SLIPPING AHEAD- PART 2

After a rush of new designs, attention to detail is making a comeback in radio-controlled model yachting. Graham Bantock concludes his look at development in the One Metre Class

SH: How has hull development influenced foil development and vice versa?
GB: There has been a greater focus on foil design since 1997 and this is probably because of the large number of basically similar hull designs with a broadly similar performance profile. In an effort to gain a little more performance in this tightly controlled class the designers are looking at the next most likely sources of improvements. Our production boats still use the 7% thickness/chord ratio foil we first made in 1992. At that time it was significantly thinner than other foils. As other builders have discovered how to make thin foils stiff enough to support the ballast load reasonably well, the performance margin we enjoyed has shrunk a little.

To read this article in full, please go to the March 2002 issue of Seahorse International Sailing.

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