berny Posted June 2, 2004 Report Share Posted June 2, 2004 What about a trip to the big island Pete? Bern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 Brisbane Catamaran Centre has just popped a set of Maricat hulls out of the mould, super light foam sandwich. Do we know who got these??? And I think we may have to head to the fish co-op at Port Macquarie and swing it on the scales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 Is this news to the Association? I guess some boats will now weigh in at 95 kgs fully rigged. Perhaps there are now some 3000 owners of superseded Maricats. Why build a better Maricat - make more sense to build an F14. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berny Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 Pete, it'll have to carry weights to compete 'in class' so I don't see the point really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooD Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 A very much stiffer maricat would be faster than a standard mari, even at the same weight. as was the case in the windrush 14's Really need to get these F-14 rules sorted out, they should be in plain english and relatively simple, so they allow for development. IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 9, 2004 Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 I think someone wanted a new Maricat and that was the best way to build it. Windrush have also just popped a full carbon fibre -- Kevlar boat out, just last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REV YUKKA II Posted August 9, 2004 Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 well that should start them on the way to stuffing up their class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Holden Posted August 9, 2004 Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 In my opinion the reason that the 14 foot cats are so popular is the cost/simplicity of the boats. 1. You can leave them on the road and not worry about them getting stolen or having city council removal stickers plastered all over them. 2. They are Cheap 3. They can be sailed one or two up 4. They are uncomplicated 5. they are fast vs an equiv Mono 6. They are QUICK TO RIG 7. The wife is not continually telling you how much the boat cost !!. 8. They are bloody good fun as they are now 9. Spending $12K on a 14' boat only to make all the others obsolete sounds like "man with most money wins" mentality. Having spend 3 hrs rigging and derigging my F18 on the weekend to sail for 2 hrs my message to all 14 foot sailors.... USE THE KISS (Keep It Simple Sailor) Principle [This message has been edited by Andrew Holden (edited 09 August 2004).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca Posted August 9, 2004 Report Share Posted August 9, 2004 You do get Council stickers on your 14ft boat, I raced the Maricat states with one firmly attached to my stb hull! It's still there. I consider Mosman council to be my newest sponsor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet16 Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 Maricats have rules relating to shape and materials that can be used. "Shall be of fiberglass reinforced polyester material" & "No modification to shape is allowed." So if a maricat was built from carbon it would not be able to race at class events. Sweet16 is old and very stiff as a result.. seems to have got harder with age (different from people). Think that is normal with Fiberglass? I don't feel that Sweet16 is now obsolete. The new sail improves performance. The strong tramp stops me falling in the water, and if I wanted to get really serious, not weighing 93kg or being more fit would help. I think we are mixing F14 and class comments here. I have spoken with Brett (builder of the Windrush). And yes it is possible to get a full carbon Windrush 14 but it is not eligible for class racing and is modified so that it looks significantly different i.e. the beams go straight across the deck to the outer edge of the hull. The hulls could be used for F14. I sent Brett the draft F14 specifications on this and asked whether he would build one. It is cheaper to build an F14 from an existing mould and just use more modern materials. It is not meant to impact the Windrush class. At this stage I have not gone ahead with the purchase. Just an enquiry only. It is still possible to compete using the older Windrush against the newer (non carbon) foam sandwich built boats. There was a windrush named "Fade to Grey" that sailed cat rigged in the invitation race at the 2004 Maricat Nationals... and cleaned us maricats up. His boat is an old standard Windrush hull with the newer Mylar sails. The skipper looks to be 95kg + Apparently he places well within the Windrush fleet. I have spoken also with Ross from the Nacra/Maricat factory and sent him the draft F14 specs. He would also be able to build something for that but I guess would prefer to wait for the specification to become more formal. The Nacra 14sq under spinnaker looks good for this class... but need to be shortened a bit for that. Others that I know of are setting up Paper Tigers with Spinnakers, these seem also a good option and cheap way into F14. I don't think we should mix up this type of F14 activity and panic that carbon boats will turn up to the Nationals/States.. the rules seem adequate to handle this already? Could be wrong though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 I can see no problem with the newer boats being built out of more modern materials. That is progress and it is only natural. OK, a carbon/Kevlar Maricat that broke all the existing rules would not be a class legal Maricat. There is no use building one out of exotics as there is a weight rule. BUT -- what if someone had the money and wanted Rosco to build one out of super light and stiff materials, including mast a beams, put a bigger, better square topped rig with a kite? It is not class legal, but I think it would get a few people thinking. I doubt it would do anything to the existing fleet as most of the people there are happy with what they have got, but it may bring new people to the class. Then there might be a Maricat S class or something similar. It is a great little design, so what is wrong with up-dating it. The Windies did with the Mylar rig and they now rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 Warren and Rosco at Nacra are very keen to build an F14 but won't go forward until some rules are set in place, and until then, any manufacturer would be wasting their time. I would like to work on my Maricat and put a kite on it and so-forth, but not until the rules are set, as what I may do could be great for sailing my boat, but not within the final rules, so I think that it is important that we get them signed off ASAP. Even if they are just for Australia to start, as I think the USA is behind us on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 My real concern is that the new foam Maricats will weigh 95 kgs fully rigged. I guess that the boats will be a bit lighter than this but will have to carry corrective weights attached to their main beams. Am I also correct in assuming that the new hulls have bulkheads? I am reasonably convinced that the vast majority of existing Maricats weigh well over 100kgs fully rigged. I have no doubt that the new boats will be lighter, stiffer, stronger and have a better weight distribution than the existing fleet. The new boats will have a huge advantage in choppy and rough water conditions. I think my cheap old boat has just become even less competitive. Do you want to be beaten by a better boat or a better sailor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 I get beaten by everyone at the moment and raeally don't mind, because it is the fun of sailing that gets me there. I can see what you are saying and there will be some faster boats, but you are then able to split the winners up like Nacra do. They have everyone starting together in the 5.8 races, but you can still win the "older boat" division, so people who want to buy a 1986 5.8 can, and they will compete against all 5.8's, but still have a category to sail in. The current Maricat fleet will sail as normal and will also be the majority, but we can't not have new boats being built because they are at minimum weight. Eventually all the boats will be dinosaurs and there will be no class left at all. I can guarantee that if I got a Maricat that weighed only 95kgs I would still not win as I weigh over 100kg's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 And Pete, your boat is still just as competitive as I do not think that we are about to see about 50 new Maricats hitting the water. One or two, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 Actually I should be worrying a lot less about platform weight and more about reducing the skippers girth. With about 9 weeks to go before we start sailing, without a huge reduction campaign, the old wetsuit will be a bit tight. How about weighing the top 3 or so platforms at the Nationals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 I see no reason not to weigh any boat you want. The fish co-op can help out here with their scales and it takes about 1 minute to do a boat off the trailer. They will need that to weigh me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet16 Posted August 14, 2004 Report Share Posted August 14, 2004 It will be difficult to know who are going to be the top 3 until after the event.. racing was very close at the States and would expect the same in January. It would be disappointing for someone to loose the event by being weighed to light after the event. Better if this is going to happen to weigh all boats and skippers prior to the event? that gives people time to make corrections if necessary before the races start. Jsut a suggestion. I don't think anyone really wants to see a maricat sailor excluded on a technicality? Or am I wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 I had a giggle. Most of the skippers will not need to be weighed as I think by looking at them, they will be at least legal racing weight. But I do agree with the boats. If we are going to weigh them, do it before the event. Being a fishing port, getting the weighed properly would not be a hassle as they are weighing fish all over the joint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 John, I agree with you that it would be most unsatisfactory for anyone to be disqualified for having a boat that was too light. For Maricats built prior to the new foam sandwich one being underweight is unlikely. The current 95 kgs fully rigged weight for the "traditional build" Maricat appears, on the basis of boats I have weighed and your own boat, to be unrealistic. Many of the Maricats platforms I have weighed went well over 95 kgs. In the interests of keeping the older boats competitive, to keep the numbers up at the Maricat events, perhaps the Association could look at setting a more realistic platform weight( just that the platform is easier to weigh than the fully rigged boat). It may also be opportune to look at some of the other rules that appear to an outsider as not making much sense; such as the covering of the shrouds with plastic, the limitation on sailmakers, and the ban on adjustable mast rotation come to mind. We sail a great old class. With numbers falling off we should be doing as much as possible to keeping the class attractive to new entrants - particularly younger people. One of the great attractions to the Maricat is that an old cheap boat can be competitive if sailed well. Let's not lose site of that. As a matter of interest in the Hobart area our youngest skipper is 16 (and female) and at 50 I am the oldest. Average age of the fleet would be mid 30s. How do we compare with other fleets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Has anyone seen the new foam sandwich Maricat, and if so how does it perform? More importantly what does the platform weigh? The Hobart fleet is having a retro season, with stripes and bold colours aplenty. Warrior ruined the look when he couldn't resist testing his new Cairns main. From all reports he sailed very quickly. Fortunately I missed that race. To join the retro group I "purchased" an all orange number, which if nothing else is very bright. Certainly we are not quick upwind, but at least the rescue boats can keep an eye on us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooD Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Pete, you dont have to worry about the guys on the rescue boats keeping an eye on you!! That sail is so bright they got ya on satelite!! have you noticed when the sun is shining though your sail it makes your otherwise white deck look orange?? Tascat will be intereting with the hobie 14 and the windy on the scene! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shy thunder Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 after you have capsized backwards a couple of times with the hobie 14 and then slid off the hulls forwards or backwards whilst trying to right it you will go back to the maricat as the best allrounder and the most comfortable "bum boat" around. As for the foam sandwich / kevlar maricat ? is there one? or is it a rumour? Just to scare the Paper Tiger & Windrush owners? the boys at Narooma on NSW south coast are apparently making great inroads with spinakers on MAri 4.3's can anyone down that way find a pc and let us all know how they are going? cheers d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooD Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Well heres a picture of Pete's mighty mari!! http://lyc.catsailor.org/photos/series1h1/imagepages/image30.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet16 Posted November 3, 2004 Report Share Posted November 3, 2004 Dave, I checked with the factory, there has not been a maricat made from exotics such as Kevlar or carbon. Sounds like a good rumour though. You will see a maricat sail made from Kevlar/Carbon if you come to the 14 regatta at Mannering Park... nice square top also. Obviously not intended for class racing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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