F85SR awesome I did a long race last year which included a Farrier 31 with square top and it was magnificent to look at moored or full steam, I've been haunting the Farrier forums ever since. PGP a 20yr old fibreglass light weight sharpie hull is not too heavy to use and would only cost a few hundred dollars at most.
These guys build them in glass but would probably have some plans for timber if you are desperate to get sawdust in your hair
http://www.sharpies.com.au/BoatBuilders.html

Pete, why not just sell the Blade and get a Weta?

Eventually but not yet. It's like dropping a girl friend that hasn't done anything wrong.

A tri with Blade ama's and 18 or 20ft whatever middle hull with F16 rig would be drier and out perform a Weta by an enormous margin

No doubt. But it would also require more work to rig and sail and require more space for storage.

In addition to being easy to set up ( it uses what is basically a wind surfer mast, weighs 9 lbs.)the Weta tacks more quickly than cats so the tactics of playing shifts is relatively more important. The Weta is fun and easy, far less demanding than a cat. I turned 64 last May, fun and easy is beginning to trump performance.

You could always just build wings for your Blade.

That's a thought but they aren't class legal.

I thought you were talking about fun sailing not racing since a home made tri is not exactly class legal.

I'm thinking about two or three different things and they all get mixed together at time. Sorry.

Then there is this:

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=140789

Haha that looks like great fun in no wind but Id like to see a video of a 18 knot gust, coming through, think your on the right track with the Weta

Its a shame the Weta hasn't put a " turbo " version out there for the racer, it wouldn't have taken much more investment, perhaps a better mast and sail combo and maybe larger Amas but in concept it was pretty good right from the start, just a bit pedestrian for the those who wanted a more race orientated boat.

Often wondered how many upgrade kits you could sell, main sail, mast base extension and perhaps stays.

so lots of comments on how to improve the weta:

- more freeboard for a drier ride
- more sail area (or turbo setup)
- etc

all those things would likely make it faster, but harder to set up and use. Given the target market appears to be those wishing an easy, no-fuss kind of sailing it may be counterproductive...?

I wasn't considering changes to the Weta, rather modifications to make the Blade a little safer for off shore, single handed work. Then of course I rode off in all directions...

when you say "off-shore" how far do you mean? Past sight of land?

Is the Blade rated for that kind of sailing? Is any beach cat rated for "off-shore"?

My thinking with beachcats is not to sail farther than I can swim, which puts it somewhere around 5-8 miles off the coast. Past that, and currents could keep me away from land until exposure claims me..

Here you go Pete: http://www.virusboats.com/sailing-3-Magnum_18.html

I was thinking it would be neet if Matt built a center hull, and we could add our 16' (or 18') hulls as the amas, and use our rig for the mast/sails, for a 21' tri, sort of like this: http://www.virusboats.com/sailing-2-Magnum_21_&_21.S.html

Sort of like a Weta, but much bigger, faster and...putting on my NH accent now...Drya'!

Should we put together a crew to help the Man Shed finish his project?

This might be a base platform to start with.

The akas (crossbeams) is as big or bigger challange than the hulls. Aluminum-relatively inexpensive and heavy. Composite-more money less weight.

Who has the engineering talent to do the calculations?

I have more dreams than resources.

If I were going to do it, I'd keep it as low tech, cheap and simple as possible, and just use straight aluminium tubes for beams, like in those Virus boat pictures.

I hear ya Jack, "more dreams than resources". And Tim, 220kg= 448 lbs. on my calculator.

Jay, to paraphase some one who will go unnamed, offshore is "further than you'd care to swim."

I was thinking something like the Weta using as many bits and pieces of the Blade as possible.

I failed to mention the folding mechanism.