Capt. JG wrote:
"JimC" wrote in message
et...
Anyone seen one of these CBTF boats? The full article is available at:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outd...s/1276881.html.

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"Speeds of 20 knots on a sport sailboat? Impossible. A 40-ft. sailboat
that beats 70-ft. racing yachts? Not likely. A yacht that can sail without
heeling over, yet go faster than anything its own size? Hard to believe.
Well, check out the DynaFlyer 40 Red Hornetand start believing.
What sort of magic is this? Just remember four letters: CBTF. They stand
for "canting ballast, twin foil." It's a concept that is revolutionizing
the yachting world, especially for the mainstream sailor. The DynaFlyer
design is the brainchild of two yacht designers with extensive America's
Cup backgrounds, Matt Brown and Bill Burns. What the pair have done with
their CBTF concept is to separate two sailing needs–lateral resistance and
stability–and solve them independently.

The canting ballast is the answer. Their DynaFlyer 40 has no conventional
keel. Instead, an 1800-pound lead torpedo is suspended on a 6-ft. strut
made from a high-strength stainless steel billet. Using a cleverly
designed hydraulic system inside the boat, the entire strut and torpedo
can be angled as much as 55 degrees to each side. Operated by buttons in
the cockpit, the canting ballast moves quickly: just 12 seconds from lock
to lock.

With the ballast in the straight down position and a 10-knot breeze, the
DynaFlyer heels about 30 degrees. Push the control button for a moment,
and the boat straightens up to just 10 degrees of heel while the speed
quickly increases from 5.5 knots to 7 knots.

Technical sophistication is one thing, but on-the-water performance is
another, and the DynaFlyer 40 has it in spades. In a 15-knot breeze, the
Red Hornet can reach 12 to 13 knots while reaching with spinnaker, which
would be satisfactory speeds for a catamaran. While racing, the Red Hornet
has often sailed faster.

The one absolute fact is that a sailboat sailed upright is both faster and
more comfortable. As the CBTF philosophy of "sail flat, sail fast" spreads
throughout the sailing universe, it's likely that the image of the sharply
heeled sailboat will one day be just a romantic memory."

Jim


Interesting, but what's the advantage over a tri or cat?


I have to confess that my cat can't do this:

http://www.ksopen50.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=682

The last time we cruised Maine we had a chance to see this boat on the
hard in Freeport. Its an awesome boat - she won the Route de Rhume
beating the Class 2 Monohull record by 18 hours.