Trailerable Sport Boat

This boat has been designed for the new Open 650 Class in New Zealand. At present time, some of the rules have not been finalized. The aim is for trailerable high-performance sailing with a high stability factor. The boat will also comply with New Zealand's Category 3 requirements for trailer yachts when fitted with a 5-horsepower motor.Everything on board is to New Zealand Trailer Yacht Association minimums. The boat is designed for round-the-buoys racing.

This design is beautifully prepared. The drawings show a dinghylike hull form with molded-in wings to amplify the righting effect of four crewmembers on the rail. Some of the early drawings do not show the wings.The hull lines show slightly hollow waterlines forward with a U-shaped entry, transitioning to minimal deadrise forward, and fairing into a flat run aft. It's a sexy and complex shape. The sheer is heavily radiused as are all corners. The D/L is 88.

Draft is 6 feet, 6 inches with a 386-pound lead bulb at the bottom of a carbon composite foil spar. There is no kelp cutter with this fin-it looks like it would snag a good load of kelp. There is a trunk for the keel fin so it will retract into the boat for trailering. I can see nothing on the drawings that indicates that it is fixed in the down position while sailing, but I can't see anything that indicates a method to raise it while sailing either, so I will assume that you sail with the keel fixed in the down position. The rudder is a knifelike tapered blade with an almost pointed tip.

The rig is a high-powered, fractional carbon spar with the upper shrouds going to the masthead. Note the exaggerated roach on the mainsail and the steep angle of the headstay. The SA/D of this little rocket is 30.48. All sail adjustments will be led to the high side. The vang is an arc spanning the entire beam. The mainsheet traveler is on the cockpit sole. The bow "prod" allows for a big asymmetrical chute.

I really appreciated the full set of drawings for this design. If I did these drawings, I would send them out as well. They are masterfully drafted and show a deep understanding of the entire process of yacht design and a love of the process. Unfortunately, the copies I have are letter-sized and I can't read anything on the drawings. But trust me, construction details include foam laid over male molds for easy home construction. The laminate is Kevlar cloth and unidirectional E-glass. This would make a fun winter project.

This is another sport boat. This means you will go fast, work hard and get wet. The designer recommends an "occasional bottle of rum" stashed in the bilge.