I found a new way to lose $700 this weekend.

I was racing on Saturday in about 20 - 25 mph of wind. I was on a broad reach going to 'C' mark when a boat off my leward bow lost control and rounded up. I turned up sharply to avoid him, and during the turn I heard two loud popping sounds. At the time I thought my crew lost his footing and thumped against the hull, and didn't worry about it.

After rounding the C mark, I noticed that the boat wasn't pointing well, but still didn't make the connection. It was only when pulling the boards to come in to shore that we realized that both boards had snapped off cleanly at the bottom of the hull. We definately didn't hit anything, and there was no damage to the daggerboard trunks.

In retrospect, I should have had the boards halfway up in those conditions, but I still can't belive that they broke just from water resistance. The boards were only 6 months old, so maybe I can get some money back on them.

Anybody else have this happen to them?

Pete Schmalzer
NACRA 5.8 NA/MN 1302

Amazing!

I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own two eyes. After the race Pete walked up with the two board stubs--really is amazing. And the boards had very few miles on them.

Gary, I couldn't figure out what to say, but you have definitely come up with the right word. "Amazing." We broke off the bottom half of one of our Hobie 18 daggerboards once going out through big surf on Lake Michigan in Chicago, but the boat had come down really hard to do that.

I've heard of 6.0's breaking boards in similar situations - but I agree - that's a little harsh...especially if they are relatively new. Let us know what the reply is from the factory!

One thing I've noticed on Nacra boards is that the old ones that came originally with my boat had strips of carbon
fiber about 2" wide laminated on each side. I never broke one in normal use, but had one sheared off by a collision. The new board don't have this and was more bendy. Broke with hardly a whimper. Sounded sort of like someone rapped the hull with a fist. Mine broke landing off a wave. That's
when I noticed the lack of carbon.

Seems to me that if boards are going to fail, they would do it in the scenario you discribed. Sudden deflection at
high speed. You were about twice your normal going to weather speed so the forces were approximatly squared.

Just spoke with Jack Young of Performance Catamarans -

Apparently they had a bad batch of boards made up back in March, in which the carbon reinforcement was left out. They thought they had destroyed them all, but apparently a few made it out the door - One of the 6.0s in the Tybee 500 got a set as well. Jack was surprised mine lasted as long as they did. He'll be sending me replacements, so alls well as ends well.

Pete

Glad to hear that it is solved.

GARY

Thanks for the update! Hurray!