The wing sails has reached the A-class, good or bad? The wing weights around 25 kg and cost lots of dollars! It will be interesting to se how it performs at the A-class worlds.
It is legal to sail with a rigid wing right now but it might be banned keep the class alive and healthy. The cost of such a wing is probably around 50 000 dollars....
I would much rather see them pursue foils than wing masts. Much more speed bang for the buck, not to mention the ability to put them on the trailer vs. that huge wing.
I wonder why (any sailmakers please chime in here) someone has not developed some type of an inflateable wing sail, sort of like the parasail, only on it's side, that could be run up a conventional mast, with inflatable battens, more camber and more of a true wing shape, collapsable for storage too, made of mylar or a coated nylon.
nice looking wing! Wonder if the wing will have a slot and wether it can twist like Cogito and the other C-classers? It will be interesting to the extreme seeing how this package do at the worlds. The only true test of wing efficency vs wingmast with soft sail we have had in the later years was in the 18square class. If I remember correctly, that boat (Wild Turkey) was 'out tacked' the one time it was beaten on the course?
I am pretty certain wings will be banned to keep cost down if it proves fast. Perheps even if it is dog slow <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Going for wings would probably mean a new era in homebuilding for the A-cat class. Would probably cut the class by 95% as well by my guess.
Timbo, make a wingmast with a large enough chord and you dont need an inflatable sail as the gains become quite small then. There have been several attempts of 'camber inducers' and 'RAF' systems like some sailboard rigs have, but they have not caught on. The L/D ratios we get out of our catamaran rigs are quite good, for the speeds we are sailing with. It sure makes handling and tuning a lot easier and cheaper.
I wonder why (any sailmakers please chime in here) someone has not developed some type of an inflateable wing sail,
Because such a sail has an inferiour "lift to drag" ratio; it will get beaten by a conventional soft rig of the same surface area. Additionally, depowering such an inflated sail is far more difficult. The inflated shape is the shape it will have under all conditions.
Wouter
Last edited by Wouter; 09/24/0702:19 PM.
Wouter Hijink Formula 16 NED 243 (one-off; homebuild) The Netherlands
With a wing, I think they could save some weight in the hulls and the beams as they would not have to deal with the loads usually needed to keep the leech in. Have they had time to develop the platform for the wing? Dont think so, but would be delighted to hear otherwise.
Who pays for the project? And who is going to sail with the wing?
“It is legal to sail with a rigid wing right now but it might be banned keep the class alive and healthy. The cost of such a wing is probably around 50 000 dollars....”
Good, bad or indifferent...A class or any other class…why does someone always come out with some outlandish cost estimate every time something different is suggested? Doesn’t matter if it’s a wing sail, new hull material, new construction technique…what ever…if its anything besides the status quo the nay sayers come out chanting “it’s going to cost a fortune and kill the class”.
You're right Seeker. A wing will not kill the A class. look what it's done for the C class. They get four boats on the water just about every year. YEHAaaaa that's 8 class members worldwide.
“You're right Seeker. A wing will not kill the A class. look what it's done for the C class. They get four boats on the water just about every year. YEHAaaaa that's 8 class members worldwide.”
PpS you missed my point completely…I was addressing a reoccurring attitude that exaggerates the expense of anything different. I am not saying the wing sail is good or bad for the A-class, what I am suggesting is that it (and any other possible improvements) be evaluated on its own merit, and live or die on that bases, rather than crush everything right out of the box based upon an exaggerated cost estimate.
I am asuming that this is Ben Hall's new boat, Peter cogan design with it rigid wing. Please correct me if I am wrong. Should be at Lake Hopatcong this weekend. I have also been asking the cost question as well. It would be difficult for me to believe that this will become the standard of the class or that Ben wants it to be with all the time he has invested in supporting and promoting the class. But then again if it wins the worlds, who knows.
All you need is another wing, a tail and an engine and you could fly it home. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
As I recall Crag's wing boat in the 18sq class did not destroy that class. I intend to go to Lake Hopatcong this weekend as a tourist. I'll take lots of photos.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.catsailor.com/bb_files/119274-wing.jpg)
