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© aoe Pe OFFSHORE MODEL e FEBRUARY 1973 METRIC THREADS Isp U.S.A. & Canada [ua> HOBBY MAGAZINE Seventy-five cents e BILLYBOY e ‘A’ CLASS YACHT ETC. MODEL BOATS that Lowlander equals a 67-pounder insofar as it has the same sail area to displacement ratio, that is, LOWLANDER square root of SA divided by cube root of D. Whether this is a valid yardstick may be open to argument, since clearly resistance to motion is not just a question of displacement; wetted area is pzrhaps the most An A Class yacht designed by Dutch reader J. van Santen Half-size plans for this design (lines only) are available, price 50p inc. post, from Model Maker Plans Service, P.O. Box 35, Bridge Street, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1EE. T is rare that we have the opportunity of publishing an A Class design from outside this country, the American Mini-A being the only one we can recall in the last 20 years. This approach to the rule through the fresh eyes of a European modeller is therefore bound to be of interest, whether you like the look of the design or not. Mr. J. van Santen is a Dutch reader and he calls the model, with his tongue in his cheek, Lowlander. Most of his sailing has been with the M Class, but he spent some twelve months studying and thinking A Class before settling down to the drawing board, even attempting calculations on the resistance of different A boats. The boat is, comparatively, a lightweight at 47.8 Ib., since the designer feels that sailing a light boat is more enjoyable and that better acceleration and planing characteristics are possible. He feels that Clockwork Orange went perhaps too far down, and important theoretical factor in low wind speeds, and two boats of identical displacement can have very different wetted areas. The expression ‘theoretical factor’ is used because boats of large displacement with considerable wetted area often win in light airs, but this is usually considered due to the inertia of the boat causing it to carry way in the flat patches associated with light wind conditions; a light boat tends to stop. Wave-making becomes the more important resistance factor once the boat is moving briskly. It is obvious on looking at the drawing that Lowlander is a short, almost squat boat, with an L.O.A. of just under 70 in., despite her 55.1 in. waterline, and a maximum beam of 143 in. She also has a much flatter than normal lower profile (although this is accentuated by the modern bustle) suggesting that early planing is to be expected. With this small rocker and short overhangs, it would be interesting to see what she made of a typical Fleetwood lop. The somewhat stark fin and up-and-down skeg and rudder take a little getting used to, though similar appendages have been seen on Continental boats be- fore. Certainly the lead could hardly be concentrated lower; perhaps a cast-in brass sheet at the trailing edge would be desirable since the very fine knife-edge would be vulnerable to inadvertent knocks. As drawn, the lead is calculated to cast at a bare 36 lb., but an upper line for a 39.6 lb. lead is shown, and this should be just about feasible with a light g.r.p. hull. 1973 M.Y.A. CHAMPIONSHIP DATES M Team Championships Q Class Championships 10R Championships 6m Championships A Class Championships M Championships 36R Championships Dovercourt Rick Pond Birmingham Birmingham Fleetwood Bournville Leeds & Bradford Readers Write… volved in REPLY TO MR. G. Dear Sir, | am not sure whether or not Mr. Gould’s remarks about experts bending rules double is intended to apply to me but as he takes me up on the matter of alternative keels on ‘M’ class boats | feel that a reply to certain points in his letter is in order. The ‘M’ class rules prohibit changing of ballast during a race or series of races. They do not, however, prevent a skipper from changing his keel each time that he enters a different race. For example a skipper may use keel A on his local pond one week and keel B at, say, the National the next. However, having decided on keel B he must stick to it throughout the National and not change back to keel A _ halfway through. He. is perfectly at liberty to fit keel C at another venue the fol- lowing week. and skippers Most designers, builders feel that the effort in- ing is April 21/22 April 21/22 May 26/27 June 23/24 Aug. 5-12 Aug. 25-27 T.B.A. all this chopping and chang- just not worthwhile and that there are already enough variables in model yachting to contend with if one aims to attain a reasonably consistent good performance. Carrying around four ‘M’ class keels is not analogous to managing one ‘A’ class keel. Most ‘A’ boats live ready rigged in boat houses by the local pond and are only unrigged and transported to other venues at the most two or three times a year. One of the beauties of the present ‘M’ class is the ease with which it can be carried about, Additional keels are a hindrance not a help. ‘A’ boats require a mate when sailing whereas ‘M’ class are very often managed by skipper alone. It is notable that although the ‘M’ class rules allow freedom of mast movement fore and aft skippers prefer to maintain one fixed position. Although sliding rigs are common in America | do not believe that it has been determined that the deciding factor in races there is the movement or otherwise of the mast. Neither | nor anybody else in the model yachting world is afraid of some 72 unknown person coming up and winning an ‘M’ class championship. However, | am afraid of two other things — firstly that some comparative novice may think that alternative keels alone are his passport to victory. He is likely to finish the National a tired, dispirited and disappointed man. One needs to be an expert at dealing with the other variables in sailing before one can master the problems of these. Secondly it should be borne in mind that most beginners choose as a first boat an ‘M’, owing to its comparative simplicity. If we are to encourage newcomers to our sport we must smooth their path and enable them to learn to put up a good show quickly, not push these goals further away from them. | did not state that we should have an experimental class, only that it might be a good idea to allow alternative keels as part of the formula for one. Informal model yachtsmen sailing all three classes find. enough interest and experimentation afoot without having to look around for other classes. | do not think that we sail classes until they stagnate — indeed one of my letters to Model Boats was written to (continued opposite) FEBRUARY HULL 5) * ¥ 1:296m QBL rate. | am not at all sure what Mr. Gould means by his statement that the ‘A’ class resembles the ‘J’ boats. According to my information the ‘J’ boats carried more sail for their length pro rata than do ‘A’s and were also equipped with full keels whereas ‘A’s have a fin technical _— 19 La that outan unac- ceptable oe 55 I” 140m SA 9000 and 1400 0° LOB -3:07un 7). 48″ 0-54 L D BLT 2b-07KG = 47 816. TOTAL allay some people’s fears classing was happening at 1973 and skeg, differences quite in apart rating from and measurement. What Mr. Gould means by them being ‘decadent’ is beyond me. My dictionary defines this as being in a state of decay or deterioration. ‘J’ boats were in their heyday in 1933 and it was only the war and subsequent upheaval that killed them off. Poor Mr. Gould, if he thinks that ‘A’ boats are decadent he must be hopelessly misinformed. texs Ay = = He is also misinformed if he thinks that the 36R dates back to the Ark, it is by no means the oldest model rating rule. It is also by no means a non-runner and there are plenty of 36 inch enthusiasts ready to tell him that. Mr. Gould’s worst howler, however, is his belief that the 6 metres has a club named after them, He presumably refers to the Y.M.6m.0.M. (Yachting Monthly 6 metre Owners’ Association). ‘Yachting Monthly 6 metre’ is the name originally given to the formula that we now refer to simply as the ‘A’ class, so it is little wonder that this particular owners’ association has no 6 metres. The 10 raters have got to have waterlines of 300 inches before sail plans are the size of $M, so I think Mr. Gould need not worry about this just 4 yet. ee OBL Russ3 2 «NT Mr. Gould’s comments about ‘Q’ class are rather trite and | do not think that he really believes them himself. There again, informed model yachtsmen know that boats are now being designed and built specifically to this formula. Finally, Mr. Gould’s plea for a new class for R/C takes my award as the least original of the year. It has been said so many times before and in common with all previous propagators he fails to tell us anything at all about the features it should incorporate. Quite some time ago the Model Yachting Association made considerable efforts to devise and promulgate a new class for R/C, a missing link that would satisfy most if not all of the recurring demands for ‘a new class’. The results of these efforts was the ‘R’ class and it was an utter failure. Enough said, | think, to illustrate the point, a IS Ss is heavy or light, Vane and it is in this context that it must be | judged. | a 73 Tn large or small, or R/C, its success ultimately depends on its ability to bring people together 7 13-35 Bridge Street, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. The Model Maker Plans Service we) Gesigned by J. Van Santen LOWLANDER (8) \ jess It seems to me that with ‘Q’ class, R/C 10 raters, R/C ‘M’s, R/C 36 in. and 6 metre, R/C ‘Starlets’ and R/C ‘Star Cs’, possibly even R/C ‘MM’, certainly a not insignificant number of ‘classless’ R/C boats and _ perhaps even a R/C Noah’s Ark we have quite enough to interest everybody as it is. | subscribe to the view that any class is a good class if it brings together, in friendly discourse and competition, sailing enthusiasts whatever their background and outlook may be. A class that does not do this is not a class at all. It does not matter whether a class sn» © *eitt The present M.Y.A. classes, with varying degrees of success, have achieved this and are continuing to do so. Until Mr. Gould can come up with something concrete in terms of boats built and sailing and drawing increasing support it is going to be difficult for him to find a case to argue. Hornchurch. A. G. Sheward
