Singlehander Layout Ideas

Yes, Noah...  unless you go to an IC with a sliding seat that can be moved fore and aft, then where you put your winglets or sliding seat limits you...

My Minisail has a sliding seat which is great upwind, but off the wind, when you want to be at the back, you can't use it...

Minisail class rules don't specify where the seat should be, so I might experiment with moving it back a foot or two this summer....

I think JimC has them too far forwards...

Can you explain the physics of that assertion, please JimC? My gut feeling is that canoe sterns just tend to be longer, so have greater buoyancy aft, so helm position has less effect..

Originally posted by JimC There's a tendency for a Canoe stern to squat - sit lower - with increasing speed. Can't find a good reference on line which actually explains it right now, although there's no shortage of references that assume it.

I've observed this on a friend's Crealock 40 yacht if that's any help.
Basically a canoe stern tend to give hull speed = root (length/feet) while your modern transom hull is more like root (2*length/feet).
So you will want plenty of power and lightness so hull speed does not apply.

Also question whether the internal layout allows the helm to get forward enough in the light air?


Edited by RS400atC - 03 Jun 16 at 9:00pm

Originally posted by RS400atC Also question whether the internal layout allows the helm to get forward enough in the light air?

Think static trim is close enough to light airs trim, so should be just a question of establishing where the crew weight needs to be from the static displacement sums, which the machine will do for me, then moving the mast/daggerboard combination up and down the boat until it matches. At this stage the hull skin drawn and fore/aft position is no more than a quick concept sketch.

Precise position of the winglet is a bit less easily managed, but I'd be surprised if its far off where I've sketched relative to the bulkheads. Be sensible to set up the prototype structure so it can be moved over a moderate range I guess.


Edited by JimC - 03 Jun 16 at 9:27pm

Originally posted by Rupert Could you not make it 2 bum widths wide to a!low some fore and aft movement?

Sure, but all the time you're adding weight and complexity, which is a slippery slope... And the temptation too is specification creep - an ever slippier one! Make your wings long enough so they can be used all round the track and, well, maybe add a bit more rag, and, hmm, just a tad more righting moment would be good, let those wings get a bit wider...
What I'm thinking of is a boat sized as if it were to be sailed without the winglets, but with a bit of extra assistance available for the over 55s, rather than a boat with rig sized for the extra righting moment. Been there, done that one!