Hydrofoil Racers — Power or Sail

International Hydrofoil Society Correspondence Archives…

Hydrofoil Racers — Power or Sail
(Last Update: 11 Nov 03)Return to Posted Messages Bulletin Board


Correspondence

Student Project: Racing Hydroplane

[5 Mar 02] I am currently a student at Teesside University in England studying Computer Aided Design Engineering. As part of a project we have to improve on an existing hydrofoil design. The boat my team has chosen to improve upon is to be capable of racing in the 2002 Unlimited Hydroplane Series of which the boat MISS BUDWEISER is currently the title holder. Could you please advise me as to where I may find design specifications of such boats especially in relation to the cockpit area (safety) and the steering mechanism incorporated in the craft? — Ben Coward (bencoward1@hotmail.com)

Responses…[5 Mar 02] You have an interesting project, however our site is concerned mostly with fully submerged and with surface piercing hydrofoil designs. We have next to nothing on hydroplane racing craft. I am sending a copy of this response to Leslie Field (www.lesliefield.com/) and to Simon Lewis (www.simonlewis.com/) in the hopes that they can suggest a source the design specs you seek. You may have luck by contacting directly the racing crews of specific craft or the racing association. — Barney C. Black (Please use the BBS to reply)

[15 Mar 02] The American Power Boat Association puts out all the specifications for the various classes of hydroplane racing crafts. MISS BUDWEISER is in the unlimited class. I believe they are presently headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. I had some discussion at one time with a former crew chief of a hydroplane racing team who wanted to put hydrofoils on the sponsons. I believe he proposed it to the APBA but was rejected at the time. — Sumi Arima (arimas1@juno.com)

[15 Jul 02] Check out the Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum in Seattle and on the Internet. You could e-mail Dave Williams and ask him. I know the museum has drawings, because they restore unlimiteds. I’ve seen the design print (about 2′ x 3′ in size) of the 1958 Bardahl that was rebuilt. They are rebuilding an old Budweiser hull now. Also, Newton Marine, who has scale model designs. Roger has designs of just about every unlimited that was built. Hope this helps. — Michael Prophet (sharonandmike@mindspring.com)

Speedboat Racing History Question

[10 Feb 02] Do you know anything about a hydrofoil named the MISS U.S.-3? I have two pictures of it in a 1964 book by E.A. Steiner Jr. and Lee Schoenith called Unlimited Incorporated, with a picture of the 1962 record-setting MISS US on the cover. It made an attempt at the world’s water speed record in the 1930s. This was supposed to be the first high-speed hydrofoil. E.S. Evans Sr. was involved. (He is the father of Robert B. Evans who had the hydroplane MISS UNITED STATES III and later the STARS AND STRIPES jet hydroplanes.) The craft, nicknamed the “Whale,” was powered by aircraft engines of some type. It rode on a type of 3-point suspension on two hydrofoil wings and rudder-wheel system and was designed on a hydrofoil principle. It had two ladder foil structures on each side, with two steps on the inside one and three on the outside one. The craft had three open cockpits at the bow, and it looks like they each held one person. On the bow were the numbers 55-A. There was a red, white, and blue burge type flag that had three stars and was inside a triangle with MISS US-3 in front. I would like any information on this craft you could come up with, if possible. — Michael Prophet (sharonandmike@mindspring.com)

Response…[10 Feb 02] IHS has no information at hand on this; it is not mentioned in the hydrofoil history references that I have seen, such as D.W. Fostle’s book Speedboat. Note that MISS US-I, MISS US-II, and MISS US-IV were all “hydroplane” racing boats, and we have done nothing with those on our site. A better reference would be Leslie Fields’ Hydroplane History website. We would be interested in a copy of any info you can dig up on the vessel and its designer and builder. As to the first high speed hydrofoil, that would probably be the HD-4 by Alexander Graham Bell and Casey Baldwin, which set a record of 70.86 mph in 1919. This speed was not exceeded until MISS AMERICA VIII achieved 75.28 mph in the Harmsworth Race in 1929. — Barney C. Black (Please use the BBS to reply)

[10 Mar 02] The name ‘Bob Sellars’ does turn up on the website of Simon Lewis and clarifies the question: “…During the build, Vaughan also recalls that some work was done by Bob Sellars, exactly what it was he isn’t sure, but Bob Sellars went on to design part of the Lightning fighter plane.” The English Electric P.1B research prototype first flight was on 4 August 1954. The production F.1 Lightning began entering service in 1959. This was a UK post war jet fighter aircraft and not the WW2 US designed twin propeller aircraft of the same name. These dates also line up well with the time that the ‘White Hawk’ was being run in the UK in 1952. — Martin Grimm (seaflite@alphalink.com.au)

Follow up…

[15 Jul 02] I finally got a scanner. Here are two pictures of the U.S.-3 hydrofoil. These are out of a book called Unlimiteds Incorporated by Lee Schoenith and E.A. Steiner, Jr. It was written about 1965 to introduce people to the owners, drivers, mechanics, sponsors, race officials, and people involved in the sport of hydroplane racing. It was a limited edition collector’s book, until someone reprinted it around 1999. It was un-copyrighted at the time and was written for the good of the sport. — Michael Prophet (sharonandmike@mindspring.com)

(Above) Powered by aircraft engines the WHALE rode on a type of three-point suspension on two hydrofoil wings and rudder-wheel complex also designed on a hydrofoil principle. Click Here for larger version of this photo (234 kb).

(Left) The first American attempt at high water speed. The first attempt by E.S. Evans, Sr. to break the world’s water speed record occurred in the 1930s. The record was held by Gar Wood at just over 60 mph. Young Bob (Evans) is seen sitting on the deck of the high speed hydrofoil. Click Here for larger version of this photo (550 kb).

Wants World Speed Record in Sailing

[13 Jan 02] This looks exactly like the site I need. I want to have a crack at the wind-powered water speed record, and I reckon the only way we’re going to get the thing fast enough is up on a foil. The only problem is I have absolutely no idea. If anyone has info. it really would be appreciated (formulas/heights anything to help me build the hull) — Ian Montgomery (primuscroydon@lineone.net)

Response…[13 Jan 02] The world sailing speed record was once held by a hydrofoil – Greg Ketterman’s LONGSHOT. This boat has since been adapted for production as the Hobie TRIFOILER . A used TRIFOILER would be a good way to get experience in high speed sailing. In my opinion, the world speed record has risen out of the reach of subcavitating hydrofoils. The current record holder used planing hulls, which you can think of as fully ventilated supercavitating foils operating at the surface, which is where a supercavitating foil is most efficient. Cavitation proved to be a barrier to Ketterman’s pushing his hydrofoil to today’s speeds, and I doubt if there’s much you can do with section shaping to raise the cavitation speed much higher. Designing a supercavitating hydrofoil system that had a lift/drag ratio adequate for a sailing craft is just feasible, but requires very sophisticated hydrodynamics design. Hydronautics’ experience with their supercavitating helicopter-towed sled demonstrated drag reductions on the order of 40% -60% just by doing a more sophisticated type of analysis of the spanwise hydrodynamics of their design. You’d have to do the same for a sailing hydrofoil. Something like the Windjet LANDYACHT adapted for the water might be a starting point for the hull and rig design. — Tom Speer (me@tspeer.com); website: http://www.tspeer.com

Sail Rocket

[4 Nov 01] SAILROCKET is a new British design to challenge the outright world speed sailing record. The current record of 46.5 knots was set by the Australian boat YELLOW PAGES ENDEAVOUR in 1993. The SAILROCKET team is looking for sponsors to finance full scale construction, trials, and subsequent record attempts within an 18-month to 2 year program. An interesting video of model trials is available on the website. The point of contact is Malcom Barnsley, Designer and Project Leader (mjb@sailrocket.fsnet.co.uk)

Monohull Dinghy

[5 Mar 01] Is there any website on a leeward-foil assisted faaast monohull dinghie, say an IC, Contender or 505 with a Bruce on a 3m lever ? — Claus-C. Plaass – Pickert 10 – 24143 Kiel – Germany – email  (plaass@foni.net), ph +49-431-36 800

Responses…[5 Mar 01] Not only foil assisted, full flying: http://imca-wa.freeyellow.com/index.html. — Tom Speer (tspeer@tspeer.com); website: www.tspeer.com; fax: +1 206 878 5269

[6 Mar 01] I have designed a 16′ 100lb 2-person monohull foiler using two(only) fully submerged foils; should be sailing in 2-3 months. Take a look at the Hanno Smits website (listed under websites of IHS members) for info on his work with SP foils and a FLYING DUTCHMAN. Personally, the Aussie work on their Moths is most inspirational and should lead to light weight production monohull foilers that while not as fast (top end) as some multihull foilers will provide the thrill of flying to a much wider audience. — Doug Lord (lorsail@webtv.net)

Hydrofoils Excluded From TheRace2000

[9 May 00] TheRace headquarters has admitted that they limited the entry of our hydrofoiler for the No Limits Race around the world. Their discrimination against foils has seriously impeded the development of effective offshore sailing hydrofoils. Our potential sponsor withdrew when our entry was denied. If they reverse the decision now, there is still a chance to pull it off. The prototype is complete. Our nine foot wide horizontal spans are designed to retract when we hit the inevitable obstacles. Please email kevin.church@disney.com with a copy to stephanie.schroeder@therace.org and ask them why they are discriminating against hydrofoils and why they still call this a “no limits” event. You can make a difference. Thank you for your support. Peter Murray therace2000@hotmail.com Tel.#(1)561-286-2643

VOLANTIS 60′ Sailing Trimaran

[12 Feb 00] I just attended a meeting of the Northwest Multihulls in Seattle where Duff Sigurdson of Canada presented the latest news on the 60 foot trimaran planned to be built in Hawaii. Sam Bradfield has designed the foils thus she will have inverted T-foils and small amas. Nigel Irens is the designer. They plan a solid wing with reefable/furlable center section, and a hard vertical tab on the lower leech of the rig for depowering. It looks like a more delicate Rave Trifoiler, with a single CF gull-wing crossbar. I was impressed, even considering that Queen Elizabeth II is supposed to christen it. It is not immediately clear that “Volantis” is meant for The Race. Burt Rutan will build the foils in his “Composites” shop in the Mohave Desert, and the majordomo is Adm. Stuart F. Plott, formerly head of seaborne infiltration efforts during the late unpleasantness in Vietnam. Duff also talked about aquatic satellites- small versions of the hardsail trifoiler that would be permanently at sea, monitoring the shipping lanes and seaport accesses, video-monitoring incoming ships for oil dumping/bilge pumping. Solid wings again? Please contact Duff Sigurdson for more accurate news- he is the new publicist: formerly associated with the Ronin project for The Race. — Dave Carlson (dacarls@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu) website: www.fastsail.com/catcobbler/

Moth Class Sailboat Races With Foils

[25 Feb 00] In a world first, Western Australian International Moth Class dinghy sailor Brett Burville has cracked it with a Foiler Moth, winning outright two heats of the World International Moth Class Championships held in Perth last week and finishing a creditable 10th place overall. The International Moth class is one of the few truly development International sailing classes and also allows foil development. At times Brett was travelling at up to 1-1/2 times the speed of the top existing designs and easily won the races in which he stayed upright. This is no mean feat, keeping in mind that an existing Moth can outpace a 505 and is already the fastest 11′ monohull in the world. Brett’s boat is a standard Moth, with a larger-than-usual T-foil on the rudder and forward V-foils mounted at the end of the wings. It appears he showed bursts of incredible speed in the stronger winds, punctuated by many capsizes. Clearly there is scope for further development, perhaps with some form of sensor control. He was foilborne above about 8-10kts of wind and sailed both downwind and also upwind on the foils. In the light wind races he removed the foils from the simple mountings in a couple of minutes. This is a major achievement, as most foilers to date are only reaching speed machines, like sailboards. This is the first time ever for a foilborne craft to compete successfully around the buoys in all conditions in a truly international standard sailing competition. It is hoped that Brett will produce some further details and it is expected a lot of further development will now proceed, as it is possible to take any existing Moth and truly revolutionise its speed in winds over 10 knots! Who will be first to take it further?? — Ian Ward (ianward@ozemail.com.au)

Response…[25 Feb 00] See also the article and photos in the Jan 25, 2000 Sailing News from Boating Oz. Also, information and photos from various sources was reprinted in the Spring 2000 edition of the IHS newsletter.

Racing Boat Design Source

[2 Apr 99] Does anyone know where you can get designs for jet boats (sport/racing versions – not fishing/commercial)? Please email me. — Mathew Davies (porsche@porsche-enthusiasts-club.freeserve.co.uk)

Response…[3 Apr 99] The following groups run both propeller boats and JET (impeller) boats in various classes. The prop boats are quicker but both achieve speeds in excess of 200 mph regularly. Contacts (Hope the phone numbers are current.):

  • Liquid Quarter Mile magazine (909) 989-1169
  • IHBA International Hot Boat Assoc. (714) 634-4422
  • ADBA American Drag Boat Assoc. (216) 543-9647
  • NJBA National Jet Boat Assoc. (714) 993-2664
  • SDBA Southern Drag Boat Assoc. (817) 662-0774

— Ken Cook (kencook@hydrofoil.com)

 


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