New Ashby A-Class

Just got an email from Glenn. New A-Class built by Geltek will be in production by June. Here's pics of the prototype:



J

J

Looks like some pretty hard chine on the hulls!!

Uh, no... I think he's from Australia.

Boat looks pretty cool, though.

?????
I guess I need a taller glove.

I think you'll start seeing more of that.

ahhhhh boo :P

I don't see a chine on those hulls at all but I do see some relocation and widening of the rocker. (if you right click and choose "view image" you get a larger version). am I missing something?

What browser do you use? Firefox?

ya, right click this one
http://www.ashbysails.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/a-states-prototype/img_1038_resize.jpg
think that matches the definition pretty well, although you may argue just how hard

Check out that cool McGregor 26 in the background!





J

Blow up the pix of him flying a hull downwind and you can really see the chine. Looks like another effort for a planing hull.
Rick

Yep! Stand by for some technical info re the hull design from the man himself. I'll post it as soon as I get as chance.

J

Jake ,
In case your confused.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chine_(boating)

Tawd

I know what the heck a chine is....

the bottom looks round to me...I'll give you a ~maybe~ a soft chine at the corners but there's nothing sharp or cornerish on the bottoms. Look at the transom - there's no section of chine there at all...it's rounded.

http://www.ashbysails.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/a-states-prototype/img_1151_resize.jpg


And this image where the light reflection isn't so sharply defined between sky and sea...don't see a chine:

http://www.ashbysails.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/a-states-prototype/img_1035_resize.jpg

Jake, the one I linked, the one of Glen going wild.

What don't you see in that pic? All the ones you linked are poor examples.

I agree with Jake, there is no chine there. The boat has a firm turn of bilge (smaller radius than normal) but definitely no chine (hard edge). Look at the transom, not the shadows.

Poor examples? ....of my position or yours?

AAAHHH...I feel like all is right with the world for the moment. We're arguing about catamaran hull design instead of politics and the state of the economy. This is how it should be! Carry on, please!


J

Sorry to differ with a boat designer and the caped crusader.

I see, at least, a soft chine.

Guess we'll wait for Glenn's comments.

Ashby trapping extremely low as always.
Any word on how much it costs?

I've got a pretty good ballpark figure. Email me for details:

jeremy at surfcitycatamarans dot com

J

Amen Brotha

Chines.... you don't know chines!

Tony's Predator Page

Here you go:

hah! Eat that suckers.

Now, who was it that sent me the definition of a chine like I didn't know what it was?

I have to agree with Tony. Whenever I see a picture of Glen going up wind I can't get over how low he is trapped. When I try that it feels like I'm hanging upside down and my neck muscles give out. Maybe I should take up Limbo lessons. Ed

There was never any question rather you knew or not,because
You know everything

Rocket J. Squirrel: And now, here to tell you everything about anything is Mr. Know-It-All.

http://www.rockyandbullwinkle.com/jwt/know_frame.html

Rocky: OK, then, thank you, Mr. Know-It-All.

Have you seen him get on the wire? He doesn't have a mainsheet cleat so with the main in one hand, the tiller in the other, he clips in with the hand holding the mainsheet. With his arms out holding everything (not the trap handle) he drops his butt off the side and kicks out. It's a really unnerving feeling to drop off the side of the boat without a hand on anything trapeze related.

My first Worrell, I hiked like that.The skipper beat me if I didn't. I had probs with my head being below my heart, got dizzy alot. I tried it again this past weekend and it was OK for an upwind leg but I wouldn't want to do it anymore than that. It did get your neck all twisted though.
Todd

"It has more volume in the water than before but less out of the water and has thus far been faster up wind in nearly every condition"

With every thing moved back a little, is it being set up for Australian Conditions? I can assure you he probably hasnt sailed in my lake conditions, you know, very light, shifty, light and variable....
Will the boat be faster if you sail mostly light air stuff, or will it be better in waves, chop, and the 15-20 Australian stuff?

Ed, I trapped low all weekend, only because my new trap system allowed the stopper ball to pull thru the stopper knot giving me about 5 more inches of trap line. Just enough to not be able to reach my handle to get back on the boat! Sweeeet!

For those of you who missed this past A cat weekend at Ben Halls place in FL (26 A cats)Lars Guck did a full session on trapezing before we hit the water for 15 short training sprint races (he coached from a power boat). We also took a bunch of footage of Lars on my Gel-tec flyer II in 16 - 18kns using the same mid tramp mainsheet block (no cleat)set up that Glenn uses. It will be posted on the USACA site soon.

humble pie
munch, munch, munch
amen

If it looks like a duck. . . Only a matter of time until a true hard chine shows up on the scene.

I was told a true hard chine causes too much drag when bouncing sideways through the waves, as we do have some amount of leeway + hull slide no matter how good the boards are. The water flow won't stay attached when coming around that hard a corner, that's why they are rounded slightly.

A pitcher of your favorite says I'm right!

Allready showed up ,look at Mark's post, and it's being built by a helluva nice guy who definitely knows a thing or 2 about fast sails and boats.If you want to see more about it go to the USACA site and look under the Predator blog.Or just click on this:
http://www.usaca.info/index.php?opt...amp;layout=blog&id=13&Itemid=101
Todd

Look up Bendigo Victoria on Google Maps. Gashby grew up in a mud puddle.

The thing with his trapezing is that his feet are a long way down the side of the boat too. When you first start to trap low you tend to leave your feet on the gunwale which leads to that upside down feeling mentioned elsewhere.

The "chine" being discussed here is really not much different from what has been on the Geltek and Egner Flyer II for the last three years. It is really quite a soft curve as Glenn describes. I would call it more a tumblehome from the waterline to the deck. It's really quite obvious when you put a straight egde on the hull at the main beam. It also emphasises Glenn's comment about the bouyancy under water compared to above waterline. This was starkly illustrated to me in the last few days. I've been sailing a Boyer MKIV for some testing and it feels completely different from my Geltek. The Geltek "sits on the water" while the MKIV is more in the water. It leads to a much lighter "feel".
Glenn has always trapezed lower than most people - not feasible for those of us with older backs! Although I've never used a main cleat on an A in thirty years for either centre or rear sheeting. I think it leads to too much risk of capsize and also laziness when going to windward. I like to be able to quickly fine tune the sheeting through gusts. I also don't use the trap handle going out and use my leg straightening as I go to sheet on more. it just seems a bit quicker getting out and accelerating that way.

Cheers
John Dowling
AUS9

Mark and Todd,

Remember no-one knew the identity of "Racer X" in "Speed Racer" ... not Pops' ... not Trixie ... not Spocket ... not Chim-Chim ... well maybe Chim-Chim did.

But you guys are giving away local, Chesapeake Bay secrets!!!!

Sailmaker on not one ... or two ... but for THREE America's Cup Syndicates !!!!!

I need a new set of sails for my P19MX ... and I want them to have a RacerX sailmakers patch ... if you guys keep on "spilling the beans" I'll never get XXXX to make me a new set of sails!!!!

Way to go guys!!!!! (of course now I'm going to have to go by Cape St Claire and take a up close look-see ...)

Harry Murphey

Dave, Thanks for the laugh! I've been there too!

Can everyone please stop writing "more volume below the waterline". The only way to get more volume below the waterline is to make the boat heavier.

would seem that time is here already, try LR2/LR3 ACATS for larger versions of the attached images
The chine appears to run from the centercase to the transom curving upwards from beneath the waterline.
According to the site, the hull is only 10" wide and will be launched next week.
Q

Hard Chine ?????

Harry,
Its going to be pretty difficult for you to keep Tony a secret when he's posting every step of his new build on the USACA website.

Bill

I'll just have to stop by his workshop and drink all his beer .....

Harry

I just read on Ashby Sails' website that the new Ashby A-cat is finally on sale (it seems that the refining work on the prototype's completed).

The new boat named ASG3 differs from the prototype for the foils (new rudderblades and curved boards) but I wonder if the other anticipated changes:
- Rig and front beam back 300mm
- Rear beam back 100mm
- Foot shorter by 200mm
- Head bigger by 200mm
- Forestays back 250mm
- Sidestays back 300mm
- Centreboards back 150mm
- Transom bigger at waterline by 25mm
- Transom higher by 12mm
- Deck at bow narrower by 30mm
- Freeboard in bow lowered by 80mm
are confirmed or not.
Is there anyone who knows?