Bowels of the beast - Part I

On the 100-footer Alfa Romeo (note also the CBTF-configuration's forward rudder - above) the thrust out of the single hydraulic keel ram is 95-tonnes compared to 35-tonnes each (ie 70-tonnes total) for twin-rams on a typical VO70

In the first of a new series of articles looking in depth at both the history and the future of different canting keel configurations Blue Robinson talks to Central Coast Hydraulics founder Greg Waters about the background to the most popular currently-used systems

RAMS, RATIOS AND RATIONALE
SH: Hydraulic rams have been used for many years in industry, far less time in the raceboat field. How long have you been specialising in this area?
Greg Waters: I had over 25 years' experience in mining and industrial hydraulics before I started to focus on sailboat technology. The first boat I did with a canting- keel mechanism was the Z86 Morning Glory, five years ago at McConaghy's in Sydney. It was built in parallel with Pyewacket (built by Cooksons in New Zealand), which got into the water first. But Morning Glory was the first raceboat I directly worked on.
SH: Describe the fundamental components of a canting keel.
GW: The fin, with a heavy bulb attached to the end of it, a pivot-bearing on to the hull, and then a short lever arm inside the boat to which the hydraulic ram is attached ­ again there are obviously bearings in there. Then one or more hydraulic rams attached to that lever arm, then the hydraulic rams that are also attached through some form of bearing arrangement to the hull structure of the boat.
SH: On the Morning Glory project, being the first boat, were you sceptical...

To read the remainder of this and many other articles, please purchase your copy of the January 2007 edition of Seahorse International Sailing available at selected newsstands or by calling: + 44 (0) 1590 671899 or by email at: info@seahorse.co.uk

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