Anyone know these? Is it a "box rule" such as A
class? The pitchpole picture looks like a 30 foot beam.

David Ho
TheMightyHobie18 1067

LOA 40 ft.
BEAM MAX 23 ft.
MAST HIGHT (2 part mast -100 kg) 62 ft.

MAIN area 75 m ²
JIB area 25 m ²
GENAKER area 78 m ²

DISPLACEMENT
(including safety & engine) 1250 kg
TOP SPEED 40 kts.
4 crew + 1 Non Participant

The link :

http://www.volvoextreme40.org/vx40.asp

Where do they put the "non-participant"?

The scene from "What About Bob" comes to mind....

Hell; why not 50 knots ? Better still 60 !

Ohh darn, no water born sail craft ever went beyond 50 knots, so that will be a little too obvious.

Okay lets settle on 40 knots then. Only 8.6 knots slower then the most technologically advanced multihull ever. Never mind that it could achieve this speed only on a starboard tack, we'll just say we can do 40 knots on either tack using a low tech soft sail rig. The people in the world are simply too dumb to think for themselfs anyway, they will believe anything we say.

Who out there truly understands that this is aerodynamically impossible ?

Wouter

Wouter,

Now, I remember you! Weren't you the tall, skinny Dutchman standing at the foot of the Kill Devil Dune, screaming "It'll never fly!"?

Howlin,

got any documentation showing that the VX40's have done 40 knots or above (or even anything closely resembling such speeds)?

The Tornado class (and others) have claimed 30 knots, but there is no documentation. GPS logs from users on this forum show a max speed for beachcats around 25knots. At least they did so the last time we had this discussion.


Media/PR-companies and sailors make outrageous claims about speeds from time to time. Like the VOR70's doing 35 to 40 knots in the southern ocean.. Yes, perhaps free-falling off a wave generating a high local speed on the GPS, but it is not something they are able to (or want to) reproduce, more a measuring problem.
I dont believe much of whatever speed a class claims unless the documentation is there. Knowing who the marketing genius behind the VX40s is, I make a point out of not believing any speed claims before they are documented.


The Wright brothers knew what they were doing. Plenty of prior art and others along the same path. The same goes for the VX40s, plenty of similar crafts who has not gone to 40knots.

How do they get these puppies across the pond? Do they sail them? or do they get a ride on a larger vessel?

I think I heard that they was shipped in containers. Mast is two-part, so it should be quick and easy.

I heard on the video on the site that Holmatro was clocked at 36 kts.

Rolf,

Something must have been lost in translation! I was poking fun at Wouter's ascertation that 40knts was impossible...............

I do not doubt the 40knt claim, as I have been on a cat clocked at 30knts plus,according to the on-board GPS.

Wouter,
First of all - lighten up
Second the VX40 website says "max" speed 40knots
Third if a soft sail Crossbow II went and AVERAGE of 36knots in 1980 on a 500M course, what makes you so sure a VX40 cant hit 40 for a brief moment or two?

We've had 26 years of technology since Crossbow to add 4knots? I'm thinking this isnt beyond belief. Its a rather extravegant claim, but its not necessarily improssible.

You've never sailed a VX40 - right?
You've never seen one sailing? (in person) Right?
Have you even seen one at the dock?

What makes you an expert on how fast they can go?

Bill

BullSh!T

Show us the track and the GPS log. And they better be showing us a stable and sustained speed track with consistant coordinate points.

Currently I got two tracks showing a F16 did 110 km/h and 400 km/h. Both were GPS measurement glitches like Rolf said. Every now and then a GPS receiver miscalculates a point, sometimes even by several hundred meters (hence the over 400 km/h speed recording ! The boat was actually stationary on the beach at the time)

So don't give us smack talk just give us proof !

Wouter

Was that the same video were the sped up the footage to make it look like these boat were going really fast (as happened with the Rio de Janero in port VX40 races !)

Wouter

Why should they show you proof? Who made you king?

The only other thing you've proven is that you have a crappy GPS unit.

And that he has a potty-mouth :P

Still waiting for that proof guys.

Wouter

You obviously don't understand the difference between marketing hyperbole and "truth". They have nothing to do with each other.

("35.51 knots? Cool! We can round it up to 40 and use it in advertising!")

You're the one smack talking.

Here you go girlie: It was the full version last day Portsmouth race one.

Struth! I think you all need to lighten up.

"potty-mouth"??? "smack talk"??? What the...., are you going to give him a good smack and sit him on the potty. How about washing his mouth out with soapy water?
Wouter, you're a naughty, naughty boy. Now go sit on the potty till you can play properly.
Sheeeesh! (oops! Now I'm in trouble)