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Pentax Sail for Maricats ?


ZAX

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Some people have complained about the updated Maricat Hulls... no doubt some will complain about updated sails also... oh well, here goes anyway smile.gif

In response to a suggestion by Emmessee and after discussions with Graham Heap and others in the class. Although the square top main is proven to be quick it seemed mostly because of the upgrade in material used. Other people in the class prefer to keep the classic Maricat Main shape but open to looking at an updated cut and material.

In the invitation race of the Nationals (Mannering Park 2nd January) ZAX will be using a prototype for an updated main sail. It is vertical cut using smoked grey pentax and retains the classic profile. input into the design of the new sail comes from Glenn Ashby, Darren Bundock, Ross Guinea, Geoff Adams, Graham Heap and many others. It works well with the existing masts. By keeping the classic profile existing dacron sails can theoretically still be competitive with the new sail.

Hope people will take a look at the sail on and off the water and vote on whether the Association should adopt this sail at the next AGM in April (At the State Titles).

Below is extracted from an earlier post by Emmessee.

" What would be good is a new mainsail shape to get the beautiful little boats up to speed with where the technology is.

A square top Pentax main on the current mast would do wonders with attracting young and new sailors to the class as there is fundamentally nothing wrong with the design of the hulls for a boardless 14 foot catamaran.

Let someone like Glenn Ashby or Steve Brewin have a go at a few new shapes for mainsails and you will see the class take off again with all the young blokes wanting a hot looking catamaran.

And as for brand new boats, they are lighter and stiffer, but the new main would bring the class to the 21st century for a long time.

It would make it faster and also easier to sail and look absolutely hot as well which is what a great deal of the people, especially the young blokes want. "

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My vote would be for a pentax sail with the square top.

the reason is why do things by halves?? the pentax sail will be faster anyway so if you want to keep up then you need a pentax sail, while your there im sure the cost of a square top will be marginal over a pin head sail.

I think the way to introduce it is to have a 12-18 month grace period, some of us have very new sails in the pin head format, would be a shame to waste them.

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Question: Is the Pentex sail just a dacron sail with extra strength?

If the answer to this question is that the sail is not dacron, then they should not be used at the nationals.

Are the new foam sandwich hull fibreglass?

The same answer is going to apply for both questions.

The are composite.

Hulls are fibreglass with a foam sandwich and the sail is dacron with extra strength stitching.

WHERE DOES IT STOP.

Sure the young blokes want more modern sails and faster boats but can the afford it?

After 14 years of being out of the class but keeping my same boat it has cost me 2k to be competitive including down haul system and sail with batterns. You can pick up a maricat for as low as $300. spend $1500. on it and you would be up there with the best.

Keep things simple and affordable. That is why the class has taken of again.

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My thoughts are that if we change the sail, change it all the way with a square top,and even maybe a mylar composite etc.

Run two classes like the Tornadoes but limited to the cat rigged division this would limit the number of divisions starting & the nightmare of handicapping all divisions eg.-

"MODERN" with the square top, more sail area & modern materials.

"CLASSIC" with pintop, dacron & with current sailshape.

This would then allow those of us to keep using our new dacron sails and allow the migration to the more popular sail to show us the way and then to sell 2nd hand to those in the super/sloop/cat divisions or those those joining the class a cheap supply of good race sails?

(might even help us heavy-weight skippers)

sorry I can't be there at mannering park this week I have had to work but hope to see you at the 14' regatta at Koonawarra in Feb. 06 so we can give the windies, arrows and tigers a hurry up.

cheers

david

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Originally posted by Humungus:

Question: Are the new foam sandwich hull fibreglass?

Well sort of, they are fiberglass with foam to add strength and stiffness so they can use less glass to make them lighter.

they sailed at the last nationals and are class legal, so your too late there ol son!

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Why is the question of hulls being raised again. They are made from Fibreglass they were class legal at the last Nationals and a vote was taken at the last AGM to specifically include foam sandwich boats as class legal. Not one person voted against the inclusion of the foam sandwich boats and the minimum weight for Maricats has not changed either.

The new foam sandwich boats are NOT COMPOSITE !!!!

Anyway, seems like the square top is favoured? I also prefer the square top... it flys. And phasing it in if accepted at the next AGM would be a good idea 12 - 18 months as suggested by HooD seems a good idea.

Humungus, you are correct that the Pentax sail would not be class legal at the Nationals. I had intended to use it in the invitation race only to give people a look at it prior to voting at the next AGM.

The dacron sails with pentax reinforcing are fine, no problem with those sails at all.

It would be possible to make a case for inclusion of Pentax sails under the existing rules. Pentax is just high modulus dacron. Other classes have had that argument and in all cases I have seen the Pentax cloth was allowed to be included under existing rules. I prefer not to try and introduce this sail under the existing rules and would prefer to see a vote by the association on it.

cheers !

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