CBTF 52

2001 March 6
By Robert H. Perry

Racer-cruiserr

As I read the promotional material on this new canting keel model from the DynaYacht team I kept looking for the part where they said it could "leap tall buildings in a single bound." Perhaps this is best summed up in the last sentence in the brochure's introduction: "It represents the biggest step forward in yacht design since Herreshoff introduced the fin keel in the late 1800s." This is pretty hyperbolic, but in fact is based upon the documented performance of the firm's previous offerings, the Schock 40 and the one-off Red Hornet. The brochure makes an effort to convince the potential buyer that the new 52 is a combination racer-cruiser.

With a beam of 13 feet, a displacement of 14,000 pounds and an LOA of 52 feet, there is little doubt this boat will be a rocket. The D/L is 64.2 and draft is 10 feet, 7 inches. The lift, usually provided by a keel, is shared between fore and aft rudders. The "keel" is basically just a strut to hold the canting ballast bulb. With the canting keel, the seemingly low ballast-displacement ratio of 29 percent can provide tremendous stability.

CBTF stands for Canting Ballast Twin Foil technology. The ballast bulb cants up to 55 degrees from centerline. There are both manual and hydraulic cant control systems with ballast position controls and indicators located in the cockpit. The rear foil (rudder?) can be independently operated. I wonder how it feels to drive this boat. Does it feel different to have fore and aft rudders? I suspect it does. I would imagine that having rudders like this would give you tremendous maneuverability around the dock. The hull shape is very dinghylike. With a displacement this low, it's hard to imagine an undinghylike hull form.

The interior, despite the brochure's claims, is not really a cruiser's delight. It's basically the same layout you would see in most racing yachts, with a small galley forward, a semi-enclosed head and no visible dining table. There are no provisions for sleeping privacy and no double berths. Maybe you just pull your sleeping bag over your head. Still, it's a reasonable interior considering the overall nature of this design. Of course, you can cruise with this interior, but the performance levels offered by this type of design have to come with some comfort compromises.

The SA/D of this design is 30.46 using I, J, E and P. There is a retractable bowsprit and spinnakers will be masthead. The spreaders are swept 26 degrees.

The deck is laid out in pure race boat style. There are only two hatches. Cruising boats need more ventilation than that. The cockpit is huge, and the drawings show one layout with twin wheels and another with a big diameter single wheel. The specs also list a tiller.

Using Finite Element Analysis the structure has been optimized for strength and weight. Construction materials include carbon fiber, E-glass, epoxy and vinylester resins.

The brochure says that you will be able to outsail 70- and 80-footers in the new 52. I guess we'll see about that. There is no doubt that this will be a "line honors" boat in most fleets. For certain it will give PHRF handicappers a fit and most probably begin its life with a punitive provisionary rating.

"But it's just a cruiser-racer," you say at the start of the season. "Yes," the race committee says, "but the brochure says it will outsail 80-footers so how about if we start you with an 80-footer rating?"

I'd love to sail this boat.