Fastest geezer

[PonoBill]

Stuey don't worry about me I will let Bill poach this board test thing since he is good at that.
Still check the mail because I got that thing I am sending ya as promissed.

Laters.

Aloha

Byron

Actually, you'll have your board long before I get mine. You're first. I just decided I wanted one no matter what.

I think we'll need to have a race as soon as I get mine. 

[Byronmaui]

Sorry Bill I am out. Don't want a guy building 2 boards at cost and no charge for his labor when this is his living. Not going to take food off a man's plate. You do the write up's in Kenalu and stuff for Stuey in return for him cutting you a deal.

Aloha

Byron

[Admin]

Woogie got back from Hi. today and was bummed, he said he would have loved to have done the challenge!

Hi Stuey,

What was the challenge that involved Woogie?  Sorry, I must have missed that part.

[DavidJohn]

Woogie got back from Hi. today and was bummed, he said he would have loved to have done the challenge!

Hi Stuey,

What was the challenge that involved Woogie?  Sorry, I must have missed that part.

Rand, Stuey was refering to the last part of this post.

DJ

Woohoooo!!!  This is gonna be long, so grab yourselves a beer and a comfy chair. I know I said this morning that I wouldn't be back but several things have changed my mind. First and foremost, a CHALLENGE!! Oh Yeah, I've never backed away from one in my life and nobody calls me chicken!!!!....... YOU'RE ON, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED and I wanna make this sooner than later but I will get back to this.   
       Secondly, PonoBill, can I call you Pono? I'm so stoked that you weighed into the debate as you are obviously quite knowledgable on the subject. Glad that someone brought in physics as it's laws are as undeniable as the fact that the sun will rise tomorrow. From the age of about 8, when I handcarved model boats my Dad drummed into my brain the fundamental formula you stated for maximum hull speed! 1.34 x the square root of the waterline length in feet will give you the speed in knots that when reached a hull must start planing, it's as set as the laws of gravity. Like you said at this precise speed the hull has to rise over the bow wave and plane. I hadn't actually thought of this for ages, it's just ingrained, Length = Speed. You're post however, got me thinking, about another law that you didn't mention. Once a hulls' Length to Width ratio exceeds 8 to 1 the craft ceases to form a bow wave and the hulls maximum speed becomes virtually unlimited!!! This is one of the reasons why Cats and Tris are so incredibly fast. Pono, I hadn't done this before, so I scribbled down some numbers re. my Penetrator versus a 12'. The answers proved an eye-opener, calling an average 12' a WL of 11'6" and W of 27" gives a Length to Width ratio of (5.1 to 1), definetly a speed limited hull that must plane to go any faster. I penciled in the figures for the Penetrator 572, overall dimensions, 18'8"x 26 1/2", it has a WL of 17'6" but with max width at the top of it's undercut rails, where it makes contact with the water the width is just 23" giving a Length to Width ratio of (9.2 to 1) well beyond the magic 8 to 1! No true bow wave, hull speed limited only by the strength and skill of the pilot........Enough physics but thanks Pono, without you I wouldn't have delved!!!
         Byronmaui, sorry about sending you the wrong reply this morning, I thought I was still dealing with TreeStand! You said you wanted actual results, unfortunatly I have none for the 572 as this model is only a week or so old and as it is a customers we could only give it a quick test run and after all this he's no doubt seen his new board being covertly ridden on youtube (doh!). Woogies initial impression however is that it's somewhere around 30% quicker than it's 16' predecessor which has competed a few times and I do have some results for. It hasn't come close to being beaten yet. It's first and biggest race was earlier this year at the Noosa Festival, a 22km downwinder from Coolum to Noosa. Conditions were far from ideal with about 3 feet of sloppy, following swell. Woogie Marsh aboard the Penetrator 16' came 1st, a full 2kms ahead of the fleet and was playing with his kids in the shorey when C4s' top OZ guy, the previously unbeaten Billy Watson, paddled his Vortice into 2nd place. Now, I was happy for the win but didn't place too much creedence in it, after all the Penetrator had 2 more feet of waterlne so I thought it a tad unfair! The 572 has it's first race on the 25th of October at the Gold Coast, a 35km downwind relay. Woogie has partnered up with Danny Sheard and I'm feverishly preparing their new craft, re-tweaked from the one you see in the video with a brand new and hopefully workable steering system I've designed. They'll be competing against, among others, a team consisting of Jamie Mitchell and Mick DiBetta on a similarly sized board and if we can win there, believe me you will hear about it!!!
       Now, THE CHALLENGE. As soon as this can be organised, perhaps early next year, I am more than willing to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak! I'm not a rich man but what I propose is this. I'll build a fully race-prepped Penetrator 572 but someone over there will have to buy it, I will put in all my labour for free meaning it will come in at about $A2,000, a bargain for you guys considering our dollar is only worth 70 cents to your greenback! We go halves in the freight the only conditions being it must be made available for THE CHALLENGE then it's all yours! You guys select a COMPETENT paddler to ride the 572, I'll trust you, then your best paddler who wishes to be involved will ride a board of your choice which must be no longer than 12'. We'll agree on a suitable venue and distance for a downwind battle and 1st over the line should solve this raging debate. Then I also propose that your fastest available paddler on your quickest unlimited board goes up against Woogie on the 572 over the same course. USA vs AUSTRALIA, the Sup Cup, if you like. Let the games begin!!! And TreeStand, did you say I didn't have a thick skin?...............Over and out, Stuey Campbell

[Admin]

I also propose that your fastest available paddler on your quickest unlimited board goes up against Woogie on the 572 over the same course. USA vs AUSTRALIA, the Sup Cup, if you like. Let the games begin!!!

Yup, I had missed that.  That is great.  Thanks DavidJohn.

It seems like even without the challenge that Woogie and others could do the Maliko race (or other HI downwind races) on the 572, and go up against all of the top guys / top gear.

[PonoBill]

That makes sense Randy, though I love the idea of an America's Cup style race. Maybe a representative board and paddler from each SUP hotbed.

On another note, the most exciting thing I saw at the BOP was the format. It really was brilliant. A challenging race and varied conditions THAT SPECTATORS CAN WATCH.  And you can do it anywhere--ocean, lakes, rivers, whatever. And instead of ten people in the water you can easily have 500.

The elite race was really thrilling--the board transfer part bought the leaders up close and personal to the crowd each lap. There was more than a bit of chaos and drama getting back out.

I'm sure it will be a multi-day event next year, and the crowds will double or triple. It could have been easily televised. Whoever came up with that format is a wizard.

[Kaweeka]

Maybe a worldwide series of races . . .  This would be a nice 1.5 miles course in the summer   Then again maybe not on a long hollow board

[stoneaxe]

I agree about the format. When I 1st saw it I knew it was going to make for a great race that would be good for spectators. I'd like to put something together in a similar format for next summer out here at nantasket beach. perfect location for a race........only problem is lack of racers...

[shapeshifter]

build it...
...and they will come.