Brian Moore67 said:If you're looking to sail solo, you've got a killer Taipan 4.9 at your disposal—I remember back in the day, Boyer Fibercraft used to hand out free plans for plywood builds. If you rig it with a jib, it’s phenomenal; even without one, it can hold its own against an A-class, which is technically the fastest solo class out there (since we're talking catamarans). The downside to cats is obviously the sheer size; you can't even get a Tornado on a standard trailer without a special permit because it's too wide, unless you want to dismantle the whole thing or shell out for a tilting trailer.
Look, all those classes are fine, but after everything I've spent time testing, my only real priority right now is raw speed. As it stands, the Moth is my go-to, though I've definitely got an itch to try out a catamaran or something along those lines.
Brian Moore67 said:Look, if you're spending the same amount of cash, you might as well get a Hobie Fox, which is a much more serious beast altogether. Or, if you want to spend less, you grab a Hobie Tiger—it’s slightly smaller than the Fox by about a foot, but it still blows a Moth out of the water. Plus, over in Europe, there's already a massive racing scene for F-18 catamarans (they've got a huge following in Italy). If you stick with the Moth, you basically have to fly all the way to Australia just to find a decent regatta.
Canadians at Lake Balaton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmJU9xs7KHo The French doing a bit of surfing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRvujRFsjY
Now, if you're actually looking to build something yourself, there are blueprints available for a Tornado, which sits right up there with the Hobie Fox in terms of performance. You can also find free plans for the Tiger online. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOh8aY82_J0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peNomggVkGs And let me tell you, you won't find anything wilder than a Tornado; it's an absolute monster of a boat, 20 feet long, with 49 square meters of sail and weighing in at 130kg.
You have to realize that the Moth class is just starting to make waves in Europe, though they've already reached a point where they have as many sailors as they do in Australia. The difference is that over there, everything is concentrated in cities like Sydney and Melbourne, making it much easier to organize races. Within a year or two, Europe is going to be flooded with Moths, and I fully expect Italy to build up a powerhouse fleet, especially in the north where the conditions for a Moth are absolutely perfect. As far as I'm concerned, the main perk of the Moth is that you're sailing solo (which some people hate), it isn't a catamaran, and you can just toss it on your roof. With a Hobie, you're already looking at needing a trailer.
Samuel Bennett2 said:That price tag is honestly what I’d expect given the sheer beastliness of the thing. When you stack it up against the cost of other boats—like a Laser, an Europe, or a 470—you’re basically getting a high-performance hydrofoil for just a little bit more cash. But mark my words, that price is going to tank eventually. I'd love to take it out for a spin, though I suspect it wasn't exactly designed to handle heavy swells. I think you're better off just building one yourself; it'd end up being way cheaper. Looking at the blueprints, the design isn't the hard part, it's those damn systems that are driving me crazy because I can't quite wrap my head around how they function. I don't know if you guys caught it, but there's that "automatic" flap regulator on the main hydrofoil.
Regarding the waves, once you actually learn how to sail this thing properly—and I mean *really* master the technique—you'll spend about 90% of your time hovering at least half a foot above the water. Once you hit that stride, the boat handles much like an Europe would. As for the mechanics, the main foil has this small ring on top (up on the deck), which is connected to a cable, kind of like a clutch cable. That cable runs forward to a primary component that regulates a tiny little flap. When that flap is dragging through the water, the cable pulls on the internal mechanism within the foil to tilt the flap upward to generate lift. Once the boat gets enough lift and levels out, that forward flap straightens up (becoming perpendicular to the surface) to keep the flap steady; otherwise, the whole boat would be constantly slamming back into the water from a meter up. Now, the rudder flap actually has two different ways of being adjusted. First, there's the system that runs through the rudder itself where you adjust the flap by twisting an extension—sort of like turning a throttle on a motor—to tilt it up or down. The second method involves no small flap at all; instead, the entire rudder assembly moves, changing the angle of the entire hydrofoil underwater. You basically rotate the rudder mount to shift the pitch.
I was poking around yesterday, and a decent used Laser goes for about $5,000 to $7,000. For that kind of money, you could snag a top-tier Moth. Obviously, anyone with half a brain knows which one is the better investment :-)). Our Moth should be ready to go soon. As soon as we get it out for testing, I'll let you guys know if the project was actually a success :-))
Samuel Bennett2 said:So, what’s the actual damage when you buy a Moth? I’ve seen the clips online and it looks like an absolute beast of a class. I honestly think it’s the future of how we sail.
Look, if you're eyeing a brand-new Moth, prepare to empty your wallet; it's a pricey little thing. Like the guy mentioned above, you're looking at roughly $11,000 or so. For a boat that's only about 11 feet long and barely a foot wide, that sounds insane, right? But honestly, once you realize the whole thing is basically a carbon fiber rocket ship capable of speeds most boats can only dream of, the price starts making sense. If you're smart about it, you can snag a decent used one starting around $4,000. At that point, I'd much rather hunt down a used Moth than waste my money on a used Laser. We're actually pushing hard to get the first Moth regatta held here in the States either later this year or next. It's in the works. Cheers.
So, which boat did you actually pull the trigger on? You planning to get out there and race, or what? Maybe hit up some regattas in Newport this season?
The first project over in Cleveland should be wrapped up by March, but as for when they'll actually get moving on the one in San Diego? Honestly, who knows.
Most of them are going to be built out in Cleveland. We're talking full carbon fiber builds—hull, foils, wings, the whole nine yards. They’ll be brand new, obviously, though you might see some used ones trickling in throughout the year. You're based out in San Diego, right? Which model did you end up picking up? And are you planning on hitting the World Championships under the guard at the end of June?
It really just depends on where you’re located :-)). Honestly, your best bet is to hit up any local shops that specialize in fishing tackle, or even check out maritime supply stores—you know, the places that sell everything from nautical gear and oars to flags and boat accessories...
Just wanted to shake the dust off this thread. There’s this new breed of vessel starting to make waves across Europe called the Boeing. It’s this tiny 11-foot dinghy with a sail that looks more like something you'd see on a surfboard. You’re probably wondering what the catch is, right? Well, the catch is that the thing actually flies :-)). I’m being literal here—it takes flight. Instead of your run-of-the-mill rudder and tiller setup, it uses some kind of hydrofoil wing tucked underneath, and once you hit about 7 knots, the whole thing just lifts off the water. To give you an idea of how insane this is, the entire boat, sail and all, weighs a measly 65 pounds. Can you believe that? :-)). We’ll be seeing the first of these Boeing models landing here in the States very soon, likely down in Seattle :-))
Being a deckhand is honestly a blast... you're up there, catching air, wiping out everywhere... you pick up all sorts of bruises along the way, but man, that rush is incomparable. 👍
That's just how it is. I’ve absolutely eaten it a few times. I remember this one time we were racing off the coast of Florida, and these winds were howling at maybe 30 knots. We were pushing a heavy keelboat hard on a spinnaker run, and I’m perched right out on the edge. We’re hauling ass, yelling commands over the wind, everything is intense—and then suddenly, a sheet snaps. I get launched straight into the Atlantic, and because I had a line wrapped around my arm, I nearly lost the limb entirely. The swell was brutal, and my skipper ended up doing some kind of accidental backflip mid-chaos. It was pure insanity. Honestly, I still regret that we had to sell the boat just because my skipper headed off to college in Boston. I really miss those days.
Listen, I don't have time for games or those mindless little insults you kids throw around like confetti. If you think starting a conversation with a "yo momma" joke is going to get a rise out of me, you’ve got another thing coming. It’s lazy, it’s uninspired, and frankly, it’s beneath any kind of actual discussion. It’s like watching someone try to win a high-stakes poker game by throwing salt at the dealer—it’s just pathetic and serves no purpose other than to show how little effort you're willing to put into being an adult. Get real. Solid stuff. It’s actually pretty interesting how things have played out lately—I’m talking about the last several years, specifically since that whole class of nouveau riche bottom-feeders established themselves as the supposed role models for kids all over this country. It turns out that...Spot on. Sailing should be strictly about the classics—think heavy keelboats, traditional sloops, and those old-school racing machines that actually require some skill to handle. It shouldn't just be anyone grabbing a plastic dinghy and calling themselves a sailor. Maybe I’m off base here, or maybe I just haven't scoured every single corner of this board yet, but where the hell happened to all the sailing? Where are the 470s, and where are the New York Yankees? Where are those absolute beauties like the Finn and the laser???
If it's... Something. Sailing? If you’re just drifting around aimlessly on a lake, that’s not sailing—that’s just floating. Real sailing is a sport. It requires grit, skill, and actually knowing how to handle a vessel when the wind kicks up. If there isn't any competition or technical mastery involved, don't call it sailing.
I’m with you on that. Real sailing means competing in Olympic-class boats, though I’ll admit you can still have a hell of a time out on cruising vessels if you know what you're doing. It just introduces a whole different set of variables into the equation. I spent five years cutting my teeth on the Optimist class back when I was just a kid, then moved up to the 470s where I spent another five years grinding as a crew. That time in the 470s was a massive learning curve for me because the mechanics are so similar; once you understand those systems, sailing a keelboat is basically just that same logic dialed up to eleven. Whenever I had a spare moment while racing the 470s, I’d jump into keelboat regattas too, so I’ve managed to stack up a decent amount of experience, even if I’m still a long way from being some kind of master. The thing about sailing is that the learning curve is infinite—if you actually have the drive, you could spend your entire life studying it. You’re always going to stumble upon some new nuance or find a way to shave a few seconds off an old technique.
Look, I’ve been out on the water for about ten years now. I’ve pulled into the docks after maybe 200 different races, so I’m not some rookie walking onto a boat for the first time; I actually know my way around a deck. Lately, I haven't been out as much because my main sailing partner headed off to college in Chicago. Over the years, I’ve handled pretty much every kind of vessel you can imagine, and let me tell you, I’ve dealt with enough absolute chaos on the waves to last a lifetime. Honestly, it's a miracle I'm still standing.
This summer, I'm thinking about finally picking up surfing. I haven't really given it a shot yet, but there’s something about that raw power and the sheer speed of catching a wave that really calls to me. Anyway, catch you later, sailors. If you guys have any questions, just shoot them my way.😎
Back when I was younger, just thinking about leaving the country felt almost like a betrayal. It’s the easy way out, right? But now that I've aged a bit, the idea doesn't feel quite so alien anymore. To be honest, my finances give me about a 50% nudge toward moving, and the other 50% comes from the absolute state of this country. And let me tell you, things are grim. The justice system is a joke. You have some guy plow through two women with his car and he ends up getting a cushy research position in Switzerland and maybe a year in a minimum-security facility. It’s shameless. Not to get myself worked up here, but there are a million examples just like it. The politicians are nothing but bottom-tier thieves. Corruption, hypocrisy, and every other vice imaginable—it's all they do. I just don't have the energy to spend my entire life tilting at windmills. I want to actually live. I'm not looking to be loaded, I just want a decent life. I'm not even dreaming about buying an apartment at this point. By the time I save enough for a 500-square-foot studio, we'll probably be staring down the barrel of a new Ice Age.
I’m feeling better and living longer; honestly, my quality of life has skyrocketed lately.
We absolutely crushed them, and frankly, they deserve to suffer through the fallout. They haven't the slightest clue what real misery feels like. If only we had run into the Austrians instead—we could have handed them our backsides too and sent them packing back to some godforsaken rural wasteland where you can't even drive a car properly.