Bram,
Just in case I haven't missed you.
I'm kind of interested in whether you have plans to someday make boats from
molds. I was thinking it might be a topic of discussion at your first meet.
I'm thinking a new wave of builders would be interested in a) buying a shell
hull and deck and finishing it or b) borrowing the molds and finishing.
Personally, I feel I have the skill and equipment to put in bulkheads and
glue the top and bottom together but I would never attempt to strip build.
Not that I'm ready to jump out of IC's or anything but if you achieve
critical mass one might have to go with the flow!!!
I fully understand and endorse the need to avoid super boats - all carbon
nomex. But surely you could come up with something - maybe your present
lay-up with balsa core, that might be a step down but not much and way
cheaper if out of a mold. The difference in stiffness might be negligible.
You could maybe then add a little carbon here and there to bring it up to
the cedar core boats if it was a little softer.
The first rule should be to keep the cedar hulls as the best option such
that anyone who wants to do an uncompromised run at the world title would
get a cedar hull. You probably would need to come up with some measurements
that would show the benefit of cedar because if say the top three at the
worlds had balsa cores it would be hard to refute the benefit without
numbers - weight, stiffness, lamboli. Perceptions can rule over facts.
Good luck in Florida - sounds like a hoot.
Bob Lewis
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