microSAIL F100 Announcement

Posted by: dgoebel on April 25 2003,10:40
Doug's out sailing but asked me to pass this along...

Microsail, in partnership with Graham Bantock will be developing a new CBTF F100 class monohull.

Posted by: mwhite on April 25 2003,14:03

Very cool, Doug. Look forward to seeing this boat!

Posted by: lorsail on April 25 2003,15:18

Thanks to everybody who helped get this together including Graham, David, Dick, Bruce, Bruce. Thanks for  everybody's best wishes!!
GC, This boat will be a Strict One Design that also fits within the Formula 100 class (see rules posted under New Classes) It will be able to be raced stock in the F100 class or modified (with a rack and partial on-deck PBS). It will be a four or five channel boat(5th channel=jib slot) boat. Deliveries will begin of the first 5 sold boats(5 as of this writing) sometime in the future--when the boat is ready! Could be 4-6 months  or longer but I hope  not.
 This is really cool because Graham uses full size design tools that one wouldn't normally associate with models so that much TESTING of the design is done virtually. It is specifically being designed to be the fastest non-hydrofoil monohull one meter in length. With Grahams applied expertise I'm 100% certain that she will achieve that goal. This is different for both Graham and I since Graham has done most of his design work in the recognized classes and I have designed all my own boats up to now--both of us are excited by the opportunity this provides to introduce a top notch movable ballast boat to the R/C and full size sailor public.
 I couldn't be more  excited!!
PS-Congratulations to Graham on winning the British Marblehead Nationals!!!

More questions that were asked...

Way to go Doug! This should be a great boat.
Is Graham designing just the hull and appendages, or is he going to have input on the whole package?  ie: rig, sail plan, keel cant mechanism, etc.
Also will SailsEtc be producing hulls and appendages? Will the boat feature SailsEtc hardware?
Deck stepped or keel stepped?
Radial or Offset jib?
Carbon spars?
Rotating airfoiled mast?
How tricked out is this boat going to be?

Posted by: lorsail on April 25 2003,19:59

Thanks ,Dick.  Graham will have input on the whole package but the boat,at this point will only be produced by microSAIL! Estimated ready to race cost around $1850 with a PCM programmable radio and maybe a complete kit around $1400-no partial kits and probably no kits for the first six months of production. Hardware will be some Sails etc and pekabe: ball bearings where they are needed. The rig will probably be a version of the Wing Tip Rig ( similar to our Spinnaker 50 and reefable to eliminate the cost of multiple rigs). For the first time analytical software will be used to compare  a peaked up square topped rig with a traditional pointy rig. Probably no rotating airfoil mast though it would look cool. The mast will be stepped on deck. The jib will use a JPT , Hoyt or other radial type fitting. The JPT is going to be undergoing a lot of testing over the next couple of months; if it continues to work well it will be the most likely radial fitting since it is light and very adjustable. (see the radial jib discussion under: "General Discussion)
The mast and booms will be carbon...
 This will be an attempt to create the fastest one meter monohull model period--at least until second generation Formula 100's come on the scene.
 But this boat will be sold as a strict one design with the company taking the responsibility to keep all weights, foils and sails identical.
Racing a boat with movable ballast is one of the great experiences you can have in R/C sailing; I believe that it is important that others see what I've seen and the collaboration that will create this boat will be aimed at both R/C and fullsize sailors--the racing should be just outstanding with these boats requiring everybody to learn new skills to be competitive.
Boy will this be fun!