You tube F14 cat sailing

You tube video F14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nrCYTxQDtQ

Cool vid.

Keep up the good work Darryl.

Hope to see some AO's on the east coast

Good stuff! I especially like the second half at the regatta! What regatta was that and were there two F14's? Was one or both using the T foil rudders?

There are actually three different Alpha's featured on the video.
The shots that I think you are referring to are with two Alpha's in the one race, both with green spinnakers.
The first 1/2 to 2/3s of the video is of the Alpha's before we had fitted T foils and the last section has them both with T foils. The race with the two Alpha's was shot at a club heat at Adelaide sailing club where they race in "Division one" against all the NACRA 5.8's, A class, F16's, F18's, etc, on yardstick (in which race the first cat on yardstick was one of the Alpha's, and the other came third) Over the line they were second and fourth respectively. The two sailers on those two Alpha’s weigh 85kgs and 95kgs respectively – so no great “lightweights” – it just goes to demonstrate the versatility of the Alpha when it comes to weight carrying and to still able to be competitive.

COOL VID.... fast little buggers...

fast little buggers

says it all in three words

will we see these in the
U.S. at some point?

cool vid...

Only way thay I can see the Alpha in the US is if someone wants to build them there? (if that happened then we would buy them from the states)
The exchangs rate between the US dollar and the Australian dollar would seem to make them too "pricey" at the moment
Just a relatively short time ago the Australian dollar was only at 55c US but it is now almost at parity which is a selling export "killer".

I'd sell my 18 Hobie for one of the ''fast little buggers''
I learned on a 14 Hobie~~ had alotta fun, but NO comparison to these.... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Ahh!! Memories of the first sail on a Hobie 14. It felt like it was going to break the sound barrier, and now when I look at the relative difference between the Hobie 14 and the Alpha F14 with the Alpha rated some 28.5 minutes faster in every 100 minutes on the water than the Hobie 14 (even 2.5 minutes faster than the Hobie 18), it really puts into perspective just how far we have come with the Alpha F14 from those early days of 14’ cat sailing!

Hey Darryl..... How did ya make out on that bet ??
I came across the other ''site''
Do these cats come in boxes?? send me one !! LOL <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

No takers on the bet, and why would you want a "box"??? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

''BOX'' as in shippin crate... I'll put it toghter in my yard........... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Just joking.
Like the saying years ago by NACRA sailers - "I'd rather sail the box a NACRA came in than sail a Hobie"

(bump)

bump

Darryl,

the bumps are pretty shameless, try a subtle note or comment.

But! But! ---- I am shameless and definitely not subtle, and that comes with authority from my wife of 46 years, - I still introduce her as my "first wife" - hows that for being subtle? Besides I have been a sailer all my life so I guess that automatically rules out "shame and subtlety" completely?

see that wasn't so hard was it?

Your right, this "ruse" of small meaningless entries really works If it isn’t bumped occasionally the post just gets buried two or more pages back in one day. Bummer.

Hey Darryl why didn't you get to Sauna sail? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> (saved you a bump)
regards

Two reasons (maybe three if the price of petrol counts twice)
Firstly, it was so cold the first time that we went I just couldn’t talk Antony and/or Emile to “freeze their nuts off” over there again, (regardless of what Garry says and despite the fact that it really is a great weekends racing)
Secondly the price of petrol (we are personally delivering two AO F14’s across to Perth in a couple of weeks and I shudder at the petrol bill – especially if we did both trips)

Obviously going onto bigger & better...... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Well Marcus you MAY be half right???

But which half.....

Bump

Well.....Darryl allways said that bigger is better <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />.....so I thought bigger & better would be a nice combo!!

Does your wife agree with that Marcus??? (or does she say that "size doesn't matter, it's what you do with it that counts")

Living in sin means no wife <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I think the small boys (F14)use the excuse "quality not quanitity"!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Turned out it wasn't that cold over there except the middle of the night. Are they the first AO14's into WA?

When we last went to "The Sauna Sail" it was a great regatta but, it WAS cold!
yes these are the first AO F14's into the west.

can we put this half marketing half drivel thread back in the f14 forum now

please

pretty please

Isn't that what "open forums" are for.? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Its the open forum Erice and a boat I would like to see that I thought I would see sail at sauna sail. What did you want to talk about
regards

i suggest getting back on tack then

how about posting some photos or specifications

there has precious little information apart from the video in the 1st post 4 pages ago

what about a photo of the t foils on the rudders?

Who made you the forum police? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Do a search & you will find photo's of the t'foils previously. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Snippety, snippety... C'mon, everyone, go sailing!

Its winter and were desperate, if we could sail we wouldn't be looking wistfully at pictures on the computer
regards

You asked?
link to photo of "T" foils
http://www.catsailor.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=36&pos=16

thanks Darryl, i did search for them but obviously not well enough

Sorry, it's summer here in Florida and I keep forgetting that some are less fortunate... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Isn't it also Cyclone season in Florida as well?

Darryl, the pics show some sexy looking kick up rudders on some/earlier? f14's as well as the t-foil rudders.

notice that the t-foil rudders are not kick up but have their own special up/down carbon sleeves

is that because the upward forces they generate don't work well with the typical kickup system, or are you just trying to keep the t-foils at the lowest drag angle all the time. i can imagine that if the rudders were put up or down the usual way the t-foils would act as huge brakes....

At least theres wind, I thought about Christies this weekend but its looking like no wind again <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I think you answered you own question, plus I think you would break something while "kicking" the rudders up - unless you are not moving. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

(Quote)
Darryl, the pics show some sexy looking kick up rudders on some/earlier? F14’s as well as the t-foil rudders.
Notice that the t-foil rudders are not kick up but have their own special up/down carbon sleeves
Is that because the upward forces they generate don't work well with the typical kick up system, or are you just trying to keep the t-foils at the lowest drag angle all the time? I can imagine that if the rudders were put up or down the usual way the t-foils would act as huge brakes....
(End Quote)

The kick up system we made first and when we fitted the T foils it seemed a better idea to be able to raise and lower the T foils always at the same angle of attack to the direction of the boat and not, as you say, create a braking effect if they were to kick up. (I have tried them with a kick up system (the T foils) and they do work well and the braking effect was of no great inconvenience except if I tried to sail off the beach with the rudders partly swung up).
I thought that you were looking at your own T foil system? (or was that someone else?)

I showed the video to one of my friends... He wants one also, make 2 boxes...LOL... I didn't realize at first that you were one of the designers & builders~~ Good job <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> and another bump !!!!!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Darryl wouldn't the foils kick up clear of the water and drag on top with very lttle resistance once they'd popped.
regards

Your absolutely correct "Jeffs" and at most times when the rudders “kick up” you are not really concerned about your sailing speed as it’s mostly about saving your rudders from breakage from hitting something “solid”. Even if they kick up from dragging large amounts of weed, you still want them up to get that weed off of them. As I said the only time that having T foils on “kick up” rudders is a real “pain” is when you have to sail out off the beach with them half way up/down, then there is a lot of drag that can be problematic.
With the T foils in “cassette” type stocks everything works great all the time, with the possible exception of hitting something really solid with them down – but then we have used them now for some three plus seasons and never broken any while sailing (and they have hit bottom rather hard a few times)

There's a Farrier trimaran with pull-up rudders in a cassette. Normally you pull them straight up manually, but if you hit something the whole cassette kicks up, saving the rudders. That sounds like the ideal setup to me! Too bad it won't work for daggerboards! Could be nice on the F14, but maybe it would put too much weight on the transom?

(Quote)
There's a Farrier trimaran with pull-up rudders in a cassette. Normally you pull them straight up manually, but if you hit something the whole cassette kicks up, saving the rudders. That sounds like the ideal set-up to me! Too bad it won't work for daggerboards! Could be nice on the F14, but maybe it would put too much weight on the transom? (End quote)

There is a 14’ cat (paper tiger) here that has/had such a “kick up” cassette rudder stock system, and we have looked at that system but then decided to keep it as simple as possible. We have had no problems so far with this cassette system even without any kick up ability.