The 10R Banana is Born and on the Water
This even amazed me. This one was born out of the confidence that came from the research on different materials with B2 (IOM Banana Series).
It was always going to be a lofty goal to produce a strong, rigid hull to carry the high stresses that come with this remarkable class.
Now this journey is just starting, so this will be developed parallel with the IOM B2 research program and at some stage I’ll publish an article on all this to help others save a load of time trying to reinvent the wheel.
So bear with me, this first 3d printed 10R will be the beginning of a line of prototypes to help discover the various issues with developing a competitive 10R. This is the same process we have done with the Footy, RG65, IOM, USIOM.
The interesting part is, a lot of the fittings I use in the IOM 3d yachts can also be used in the 3d 10R. Note the waterproof winch and servo canisters, rudder plus the battery box. Other parts will be the rudder fittings and the support struts … a bit stretched of course. An advantage with digital technology. Want it a bit fatter? Just press a few buttons and there it is. You don’t have to redesign lots of new items.
I decide to call this one: “10 Bananas” and it contains three different materials all selected for their specific properties.
Bill and I originally developed the “Banana Concept” for his beloved Footy yachts and it seems to have been a significant advantage. So we kept going with the idea: USIOM, IOM and now a Banana based 10R.
This is so much fun.
After the building stage, on the 9th May,2018 I launched this little beauty at a club day on our pond. Two other members brought their 10Rs down to help me assess and fine tune.
From a vertical mast and standard sail settings, it performed wonderfully from the start. We all chased each other around the pond throughout the afternoon and had a ball. Speed, balance, tacking and performance all right on pace.
Another great design from Bill, all part of the Banana Series from the little rocket Footy through to the 10Rs now.
As mentioned earlier, this was built to test new materials and ideas on stiffness and strength for these longer and more demanding yachts. All good so far, but a few regattas will help to continue the testing. I can hardly wait.
The images tell the story.
Watch this space for updates.