Search found 368 matches

by LASERTOURIST
Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:39 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: The WTF , one off ? and weird wotizit
Replies: 6
Views: 7296

Re: The WTF , one off ? and weird wotizit

Obviously it is quite bizarre, but what is the rationale behind the design is what i can't grasp. Maybe some early aviation /seaplane or p gimmicks went into this thing (if it's really 20's or 30's vintage it's quite possible, as aviation was all the rage then) . Maybe some ideas from powerboating t...
by LASERTOURIST
Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:55 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: The WTF , one off ? and weird wotizit
Replies: 6
Views: 7296

Re: The WTF , one off ? and weird wotizit

Just one more thing: Built out of solid wood , not ply
by LASERTOURIST
Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:51 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: The WTF , one off ? and weird wotizit
Replies: 6
Views: 7296

The WTF , one off ? and weird wotizit

Hello.. While monitoring LeBon Coin (french E bay, only it's fixed prices , no auction) i chanced upon this beast https://www.leboncoin.fr/nautisme/1092911962.htm?ca=12_s Mailed the guy (only for the sake of curiosity) got him on the phone...He is no sailor just a contractor who had to bring down an...
by LASERTOURIST
Thu Oct 06, 2016 4:36 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Yet Another 'What is it'...
Replies: 5
Views: 7793

Re: Yet Another 'What is it'...

16 Ft ??? a bit too much, but this boat borrows some features from the Classic US Crosby designed Snipe (transom mostly) which some how did not catch up very much in GB , while finding quite a number of followers in France , spain , Italy and Gdermany...but the centreboard case dosent seem to be rig...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 3:24 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: What is it?
Replies: 4
Views: 7594

Re: What is it?

Only strange thing: Woden mast and boom, clearly not original , all La prairie boats had aluminium masts (untapered except fotr the Caneton Strale). The Zef mast was un anodized to save costs
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 3:21 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: What is it?
Replies: 4
Views: 7594

Re: What is it?

It is french made allright, but it is not a 320 (The 320 was always yellow hull -polyéthylène- and black ABS foredeck, made by Tabur, today bic of windsurf andO'pen Bic fame). This orange deck self bailing boat is an Apache by french boatyard La Prairie, a now extinct prolific boatmaker . Their best...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:55 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Yet another ID
Replies: 1
Views: 4966

Re: Yet another ID

It's a german boat called Kolibri (humming bird) Interestigly enough the manufacturere was called Atlanta and made a great hit in germany with a bigger boat (14ft ) called koralle The Koralle was very light , cartopable and had a very unusual feature : twin pivoting centreboards in the sides of the ...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:36 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Any ideas?
Replies: 2
Views: 5156

Re: Any ideas?

Sunfish...maybe , or may be his earlier and smaller brother the sailfish (same design but shorter ) both were made from plywood before going "plastic" and the early Sailfish had no cockpit (interestingly enough Cortland Heyniger had submited for a lifegards order for a rescue surfboard, ha...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:29 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: ZOOM DINGHY
Replies: 3
Views: 6020

Re: ZOOM DINGHY

Wasn't the Zoom dinghy a singlehander ISAF tried to promote as a boat for the youth's championships (a boat designed somewhere in scandinavia, maybe) This Zoom were mant atempts to make a smaller laser for kids (Byte, Spirou, Zoom, and Dutch Splash) ...and all but disapeared when the 4.7 rig for the...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:23 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Itom dinghy
Replies: 3
Views: 6218

Re: Itom dinghy

As far as I know Itom was an italian motorcycle famous for it's sports 50cc racers in the late fifites. They made history when an english girl was the first woman ever to compete with a sports Itom at the Isle of Man TT in the 50cc Grand prix Class...
Ididn't know there was o boat called Itom
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:09 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: 420 no. 3
Replies: 5
Views: 6721

Re: 420 no. 3

restoration of 420 N° 62 can be found here, but unfortunately a good numbre of the pics are no longer available http://www.forumvoile.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=33 On this early Lanaverre , not only the cleats were made of wood but the jibsheet fairleads were bronze , typically 40's or 50's ...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:55 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: 420 no. 3
Replies: 5
Views: 6721

Re: 420 no. 3

hink the earliest 420 unearthed in france some years ago was N° 62 (manufactured 1959) It was in good condition and had been somehow upgraded. Lanaverre made conversion kits to upgrade early 420's especially a retrofit traveller kit with fibreglass straps to bolt on the side tanks and a round travel...
by LASERTOURIST
Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:14 am
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Club 420 Date of Mfg.
Replies: 17
Views: 16523

Re: Club 420 Date of Mfg.

The 420 is at it's best in 15 Kts+ or with a very light crew in lighter weather... This has been in the 420 DNA since the beginning The initial designers team (Maury Latxague Lehoerff) had wanted a trainer for sailing schools, with the initial prototypes being rather crude but with a bigger spread o...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Aug 08, 2015 9:02 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Club 420 Date of Mfg.
Replies: 17
Views: 16523

Re: Club 420 Date of Mfg.

420 was initially a popuboat , a "poor mans yacht" so expensive gadgets were barred or limited in the early years.* The mainsheet system was a crude transom vaurien style main , the vang had its's block sheaves included in the mast to save costs , no traveller (it came back later as a retr...
by LASERTOURIST
Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:12 pm
Forum: Boat Identification and Dinghy History
Topic: Club 420 Date of Mfg.
Replies: 17
Views: 16523

Re: Club 420 Date of Mfg.

the transparent flap was not watertight...it was used as a bailer when sailing fast (on the right tack, with the window leeward) . Later the rules accepted a tube type or elvström type self bailer somewhere in the centreboard case area. The idea behind the transparent flap was that it helped the cre...