The high performance culture continues its mission...what will happen to the A Class in the USA now that foiling has become a passion of not only a few dedicated A catters but the Mach 2 has swept up a great deal of momentum in the Moth world, and there will be other designs to support this new form of off the beach ocean recreation in sooner years to come than we think. Foiling is now practiced in surfing, kiteboarding, and windsurfing. Why not light weight catamarans or tris? Hobie Catamarans has already (years ago) produced a trifoiler.

Bob Hodges feels the A Cat Class will be better off by honoring Rule 8 based on his recent post in SA. The consensus of USA sailors will likely follow his lead. This is unfolding drama, which is likely to have a ripple effect on the sport, and the final outcry might be that we are not prepared for extreme commitment as a general sailing public in most parts of this nation.

This reminds me of the struggle the military had prior to WWII. Will aircraft carriers be able to launch successful air strikes against the enemy? We know how that turned out.

Foiling will find a strong niche in the sailing world. The genre will never replace team racing or offshore seamanship, but the art is here to grow.

"Breaking news: Foiling A-class 2.0 is a fact.

Mischa, Glenn and Nathan are pushing the class to new heights.
Yesterday Glenn and Nathan were flying in a stable mode just 20 cm off the water. No flying bursts like Mischa showed in Barcelona but clean flying in anything over 7 kts of breeze.
The TNZ boys and Nathan have mounted longer rudders with wider T-foils which are mounted on the bottom. This improves the pitch control dramatically and the jumps which were so common in Barcelona are gone.

It is great to see how class development emerges so bottom up. Pushed by great sailors who are driven by competition." from Catamaran Racing News

Bert, Current status

ISAF A Class
The class president says in a letter... no sense in showing up at a major event unless you have a flying boat as used in the worlds....eg class legal under the rule 8... It is so bad... that the 30 minute to finish rule was quietly adjusted.


And a new class... "The Steves are calling it the A-Class Speed, and the boats will measure as A-Class cats in all respects with the sole exception of Rule 8. " from SA

The top competitors from the old A class have already jumped to the new class. So, What happens to a class when their top sailors move on en mass? (See Tornado Class and any number of dead boat society classes)

All that remains is to sort out the ISAF A Class politics and stuart walker type issues on competition so that you can hang onto the most sailors. I think it's unknowable what happens to the US fleet in the next year. In two years.... we be flying baby!

I know you guys get tired of me preaching this ,
but i think it's kinda pathetic when people make Rules
to Hold-Back the advancement of/for Technology !! (sigh)

Bille

You are not required to participate in a technology restricted class.

Foiling is going to have to come a long way before I buy one to sail on lake Hartwell.

Does anyone have this book? http://www.amazon.com/The-40-knot-Sailboat-BERNARD-SMITH/dp/B0000EGOZD

I'm not willing to pay $400. I believe it is out of print and now a collectors item.

My library had a copy and I read it just after it was published so my memory is a little sketchy. But,iirc, Smith wrote about "fat foils" and his prototypes were built of plywood.

I'm guessing these current ultra thin highly engineered foils are only one solution. Jus' sayin'..

Actually, the Sail-Rocket concept and design is based on Bernard Smith's research. He was actually on site when Paul Larsen set the existing speed record for a wind powered water craft.

Yes I know and they backed off from the super thin sections they once used and went to a little thicker section.

Still, iirc, Smith said "fat foils" can work.

If we're talking about the future, it seems to me the current models must fail. Trying to attach a high efficiency foil to a contemporary hull design is futile; it puts the cart before the horse. The hull must be redesigned with the foiling considerations first. Look at sail rocket, look at Smith's drawings.

http://www.geocities.com/aerohydro/designframeset.htm
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/01/ff-paul-larsen-sailrocket/all/

You might want to check your facts on that. Smith died in 2010.

Neither statement excludes the other.

I believe he was there when Sailrocket set the first record in 2008

I think it's Great that sailrocket can go that fast
BUT
it only goes in ONE direction.

I got a Lot more respect for sail boats that can go
both directions. Sailrocket is a Novelty ; Hydroptère
and the AC-72's are sailboats !!------------------(sorry)

The technology in sailrocket is Awesome, and it can/Should
be applied to something that can go both directions ; even
if it isn't quite as Fast. One thing in-particular, that's
one of the main reasons sailrocket does so well, can be Directly applied to a cat or tri.

Bille