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B class information


Sprinter27
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Hi there, I have a ply b class cat that I believe would date back to the mid 60’s, I’m hoping someone out there knows a little of it’s early history, I believe it started life on the mornington peninsular, the sail number is KA32, I think it’s original colour was yellow . Any help would be very much appreciated 

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This looks like a QB2 which was a Lindsay Cunningham design. He was from Melbourne and there were significant fleets  in Vic, SA, NSW and Qld. The QB was designed and built in competition for the catamaran division in Olympic selection but which went ultimately to the Tornado.. The original QBs were terrific cats and good performers, As one seasoned catsaailor told me because of the thin sterns you could slow the beast downwind by dragging the sterns and rear beam .. These were sold as plans which you built at home or in a club ewhich build up fleets. They had, from memory 4-6mm ply sides and decks but the lower sides,  ie from keels up about six inches were fibreglass because the ply wouldn't do the compound curve.  A 30 foot mast and a big sail area.  I bought one of the last ones believed to be in Qld in about 1994 .. it was originally called Bwana Banana and was bright yellow..  By the time i bought it , it needed new decks and sides from rot, it had seven separate colour paint coats on it I restored it as best i could ..and then met the original builder who said i'd done a crap  job. There were up to have a dozen at Townsville whewre i bought mine upgrading from the only 14 footer, a Maricat in the local club cat fleet, before sailors went to  tornadoes, capricorn a locally built heavy cat, A class and then Taipans when they hit the scee in the 1990's.  Qld heat and humidity were not kind to these boats nor is being left out in weather extremes .. Howeverr they are still  terrific performers if you find one in good condition.  The QB3 was the same boat upgraded i think with only the centreboards moved about a foot back , a little more roach sail area and i can't remember if the mast got taller. 

cheers 

Mark Dawson 

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Qb2 you are correct on the construction, ply deck and sides (looks like 3mm), fibreglass bottom and stern.

having done a little reading about the QB2’s beginning, the Cunningham’s modified a quest A to be a two handed boat and knowing they built a c class known as Quest (one, two and three) I’m wondering  if this is a quest B?

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