card! It looks like a really great boat and I know a lot of guys that own or have owned them - a lot of good stuff came out of that development. In contrast, the F18 rules are 31 pages long (already) and while some might consider any box rule a "development class", the F18 arms race is limited to a much smaller scale. ( International F18 Class Rules )

There is a single Nacra 5.5M 18sq at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. It looks like fun boat to fly a hull on

Yes, world, Gary achieved 62mph in my landyacht (increased beam 5sm) under conditions I believe equal or exceeded my personal best of 64. I believe I had the tire pressure higher on my run on another occasion. And I felt pretty good about our attempts and thought my goal of getting mid 70's in a vessel you could put in the back of of a minivan was possible. But now, it looks like almost anything you put wheels and a rag on will hit low 60's. (Mantas, Scirrocco's, etc.) And I don't think there is much chance of me breaking 70 without a heavy investment in time and technology. Still, I look forward to our next attempt at mediocre results at getting 300lbs to go 60. Although the speedo only says 60 (you actually rarely get a chance to see it at that speed), your heart and sphincter organs say 200!

I raced against that boat in Vancouver in 87'. It was almost as fast as an Aussie 18 footer around the course.
The boat never went over, so I can't tell you if it will
hold up. It is the fastest upwind boat I have ever seen.
I believe that you might want to set a limit of about 18 knots true for sailing on it until you've sailed it a bunch.
If your not too experienced, make that 10 knots true. The wing is very, very powerfull.

For those who may have an interest in the 18 Square, please feel free to contact me, as I was the Class Association Secretary from 1983 until (approximately) 1994.

Yes there were two (2) categories of Square.

Category I was any boat under 330 lbs. all up weight - or any boat whose mast circumference was greater than 21 inches.

Category II were boats that we 330 lbs. or more in weight.

At the time the class was active - late 1970's through the early 1990's, several production boats were available, as well as a series of homebuilt boats. NACRA and COYOTE were the "production" boats - with NACRA being the only "factory" production boat available. The COYOTE was a design that was produced in very limited numbers, and by several different owners of the hull molds.

As noted, the hombuilt boats were built by various people, and the most prevalent were the boats (3mm ply and ply/honeycomb construction) by John Lindahl of Michigan. John's designs still live today and as I recall a set of his hulls might still be available on the "A" Class Association classified ads. His plans are also still available for home building through the Gougeon Brothers (WEST System) library of plans. Brad Johannson (a builder from Maine and the Northeast at the time) also produced a series of boats that were often sailed by himself and Bob Bergstedt. His boats were eitehr ply or cedar strip. David Ward, Denis Palin, Ted FLack and a few others were involved to some extent in home building during that time. On the west coats, Gino Morelli, Fred Roland, Bill McClellan, Ken Wellman, Craig Riley and John Brink round out a series of early builders/designers. By the way - for the record, it was the Roland boys who initiated and fostered both this class and the NACRA (factory, at the time).

Because the class was an "Open and Development" class, boats were made from Kevlar, Klegecell, Orcon S-Glass, wood (ply and strip). Contrary to previosu posts - carbon fiber WAS NOT the norm and only near the end of the class heyday, did it begin to appear - but in the form of rudders and boards.

Tom Roland, Fred Roland, Skip Elliot, Roy Seaman were all involved in the effort to build this class, Fred being the dominant developer of the actual 18 Square Class.

CLIMAX was the Morrelli boat, and Jim Hansen was teh designer of the COYOTE. Also a point of interest .... Gino Morelli was the first (known) builder to cant the hull boards. At first it was suggested that the tilt to the boards was to offer a way to make the boat point better - but later confirmed by Gino they were simply tilted to clear the side shrouds when raised !

Today, the thin NACRA spar would need to be replaced by carbon or a stronger wall section if the boat was to be fitted with a spinnaker, and there might be aneed to further reinforce the bows of any boats since NACRA (at the time) simply used half tubes of cardboard to run forward to stiffen the hulls. Also NACRA (then) was known for oil-can sides that weren't corrected until about 1987-1988 when NACRA started using foam sandwich construction.

I still have my old 1983 SQUARE, and while it hasn't sailed in a few years, it still can scare the bejesus out of you when the wind picks up. Optimal performance for a Square is flat water and 12 -16 mph winds, as that is when the wider beam comes into it's own. If you have ever sailed a Tornado, just imagine an extra 1 or 2 feet in beam width. Makes choppy water very flat when hulls are that far apart.

Also - contrary to the theory that the "WING" did in the class - it was eventually beaten boat for boat by John Lindahl on a soft sail Lindahl Catamaran Design (LCD)boat, the two major impacts on the class were 1) the NACRA factory pulled out of making it a production (special order) boat, ..... and 2) the decision by many owners NOT to trailer their boats - either to the next lake or to the Nationals due to beam size of 11 to 12 feet.

That's a brief history and background. Please feel free to contact me for specific questions relating to the class.

Dick Lemke
Dick.Lemke@co.dakota.mn.us

I humbly stand corrected!

"His boats were eitehr ply or cedar strip. David Ward, Denis Palin, Ted FLack and a few others were involved to some extent in home building during that time."

I don't know if Denis Built a plywood square, I guess he did.
But he has a nice, light, fast Carbon 18square. I went sailing Sunday 10/5/03, and Denis was just rigging as I was leaving. I had just sailed a friends I17R, a whole story in itself there.
As for rigging, Denis trailers his on top of a pop up camper, rigging the whole thing each sail. He does it as fast or faster than I can rig my Nacra 6.0na, and rig the retrofit spinaker.

HIs boat, #727, is simply awesome, beautiful, a work of art.

I bow down to him and chant "I'm not worthy", when I see him at regattas, the Texas City Dike, etc. This guy on this boat are sooo fast. At one of the last regattas we raced in together, Out of 5 races, I finished ahead of him in two races, and corrected out over him in 1! (My N6.0na+sq. top, and spin.) At which point I felt I had reached my pinacle in catamaran sailing, and would be perfectly happy just passing away at that point.

Obviously, this was a rant, and a tribute, to a sailor who has built a light, strong, fast, 18square, and still sails/races it regularly.

I can't leave out Tami and Jay, who have have and sail/race squares.

Todd Bouton
N6.0na + (it's for sale 3,500)

Looking for and Inter, 20 that is!