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Foils?


tonyquoll

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Hi,

The issue of centreboards and rudder blades once again raises its ugly head. Paper Tiger 3038 "the Mystery Tiger" has some home-made ones, which are heavy and non-symmetrical. This causes the boat to take a hard left at speed, and generally be hard to control. They must be replaced this year.

I have templates, hardwood and a carpentry centre here, so shaping up more hardwood foils is a matter of about 4 hours each. From experience, the hardwood ones are strong enough, but a bit heavy and with a too-thick trailing edge that humm. Setting them a different heights can achieve nice harmonies though...

Ideally of course I'd like to acquire some carbon-fibre moulded foils. Rudders are typically 800mm top to bottom, about 190 x 19 in section (NACA0010). Centreboard can be anywhere from 140 to 240mm wide, upto 20mm thick, maybe 800mm long.

If anyone has second hand foils I'd be keen for them.

tonyquoll@yahoo.com

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Tony, if you are going to build foils, build light, the only real stress on foils is at the exit from centre case and rudder cheeks. If you want to build in timber, use red cedar, if you are worried about trailing/leading edges, then laminate 30mm hardwood front and rear, (I would not), you should not try to re invent the wheel, get in touch with the gun P/T sailors and pick their brains before you build. regards, Darcy.

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Thanks Darcy. To date I've broken 3 rudder blades & 2 centerboards, and made 7 foils. Have also sheared off a rudder pin; 6mm stainless rod; bang. Was SO HAPPY to buy a boat with good carbon blades already on it! However now have a 2nd boat for mates to sail and trying to fix it up.

The recommendation for home-made is cedar strips laminated together and then fibreglass coated. Cedar alone breaks - I've been there. If fibre-glassing, an alternative, cheaper timber is maple, while some even go balsa wood as a DIY foam-core. The advantage of hardwood is no fibreglassing & strong enough, so cheaper and quicker to make, but heavy.

The other recommendation is get some off an A-class, Mozzy, or whatever. Sometimes people upgrade to the latest high-aspect shape and may have good 2nd hand foils. Anyone?

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