rob denney

They certainly would. But if you had already built a 2,000 kg cruising version, and posted all the details about the laminate and the build technique you would have a bit more credibility, maybe even get some respect. And if you did manage to build it, most of them would have the balls to admit they were wrong and maybe even want to know how it was done. The curious might speculate on how quick it would sail and how you would control it. Meanwhile, the ones who refuse to see or hear anything they disagree with would keep saying it can't be done, and get increasingly hostile. The reall

A penalty turn in a proa is pretty much the same as in any other boat. You sail in a circle, including a tack and a gybe. No shunting involved. Perhaps we should add one per lap onto the maneuverabilty race with Taeping.

Seems you ignored my advice to think about and understand shunting before you commented and confused yourself. Remind me when I get back and I will draw you some pictures. You also neglected to answer the 4 simple questions to allow us to judge your credibility on shunting and proa maneuverability. And to accept, or refuse the race challenge which you initiated. Thanks for your comments on the cruising proa. Like you, every catamaran enthusiast knows that all cruising cats sail at windspeed all the time, but for some reason no one ever takes a video. Show us some videos of sim

Getting a bit strident there, Tim. Still not answering any questions from earlier in the thread, though. You sound a little bit worried. Last year you were full of how the NZMYC was so broadminded, they would let anyone on any type of boat race and my proa was welcome anytime. At the same time you went to great lengths (including an irrelevant mini essay on painting techniques) to "prove" there was no way i could build a 50'ter at the weights I claimed. Now I have built the boat, it does weigh what I said it would and you are abusing me, quoting rules and telling me I won't be allo

Thanks for your thoughts, and your scintillating humour. The proa horse is alive and kicking. I have had serious interest in 4 fifty footers (first one starts building next week, agw) since I was in NZ and am visiting the USA to firm up a 72'ter and a couple of 40'ters next week. A few questions for you, although I suspect that you will be no keener to answer them than the other kiwis who claim to be experts on how badly proas sail. 1) How many harryproas set up for racing have you sailed on? 2) How many have you shunted? 3) How many have you "maneuvered"? 4) How many have you se

Ta but I disagree. I react the same way to people who are unwilling to examine the evidence about proas (or anything else) in person as I do to that type of person online. People who attempt to destroy serious discussions by unfounded comments (eg "cuckoo", "crazy", "it'll never work", "it's impossible"), then refuse to say why or comment on the evidence are a blight on the discussion. If the group or someone in it lets them know it is unacceptable, eventually they get the message and stop. Tim, Does your reply mean you don't have enough time to calculate a price for a 1

Pity for me, I would have liked to meet you. Apparently you are nicer than your on line persona suggests. Pity for the meeting, you may have made it more interesting, may even have encouraged some of the other proa knockers to make themselves heard. Pity for you, you may have learnt something. Not about proas or easy boat building; judging from your posts, you already know everything there is to know about these. But about how openness can help sell product. Then maybe you would not have refused to give a price for your product. This attitude suggests that Hallspars have something to

Clipper, Ta. The lead would definitely be interesting and would be a challenge to optimise. If it wasn't legal, or when the class rules were changed to ban it, the next option would be to swap to a single beam and place the lead on a track on there. The single beam would be able to cant fore and aft. This is even more complex, lighter and less windage, but removes some of the cruising potential. It is not quite as good for maximising fore and aft righting moment, but theoretically would still result in a faster boat than a cat or tri. Ballast is only one of the unexplored poss

Ripped? That was about as "ripping" as being hit with a wet lettuce leaf. I assumed all the knockers had gone to the AC meeting and everybody at my talk was a big fan of low cost light weight proas. Next time don't be timid, introduce yourself. You're mistaken!!!!!!!!!!!11 (is the drama really necessary?) 1) The 1/4 scale hull sample was 2 layers of 45, any more and it would have been hard to bend. 2) There is no torturing in the way that ply is tortured. Glass does not form compound curves the way ply does. 3) You are also confusing yourself by only thinking of it as a

Thanks. I also enjoyed it. Looks like there could be a couple of harrys in NZ in the near future as a result. I was not expecting such a good turn out (about 35 more people than I expected!) with Drummond and Jones talking AC at Albany. My only disappointment was that none of the people who have given me a hard time on this forum showed up, or if they did, had nothing to say. Maybe next time. By the way, for the guy down the back who suggested using ballast on an 8.5 cat/tri. You most certainly could, but I doubt you could build an 8.5m cat/tri at 350 kgs so that you could benefi