Albacore Skiff!!!

[Mr. Ben]

Anyone know anything about this really interesting Albacore derivative on Fleabay?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280956432868? ... 633wt_1186

I find these stalled evolutions really interesting - the 'what if's'. Anyone know which hull shape this was based upon? Was it Young's, Fairey, Woof or even more recent?

I'm very tempted....

[Ed]

yes, agreed......what fun!

I also love these development boats.

A while ago, there was an article in one of the magazines about the development of the RS800, which included two prototype boats....and I couldn't help but wonder what became of those. One of them looked like a great deal of fun!

But this looks like it would really be lots of fun.

eib

[Max McCarthy]

Ed, was it by any chance the RS900; same hull shape, but with solid racks, and a much tidier deck space then the current rs800, it had twin tiller extensions, and I believe off the boom sheeting. It was the development for the womens Olympic skiff.

[Nessa]

I've got half an eye on the applecore myself.

In terms of what happens to prototypes, my recent mystery purchase from Keith Bond is one such boat. A kevlar hull, weighing next to nothing, well built and designed to take a contender mast and some sort of fully battened main. 14ft long and very narrow. Despite being well built I can't find out where it came fromor why it was built, but clearly someone put some effort into it.

Why did it fail? well, I took it out last night and it is so tippy - like an outsize moth but without the wings. admittedly it is fitted with a trapeze but it barely gives you the time to hook on and get out before it tries to tip you in. I fell out of it to windward in a lull, and when trying to get back in it just wanted to come over on top of me all the time. I had to water start it like a moth to stop it falling over on me!

[Mr. Ben]

Sounds like you need to put an old fashioned heavy metal centreboard in it...or would that defeat the object?

[Rupert]

There is a lot to be said for the idea of ballast low down below a very tippy boat. Maybe Nessa should do what the early Merlins did, and put a weighted bottom on the centreboard? It wouldn't stop a capsize, but would dampen the roll.

[Ed]

Thin......heavy keel.....ur.....what about this for an example of the idea:

http://blog.jameslist.com/2010/scandina ... ny-worlds/

Have to say that I rather like this.....either being sailed single handed in a drift....or full out with crew on the wire.

eib

OK it is a little more expensive!

[Mr. Ben]

Or, being very topical, what about the 2.4mtr class as used by sailability at Frensham?

[Ed]

sailed one of those at QMC once....

more ropes to pull than the IC.....and slower than a topper....well I was

yes, agree they have a big lump of lead on the bottom, but it wasn't quite what I had in mind

eib

[neil]

i think the 2 man Illusion is still at Roadford in the compound

[Ed]

the 2.4 was quite good fun......mainly because your head was about 6in above the water, which floods in over the side.

you have a bilge pump between your legs.

Got a feeling the Illusion +2 is no longer there.

is the one you had.....the same one that Mark Jones had?


eib

[JimC]

Self draining Albacore eh!
With that much freeboard its probably much more of a conventional boat to sail than most self draining boats. I would guess late 80s early 90s from the alloy "space frame" and lack of foredeck. Fundamentally not IMHO a great idea since the space frame thing probably costs all the money that's saved by doing without the foredeck mould...

[Mark Jones]

My Illusion II was sold on to some one in Plymouth many years ago, but definatly very interesting to sail with lots of string and very disconcerting being inches above the water! the boat in the compound at Roadford is I think a 2.4m

Cheers
Mark

[Pat]

The Albacore's very interesting but unless it meaures up and is accepted as an Albacore by the class it's probably not worth having unless you want to race a one-off.
2.4m always make me feel claustrophobic just looking at them!