Bob,
Good to hear from you.
Actually we've spent a lot of time considering this issue. Currently our
class rules allow only cedar core, however, that is subject to the members
decisions.
It's not the stiffness that we worry about but rather using cores that cause
stiffness to change over time. We can find any number of cores that will
produce a stiffer composite than cedar, however, they all change dramatically
when subjected to flex cycles. The end result is that a sailor with a new
boat will always beat a sailor with an old boat--all other things being equal.
On the other hand, it is nearly all compression loaded structure that causes
the change of rig triangle stiffness (the main factor in making boats slow).
Because of the design of the Swift, it may be possible to make hulls with
balsa core and S-glass or Nomex and S-glass / carbon / Kevlar while
maintaining the cedar core requirement for decks and bulkheads. Meade Gougeon
is
talking to our group at Fort Desoto and hopes to have the final and long
awaited
hydromat tests of several composite samples we sent him. If we determine that
this would not be detrimental to the existing cedar cored hulls and that
they would be significantly cheaper, we'll ask the class for an opinion.
In the end, we are constantly looking at long term costs. We find the
current trend toward high performance boats that remain competitive for one
season
at the top level far too expensive in the long run.
Look for more on this subject when we get the test results.
Best regards,
Bram
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