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JUNE 1958 ; MODEL SHIPS: YACHTS – I/C. ENGINES § LOCOMOTIVES: CARS – RADIO CONTROL NATIONAL 36 RESTRICTED CHAMPIONS HIP LONG POND, CLAPHAM, MAY 3rd & 4th Heading picture shows Una, the winner, leading from Miss J. Gorst’s Hop-It; gives good impression of Una’s vast sail area. Below, left to right, Danson, Minx and Grand Slam, Fennifer and Minx, Vivace (with “‘box-kite” vane) and Manor Miss LEVEN boats—two from Danson, one from Forest Gate, one from Guildford, and seven from the “home” club—competed for the British Open 36R Championship at the Long Pond, Clapham Common, on May 3 and 4. Sailing conditions on both days were trying, Saturday seeing a difficult wind from the N.E. which gradually dropped to almost nil, and Sunday having a light mainly southerly breeze which backed and veered and at times disappeared altogether. Under the circumstances it is perhaps not surprising to note in the O.0.D.’s report the comment that the standard of racing was not up to that which has been experienced in the past in national events at Clapham. The winning yacht, Una, liked the conditions more than most. Designed and built in 1938 by Burton senior and sailed in the race by Burton junior, she carried over 1,000sq.in. of sail despite her hull being well under maximum permitted beam, and she was Braine-steered! Second placer Jennifer was designed by her skipper, as were Poco-Poko and Grand Slam, the latter unusual both in shape and in her all-balsa construction. No 36R_ fleet would be complete without a Duck, represented on this occasion by Quackie I (Tucker) and Danson Minx (Macdonald Donald Duck). Two sharpies, both Lancets, were sailing, these being Hop-it and Panther. Vivace was “after” Littlejohn’s Penguin, Manor Miss a Tansley Skylark, and Moonglow from “Model Sailing Craft’. Credit is due to the O.0.D., Mr. C. V. Hooper and the other officials, for keeping a good pace throughout and completing both rounds in comfortable time. No. Boat Skipper 470 Una Burton 829 Jennifer Quennell Club Clapham … Ist Round 38 Total 78 Clapham… 41 77 Position Ist 2nd 792 Danson Minx Goddard Danson… 32 66 3rd 612 Quackie I Gorst,E. Clapham … 32 62 4th 972 Poco-Poco Godden Clapham … 28 5k 5th 919 Vivace Taylor Danson… 22 454 6th 930 Moonglow 949 Hop-it 704 Panther Wright Gorst, J. Sedwill Forest Gate Clapham … Clapham … 18 18 19 43 404 30 7th 8th 9th 976 Grand Slam Bonthrone Clapham … 12 284 10th 948 Manor Miss Bain Guildford… 15 28 llth —> il JUNE, — ans el S.E.WIND 1958 AMERICAN NATIONAL DX CLASS DOCK \\ CHAMPIONSHIPS British yachting enthusiasts will, we are sure, find this M.Y.R.A.A. report fascinating. Apologies for an unavoidable time lag—the event was held in autumn, 1957—and thanks to C. O. Davis, treasurer, Pacific Division M.Y.R.A.A., and F, Shackleton, Publicity Officer, M.Y.A., through whose hands the report reached us. HE field of entries for the 1957 “DX” Classic was smaller than usual due to the inability of several who race against her are of the opinion that she is a winner not so much because of ther speed but rather because of the excellent control system in her and the ability of the skipper as a tactician. She is equipped with automatic sail control plus R/C rudder, as are all of the other yachts. The second place yacht was the “A” Class 60 lb. Hi-Ho purchased by Fred Burkhardt from Floyd E. Luther of the Berkeley M.Y.C. and converted to skippers to make the long trek to Lake Samammish, Seattle, from Portland and Berkeley. However, when one looks at the entries in the 1957 “X” Class Regatta and the “A” Class Regatta one is led to the conclusion that the “DX” Class Regatta participation compares very favourably. The event attracted six yachts this year and in previous years it has attained from 8 to 11 entries. This is a class of yacht that is yet in R/C. a ee its infancy. The conclusions to be drawn from this curious fact is, that in spite of seeming required technical knowledge and abilities, the interest of Pacific Northwest skippers in building and sailing the radio-controlled yachts is such that we equal and better the participation record of the older and betterknown classes of yachts in National Competition. Winds were light and variable the entire day, changing from N.N.E. to S.E. and back again. The Round Heat 1 > 3 4 = 6 (Peal Pe EPID Fred Burkhardt iD: Qiks Ricky Burkhardt 1 5 32-3524 -2> 7 B20! i 42-9 ~ 96″ 2 2 3 01°12 12) 32 12 12-21 3ra once 1 dS Francis Reynolds 22 Coe Westcott 3 2. Sl, 22,2 2h 2 22: 9-9. FiDin 30 Tom 00,00 00 00 00 0 0 4514122; 1040: 1-6 Campbell Walt Birtchette O-25- 2 Each yacht was timed in each race. 0 2 12 The shortest time for the course for the day was, 8min. 3sec. turned in by the yacht Miss Seattle, “A” Class sailed by Coe Westcott. I am quite certain that this type of scoring wilt seem a bit strange to the reader, so please keep in mind that there were four yachts in each race. Therefore the winning yacht in each race came across the finish line ahead of three other yachts and is given three points, etc., two yacht gains two points, three yacht gains one point. Course was a low angle triangular course of four sailing legs, two laps to the race, totalling a distance of 900 feet. The course was laid out in such a fashion in the effort to keep close inshore with the to Coe been a Westcott consistent for R/C purposes winner with her. who has Those since of “A” of that weight but a yacht to reckon with. The other two yachts were “A” Class and were not idea in mind of avoiding the capricious activities of the many fast outboard motor-boats on the lake. The lake is approximately ten miles long and rather densely populated around the shores. The winning boat, Miss Seattle, is the “A” Class – yacht built for Dr. Houk by the late “Gus” Lassel and sailed as a manual control yacht in the last defender races held on the East Coast. She was sold normal because while sailing it looks like the wing of an airplane sticking up out of the water. In fact, we here refer to it as the “Wingsail”. The sail in profile is a right triangle with the top lopped off and is a rigid structure made much in the manner employed in the manufacture of wood and cloth airplane wings. Technically it can well be described as a symmetrical airfoil having double cascade flaps on the trailing edge. It is ingeniously made and controlled. The efficiency of the rig and hull is attested to by the fact that it has.taken second or third place in every race that it has entered. The fourth place was an “X” Class from the Berkeley M.Y.C. purchased and converted to R/C by Fred Burkhardt. This “X” was built for the heavy winds of the Berkeley area and did not do too well in the light airs of the day. However, had the winds risen to 15 m.p.h. it would have been Pend 1 a fitted with a variation of the “Lassel’ bulb fin keel and has a balanced rudder. However, it is the sail that catches the observer’s eye because it is so far from what is normally visualised as a sail and ~=Totals ag is as she could have had the winds been stronger. The third place boat was of most unusual design, both in hull and sail. She was built by Francis Reynolds, Seattle M.Y.C. and based on the lines of the two meter design Skookumchuck by T. W. Houk. There was considerable change in the line especially above the waterline, where she takes on the appearance of a Great Lakes “whalebacked” cargo carrier. She has extreme tumblehome from the waterline to nearly the quarterbeam and having stem and stern profiles suggesting those of a submarine. She is velocities fluttered fitfully from 3 to 6 miles per hour. The light air worked a hardship on the heavier “A” Class yachts and those yachts which raced against another on a basis of elapsed time because of interfering frequencies. _) She has a short suit of sails and so did not do as well of special interest. Radio frequencies used by the contestants were : (1) Hi-Ho 29.68; (2) “X” Class Blu-Exer 29.50; (3) CDMin 25.50 “X” Class; (4) “A” Class Miss Seattle 46.5 mc; (5) Noname “A” Class 72.255: (6) “A” Class No-Control 27.255. A look at the above and the uninitiated would wonder what kind of schedule could be set up for racing the yachts on interfering frequencies. We have consistently used the following method with success. us 304 The two yachts on 29 me each encroach on the other’s signal. Likewise do the two yachts (Continued on page 300) MAKER f and ~ UCKER’S tne errect oF TOPICAL BALANCE on TALKS petromunce much of this confusion arises from our misuse of the word “Balance,” and when most model yachtsmen describe a yacht as “Balanced,” they imply that she is free of vice. Actually, any yacht that is free from vice, is of necessity balanced, since any lack of balance will introduce vices into her behaviour. On the other hand, balance by itself will not ensure absence of vice, since vices can be introduced by things other than lack of balance. Thus we see that the true criterion of a yacht’s merit is her behaviour under sail and not whether she complies with some specific system of geometrical balance. When a vice-free yacht is close-hauled, changes in wind strength produce no tendency either to bolt or luff, and the vessel continues to hold her course without altering her angle to the wind. In other words, she has no inherent steering tendencies liable to throw her off proper course. Such a craft handles well, and is amenable, responding readily to alterations of sheet trim and helm angle. On the other hand, instances can be cited of boats so badly designed as to become completely uncontrollable under certain circumstances and at times serious accidents have resulted from this. I, myself, once saw a yacht bolt during a sudden squall, crashing into a yacht to leeward of her, and seriously injuring one of the latter’s crew. Apart from liability to accidents of this nature, an unbalanced yacht often requires excessive helm angles, and/or her sails cannot be trimmed to the best advantage, if she is to be kept under proper control, and on her correct course. Hence it is the designer’s duty to ensure that the yacht is well balanced and vice-free. Since overall performance can be impaired in various ways, it is most essential to eliminate all possible causes of unwanted steering effects, and see that every component part of the vessel is not only balanced intrinsically in itself, but in complete harmony with the rest of the boat. The above applies particularly to vessels of the “Displacement Type,” and all model yachts are full Displacement types. This term is used to describe craft whose Centre of Gravity always remains in the same fixed position, and serves to differentiate ‘between these and “Non-Displacement Types.” ‘The latter are boats in which the crew forms the whole, or a large proportion of the ballast, which enables the C.G. to be shifted at will by moving the crew. Thus it is apparent that Displacement types remain under all conditions, on all points of sailing, and at all angles of heel, and in consequence their design must be inherently balanced and vice- free. trim. The fact that crews of Non- Per contra, Non-Displacement types become different craft every time their crews change position, to recognise the difference between Displace- ment and Non-Displacement types of yacht, and since model yachts are essentially of the Displacement type, clearly it is futile to try to introduce into their design features of Non-Displacement types. Again, at times it has been suggested that a modicum of what its propogandists describe. as “controlled un-balance,” produces a better and faster boat than perfect balance. The methcd used to control un-balance is to offset one steering vice with another. For example, the griping tendencies of a hard-mouthed yacht can _ theoretically be neutralised by setting an over-sized jib, or placing the C.E. of the sail plan unduly far forward. I may add that I, myself, have never understood the mentality which prefers to introduce a second vice, rather than rectify the original error in the design. Earlier in this article, it was pointed out that a yacht’s merit is revealed by the absence of vice under sail, and that every part of the design must well as certain articles and letters that have appeared in print, have convinced me that ignorance and misunderstanding on the subject of balance exist not only amongst ordinary model yachtsmen, but also amongst designers, including the authors of certain very successful craft. I am inclined to think that same the Consequently, it is important for model yachts- men N recent months, my private correspondence, as the alter Displacement types can alter their boat’s trim to suit conditions, more or less compensates for any lack of balance in the yacht itself. accordingly be scrutinised and proved in every possible way. At this point, it might be useful to consider the virtues and defects of some of the better known methods of checking designs. Obviously, I have ao need to go extensively into these systems in this article, but they are detailed in textbooks on yacht design. The “Balanced Main Diagonal” method is really a geometrical system of drawing a yacht’s lines, not an actual test of balance. It has produced some. of the loveliest models that have ever graced our regattas, perfectly balanced and vice-free, but in the hands of less able exponents, this system is not necessarily as successful, since a boat with a balanced main diagonal may be completely unbalanced in other respects, and by no means vice-free. Another disadvantage some designers have found with this method is a tendency to cramp the design, but in my personal opinion that is due rather to the designer’s lack of skill than any lack of flexibility in the system. It, therefore, appears that although some designers may find a balanced main diagonal of assistance in drawing their lines, it must not be assumed that this will ensure a hull that is balanced and vice-free, and other tests must be employed before a design can be passed as being satisfactory. Again if a yacht is balanced and vice-free, it does not necessarily follow that she has a balanced main diagonal. Although many model yachtsmen believe implicitly in the so-called “M/C Shelf System of Balance” promulgated by the Jate Admiral A. Turner, yet very few of them appear to have assimilated the theory on which this is founded. I had a long letter from the Admiral himself in which he explained that to believe in the M/C Shelf System, you-must- subscribe to what’ he called the “Turner Theory of Rolling Motion.” Briefly summarised, his idea was that when a vessel rolls, she moves bodily about her M/C. Now when a yacht is on the starboard tack, she heels to port, but when she comes about onto the port tack, she heels to starboard. If the yacht revolves about her M/C, as the Admiral claimed, she must move bodily sideways to windward every time she comes about. (To be continued) 308
