[color:"red"]"IT'S REAL!"[/color] I was down at the club yesterday to see the first looks of the new boat. The picture on the water it Peter Vink and Pete Melvin sailing. I will have to post all the pictures that Peter sent me on the Photos site. I will tell you when they are all up.

Later,
Dan

I wondered when someone was going to figure out how to get the spinnaker pole lower. That's a neat attachment of the bridle wires...not on the upper edge of the deck but down the inside of the hull. Looks like the jib is really low and has a higher aspect ratio too.

BUCKWHEAT PART 3

Yes, the bottom of that kite looks parallel with the deck

Dan, are there into production of the hulls yet? i know peter is still trialing jibs.

I need my boat now


Paul [infusion #?]

This is a production hull, Hull #1. They are at the factory today sorting out all the stuff they are sending with the boat. That is, the list of materials, line lenghts, etc. They have molds enough to make two full boats at a time. That is four hull molds as starboard and port hulls are distinct from one another. Infusion production techniques will allow pulling of parts more quickly. There are over 50 orders with money down, right now, if I understand correctly. There are also about 20 others waiting in the wings. Better start pumping them out Jack.

If you want some more shots of the boat try they gallery and look up my name. Infusion Photos

Jake: The bridle does attach a bit lower on the hull. The pole shrouds are still about the same place.

Dan

The spin does look lower than the other NF18s. Some boats use a compression strut that runs from the point of bridle/forestay attachment to the spin pole. See attachment. I guess this would allow for more spin shapes that still fit within class rules?

Another pic of the strut. The infusion looks like a very cool boat.

Those someones where Martin Fisher and Greg Goodall when it comes down to F18's. They figured it out in 2003/2004 with their Capricorn F18; see picture.



Sorry mates, that feature is not new. Actually I the idea is alot older then that as well as the KL catamarans had it back in the 90's already.

Wouter

We now have a Landy kite on the Capricorn which is longer in the luff than the Goodall.

Our pole is about 6 inches lower at the bridle than this one. Because it is so low, we added another bridle (spectra) from the pole to the bridle chainplates just like the Tornadoes.

Yesterday I raced a Marathon and set the Capricorn up with my Tornado kite. Pole tip was level with the bow and had to raise the halyard pully slightly. Looked mean. Some serious depth down wind too....

Good pictures Dan, I can see what I am getting now!

Performance have yet again gone to a lot of trouble [and expense] to incorporate a rotation system that can be trimmed from the wire. This time they are using an 'ankle bruiser' type that the Tornadoes were using a while back. The previous nacra/prindle over-boom system had a fair bit of friction and I always took out a purchase. This in contrast to Hobie who, even on the highest tec Tiger, stick with the jam cleat on top of the boom. Is this a difference in thinking between the two camps? I was always someone who let off the rotation to the max when the kite was hoisted, firstly to go faster but also to keep the mast pointing upward. But now that we are all sailing hotter and harder downwind, is this necessary?

Paul
[Infusion #?]

Wow, look at how tiny those hulls are, forward of the mast!

Paul:

I sail a Tiger and reworked my rotation adjustment making it similar to the Nacras with cleats to the side of the boat. Even if going Mach I think it still makes sense to let the rotation off downwind. Eileen and I were being lazy one day and did not ease the rotation, while Pease and Jay Glaser were watching us. They said it made big difference if we did not let it rotate forward, as the sail is a completely different shape. This may have something to do with how the spinnaker pulls at the mast when up. I think that the Tornado’s may be going back to the way this new boat is rigged. We used to sail a Hobie 20 with the rotation on the trampoline like this. It works better due to the friction you mentioned. I think it is nice to have it out of the way and on the boom…but at what cost? I may move mine to trampoline to try for an afternoon out. Just to see how we like it. We will see.

Hobie Gary:

This boat may look on the picture to be thin but that is relative. The hulls are very wide and able to float a lot of weight. The hull from the crossbar forward may look, in the pics, to be narrow. They are not.

Later,
Dan

For some reason I LOVE the looks of this boat. To me it looks like a big ocean racer scaled down.

Just looking at the sails, is the Infusion going to come with the Euro sails pictured or EPs?

Bob

Bob
All the European Nacras have 'Performance sails' . The fact that Peter Vink is the main man at performance sails and is now co-owner of Nacra Europe [Was deBoers] will only reinforce this.

The way the foredeck ramps-up to the top of the cross bar, exagerates the illusion of having a lot of taper.


GARY

Bob,

I understand that even the US Infusions will have Vink's sails.

Wout,

Yeah - I discovered that later after making that post.

First test sail in the land of cheese by nacra europe.

Its hard to make out the profile of the masts's wingshape from the pics. Maybe I can take some pics at the boatshow next week.

I think you guys have missed the most important reason why the bridle tangs are so low. The lower you want set the jib on a formula eighteen the shallower the bridle becomes - unless you place the fitting much lower down the inside of the hull.
We did this on the blade formula eighteen - yes we got the idea from the capricorn and acknowledged that they were on the right path.
We placed the fitting about one hundred mm down from the gunnal and reduced the load on the hulls, bridle etc.

It will be interesting to see how the new nacra will go against the capricorns and tigers.

Marcus

Marcus:

How does the Blade do against the Capricorn? Did you put more volume in the hulls? What are some of the differences in the overall design?

Dan

Dan,

I have only sailed the MK11 Blade against the Capricorn just once. It was a mixed weekend & on the wery windy day the Capricorn cartwheeled ( Greg Goodall ) chasing us to the finish. The blade in not really all that affected by nose diving. It actually does not really nosedive, just seems to surf right out of the depest trough that you think has got you. Its very reasurring.

The is no doubt the capricorn is nice boat & there are quiet a few differences between the boats when along side each other.

Production of the Blade F18 is in the pipeline for later this year.

Marcus

Marcus:

I have taken a couple of pictures and stacked them. I did not have a picture of the Capricorn but will put it side by side in the same frame if I get one. The Blade seems to have more rocker than the Infusion. Maybe likes the waves a bit more for that reason. I do not know what sized waves you were in. When I sailed the Infusion we had some swells, maybe 2 to 4 foot on average some bigger at times. I do not remember the bows ever going underwater completely so I cannot really judge the recovery from that. The boat is designed, according to Pete Melvin to take most of the crew weight back. The front crossbar seems to be a bit further back than my Tiger. Downwind the boat steers very easily whether sailing really high and hot or low. I was trapezed out on the wire in the back, no footstraps or line from transom. I was very confident back there while playing the spinnaker. I think that if I were in big seas I would like the rocker. For the seas we have in CA we can get away with a bit less rocker, but we need enough to maneuver with the swells we have. Lakes, with flat conditions, could use even less.

Thank you for the information. Are you sailing the Blade in France in July? I would like to take a close look at it there.

Later,
Dan

Steve,

You have been busy. Nice set of Photo's. The new nacra rocker looks a lot like the original Blade MK1 & it performed well on the lakes, but the bay & ocean veues were not so kind - hence the MK11.

Dan,

The swells that i was referring to were between 2 & 4m and too close together for comfort. Steve (F18ALive) can confirm what Sandringham can be like.

There wont be any Blades at the worlds in France, but there will be a team of boats at the Aust worlds next year. Boats should be in full production before the event.

Regards

Marcus

Marcus:

I am sorry to see that they will not be in France but look forward to seeing them in Australia. Are you anywhere near Jervis Bay? Have you sailed there?

Steve: Thanks for the photos.

Dan

Dan,

No have not sailed there - have heard good reports but the club facilities were not going to be up to standard.

Yepoon should be good location. We will still have to drive about three thousand km's to get there.

Regards

Marcus

As this is the Nacra Infusion thread, here is a trimsheet compiled by the team riders.