Youth Multihull Evaluation Trials

The Youth Multihull Evaluation Trials are under way to pick a catamaran for 16-19 year olds

http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=4754

Does anyone know anything about the Hobie Concept boat?

What do people think are the important criterea for these boats. Some of the things mentioned on the ISAF site are the use of "bumpers in the bow", "No daggerboards", a "replacable keel" and "minimum use of carbon".

"Bumpers in the bow" could bring a whole new dimension to the racing

I have yet to see "bumpers in the bow" on other youth classes like the Laser 1 and the splash not to mention to optimist.

Same applies to things like "replacable keel".

This contest looks to be stacked to heavily favour a rotomoulded catamarans of which really only one builder has taken too.

Besides, I would expect 18 and 19 year olds to make their entry into the F18's class. Which 18 year old over confident male teen wants to race in a "bumpers on the bow" class ? Do you want training wheels with your newly acquired moped ?

Especially when the other class of his peers are bumperless and often just as fragile.

Wouter

I think that is very interesting. Things like this are what push innovation. The only good reason to go boardless is for beach sailing otherwise boards aren't that big of a deal.

I am guessing that rotomolded hulls and aluminum spars would like to be used because of price and durability... ??

As far as I know any youth sailors in this age range (16-19) that attended the US Sailing Youth Nat'ls or the Mega Youth nationals could handle pretty much any boat on the market today. Although some are still sailing 16s some of them are sailing higher performance boats such as Inters, Nacras, Tornados and etc.
My opinion is that any 16-19 year old that is seriously into racing catamarans on a national level is either going to be racing in their local races on the biggest fleet at the time (probably f-18s). Or looking towards future goals of campaigning a tornado.
Going with a boat besides a newer higher performance design would be boring and would probably lead to unfair advantages. Such as if we were racing on a skeg boat that is underpowered and is favored for lighter weight sailors. If a light little 16 year old team who hadn't had their growth spurt yet showed up who would have a huge advantage?
Hopefully hobie's concept boat is more powerful than the 16. Although some of the boats in the trials look to have enough power I think they are all still somewhat smaller boats. But okay... i'll give you the fact that this category still includes 16 year olds.
Some of these boats look nice and etc but I don't like the fact that they are boomless... any one competiting at a national level should be able to handle the factor of the boom. Not to mention its a performance factor. Also the rotomolding? Can we not handle fiberglass? It goes back to the factor of bow bumpers... no other youth classes use them. Other youth classes are rarely modified from normal boat specs for youth.
I have strong feelings against the 16 with spinnaker and I think it would be a terrible idea to make it a youth boat. If they want to use a 16 they may as well keep it without the spinnaker.
It would be nice to see an F-18 in there... if anyone else agrees with me maybe we should write ISAF and or the manufacturers.
-Todd

>>>if anyone else agrees with me maybe we should write ISAF and or the manufacturers.

I can tell you that other and even other manufacturers were interested and even planning to send a boat for the trail. They won't attend now because to the criteria set. No Boards, boomless and such pretty much cancelled all the High Performance boats like F18's, F16's and even the FX-one (2-up)- I17 (2-up) which could be a good teenage boat.

I personally hope that the KL booster wins, that is still a good boat for the given conditions. The other entries are either passee, won't take a spi well, to slow or just plain recreational boats. Did you know that the Dart 16 is only 13 points slower than a Hobie 16 under Texel (= 9 points under PN). Boats like the youth 29-er monohull class will outsail that one, that is of course bad promo for cats.

And than we have that requirement that the class must be strict one design while all trully international classes like Tornado, A-cat and F18's are far more formula like than one design. ISAF should go with the times and leave that yachting one-design mentallity behind when looking at surfboards and high performance boats like cats and dinghies.

Than the maximum price 7000-8000 Euro. Hell a standard laser 1 (with alomst nothing on it) already costs near to 6000 Euro. How do you build a High Performance cat with two additional sails, more and higher quality blocks due to much higher loads and such for only 1000 euro more ?

This is a bad trail setup. They will end up with a rotomolded, underpowered, boomless, under fitted, one size fits all catamaran that can't hold a candle to simple designs like the Nacra 5.0, Prindle 16 and let alone the even faster 16 and 17 foot designs.

I've sailed the dragoon myself and I can assure you that that baby is harder to right than a larger P16. Smaller boats aren't always easier to handle. Below a certain threshold they become even harder to handle. Remember the H14, sailing that boat is like performing ballet and both the 14 and dragoon have a nasty tendency to go turtle. (Personally I do enjoy a bit of H14 sailing so I'm not bashing anything)

This is just the promo that the cat community shouldn't want. Does the 29-er youth class have a replacable keel, Bumpers on the front and back ? Why on earth should catamaran have them ?

If anybody takes the initiative to start a petition than you can count on my signature.

Wouter

Hang on a minute...I never saw those criteria listed in that ISAF article. I see a lot of potential boats listed there that are very reasonable and well performing catamarans - and none of them have 'bumpers'.

Jake, the criterea were not in that article but if you follow the links you eventually get to

http://www.sailing.org/technical/MhullInvitation03.pdf

I think what the ISAF are trying to do is get a boat that finds the best sailor and so accesability is the most important thing, or in other words picking a boat that in thier view will get the most people on the water.

I think they are trying to keep cost down and not make the boat intimidating, which cats can be.

Although the boats will be supplied for free at the events, the best crews will inevitably be those that practice on that particular boat, and so they need an accesable boat not an elite boat that only a few can afford.

If you follow the link at the bottom of the page you'll eventually arrive at the official invitation.

You can go directly to the invitation by clicking on this link

http://www.sailing.org/technical/MhullInvitation03.pdf

Here you'll find a summary of the criteria :


-1- 16 – 19 years old, male and female crews (average combined weight 120
– 140 kgs)

-2- Possible use by younger crews ranging from 9 –15


Two kids of 9 years old will have to sail a completely different design than adolescent boys of 19 years. This can simply not be done.


-3- Easy to recover by the crew after capsize without any external help

-4- Attractive for young sailors
Fast;
Twin Trapeze;
Gennaker
Good tacking ability.


-5- Lowest Cost as possible
Balance between performance and building techniques;

-6- The lightest as possible, targeting a price of 7,000 Euros (ex.
works) ready to sail (8,000 Euros inclusive of spinnaker
equipment).

must be light as hell and cost nothing. Hence my comment about the laser 1 , this has almost nothing and still costs a shy 6000 euro's.

-7- Easy to repair.

Only rotomolded boats are really easy to repair, they can be glued watertight. Glass boats need to be relaminated.

-8- No Dagger boards.


And there go I-17, FX-one, Taipan 4.9, etc.


-10- Minimal use of carbon fibre or expensive materials

-11- Various sets of rigging options – to include 1 “sport” for racing and 1
“standard” for schools.


-12- Possible single use under mainsail only.

-13- Closed Class Rules

Lingo for SMOD.

Optional Characteristics

-14- Robustness and Storage Facilities
-15- Easy to assemble
-16- Bumpers in the bow
-17- Replaceable keel

-18- i Must have the unquestioned ability to meet the requirements of
International Class status within a reasonable time.


How many builders can garantee this ? Pretty much only Hobie and Nacra can.


ii. World-wide availability of materials and opportunity for construction.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY AND PROCEDURE

A. Preliminary indication of intention to take part should be submitted by MAY
31st 2003.
Formal submissions accompanied by an application fee of GBP 500.00 ex
VAT, should be received at the ISAF office by JULY 31st 2003.

Copies of Constitution of Class Owners Association or proposed class
organization.
iii. Copies of Class Rules and all documents relating to the "control of
one-design" and measurement.
iv. Names and addresses of all current building locations and main selling
agents. Current price list from each builder for complete "package" and
prices, and availability of spare parts (sails, spars, foils, etc.).
v. Current distribution by country of boats delivered to customers in total
and in the last 6 months (from date of application).



Wouter