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In fairness the IMOCA60s are "foil assist"...there's still some boat in the water most of the time, and those pics above are well timed. However they are still a truck load faster than a displacement/planing hull. The AC yachts are multihull and fully foiling.
Full foiling does not yet lend itself well to large yachts which heel. It has been done on other smaller monohulls and dinghies, which need to be sailed flat to keep the foils under the rig. However I have no doubt that rules permitting in a few design generations time we will see fully foiling IMOCA60s. However this would be if the rules allowed it, as actually completing the course would be even more of a lottery than it already is.
Full foiling does not yet lend itself well to large yachts which heel. It has been done on other smaller monohulls and dinghies, which need to be sailed flat to keep the foils under the rig. However I have no doubt that rules permitting in a few design generations time we will see fully foiling IMOCA60s. However this would be if the rules allowed it, as actually completing the course would be even more of a lottery than it already is.
A nice video of Alex in his rocket ship...
https://www.youtube.com/user/AlexThomsonRacing
Unfortunately missing it's STBD foil post a collision, but still vying for the lead.
What's it's like onboard...
https://www.facebook.com/yachtingworldmagazine/vid...
And while I'm here... the most beautiful thing afloat, Lionheart. Magnificent.
https://www.facebook.com/yachtingworldmagazine/vid...
https://www.youtube.com/user/AlexThomsonRacing
Unfortunately missing it's STBD foil post a collision, but still vying for the lead.
What's it's like onboard...
https://www.facebook.com/yachtingworldmagazine/vid...
And while I'm here... the most beautiful thing afloat, Lionheart. Magnificent.
https://www.facebook.com/yachtingworldmagazine/vid...
Edited by Chris Stott on Sunday 27th November 15:31
Hainey said:
Bloody hell. How would something like that cope with storm force seas?The size of some of these things is just bonkers, I used to enjoy driving along Trinity berth in Felixstowe when they had the really huge container ships in. My little wagon with 1, 40ft box on next to a big Maersk boat or similar looked tiny.
DJFish said:
I was watching the video footage of that boat, it seems to bury its nose very easily, is that because it's overpowered or because it's missing a foil?
Can't be good for overall boat speed.
Good question. They are very wet boats, and arguably if there's enough freeboard to keep the nose out and the decks dry, then that's all pointless material, weight and windage you don't need. Most of what is coming down the deck is spray and white water rather than green so I don't think they are actually "burying the nose" or slowing down. I used to sail a development dinghy class that went from a fatter bow down to a much finer entry as a rule change, and they essentially started doing the same thing, but as they were finer as the nose went in, they didn't actually slow down. As a result they were far more resistant to pitchpoling than the fat bow boats. Although obviously that goes totally against what we are seeing in Class40 and the Minis, but as they have 60' to play with, that gives more options. Can't be good for overall boat speed.
What really did surprise me on that video was the crazy angles of heel that Hugo Boss was sailing at. So there's rumours that the foil isn't actually broken, it's all mind games? Alex refuses to comment on whether there's a spare, and won't send any pictures of the damage. Boatspeed seems very good for no foil too...something ain't adding up here. So Frenchies send out a Frenchie warship for a look...perhaps just the tip is missing and Alex kept the sheets pinned to make sure whatever is left is kept well under water because actually there's a bit more than the "300mm" suggested? Who knows...
WRT sailing from the cockpit, unless the kite is involved you can in theory stay back there. I've sailed one of those boats...TechnoFirst FaceOcean, and although she's ancient in 60 terms, most things are led back. The skipper said most of the time down South he stayed below where possible. The skipper said how much easier...and drier...the new boat have it with the big cockpit enclosures.
Full video can be viewed here https://www.facebook.com/AlexThomsonRacing/videos/...
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