Messages

91

SUP General / Re: The fun of unlimited boards

« on: June 06, 2016, 01:14:02 PM »

This looks familiar. Here's mine 18' UL when I was cooking the hot coat.

Do you have other pictures, TallDude ? How does it look now ?

92

SUP General / Re: The fun of unlimited boards

« on: June 04, 2016, 10:57:56 PM »

Work in progress 

93

SUP General / Re: The fun of unlimited boards

« on: May 23, 2016, 11:39:13 PM »

Anyway, like in DW, it's too late to turn back 

94

SUP General / Re: The fun of unlimited boards

« on: May 23, 2016, 11:36:59 PM »

On this downwing video, hail storm, 45 knots gusts, the DW beginner that I am had little tracking problems, until I decided to try the daggerboard, around 0:55

at 1.30 I can actually steer the board using the paddle IN THE AIR, at about 30° left or right.

At 1:50 I stand up, the board is tracking perfectly. Of course you don't chase bumps with the daggerboard, but you can choose a direction and keep it effortless.

The board is a regular f-one 14'x29", fixed fin, no rudder, I just added this little daggerboard.

95

SUP General / Re: The fun of unlimited boards

« on: May 23, 2016, 11:11:16 PM »

Ponobill what you describe as a switch blade is exactly what I had in mind. If it could be instantly retractable to volley between having the extra tracking in a beam wind/paddling into a strong head wind on the quarter....and being able to go to conventional rear fixed fin only...where would be the liability?

Something like that ?

96

SUP General / Re: The fun of unlimited boards

« on: May 22, 2016, 01:41:18 PM »

That's a lovely design if you're going to put a motor or sail on it. or maybe paddle it in flatwater. But downwind boards get pushed from behind.  If you're going to try to start from first principles (like "a rudder needs a pivot"--since when???)

Basically, since around 250 BC :-)

“Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world”
Archimedes

If you're going to try to start from first principles then you have to get them right.

I promise you I'm trying my best, with my old engineer's degree, specialized in mechanics and  naval architecture :-)

I know that "downwind boards get pushed from behind", so what    ?

To make anything rotate, you need an axis and a torque. The rudder provides the torque, but without axis it can't work properly, just like anyone confirms here. Add a small centerboard and the rudder will make the board turn around it.

The rudder rarely turns the tail around the nose of the board, it pushes the tail to one side or the other. The board may sideslip as a result

Precisely, because SUP flat hulls lack the pivot of the centerboard or the support of a deep hull

Surfskis work well because they have a deep, v-shaped hull, so they don't sideslip. Just like old Hobie cats can sail upwind without centerboard.

But everyone knows that SUPs have a problem cross wind, that OC1s, K1's, or any of a myriad craft with decades or hundreds of years  of development don't have because they have deep and narrow hulls. SUPs are shaped like big surfboards;that's why they just don't work cross wind. Every flat boat in the world need a centerboard cross wind, except windsurfs cause they use their rails instead.  SUPs seem to leave in a world where the escape the laws of physics.


This topic is called "The fun of unlimited boards", it's not dedicated to DW, neither is my future UL. The aim is more to be able to easily paddle 60 miles in a day. But I'm pretty sure it will be perfect in DW conditions. Please have a quick look at how my current "Pierre de la Monneraye design/home made" round 14' goes downwind. Just like a surfski. Not as fast, but as smooth... It was my first test, I have many things to improve, but this round hull is a real downwinder

http://www.supjournal.com/article,breve,video-un-downwind-sur-l-etang-de-berre,4034

97

SUP General / Re: The fun of unlimited boards

« on: May 20, 2016, 10:10:58 AM »

> I agree with the people that said the rudder doesn't do jack upwind or cross wind so I would not say that it's safer than a fixed fin.

How can people imagine that a rudder can work alone cross wind ? It's just impossible. Upwind or cross wind, a rudder needs a pivot, hence a centerboard. No one would think of sailing a dinghy, a laser for instance, crosswind without a minimum of daggerboard down. It would drift like a piece of soap, and you would have to hold the rudder at 30-45 degres to (have the illusion to) sail straight. 

I'm pretty sure it's the same with SUPs, and specialy with ULs. Rudders alone are great downwind, but totally misused cross wind. Basically, cross wind, a centerboard + a standard rear fin will be much more efficient than a rudder. Rudders should be used to turn, centerboard to go straight.

I've been adding daggerboards on my 14' for the last 3 years, and there'll definitely be one on my next flatwater UL (shape starting tomorrow    !!! )

It will be something like that : I'll probably add a rudder later, but I'm not even sure. The rudder is still an option, not the daggerboard.

98

The Shape Shack / Re: Slippery bottom shape for 14'

« on: January 20, 2016, 07:31:43 AM »

- Deep fins are slowest, so I'd follow Larry Allison's development path and go short multi-fin. Larry is doing a mid ship fin. It might be what a flat bottom needs to fly straight.

My feeling is that off the shelf fins are awfully thick, 10 to 12 mm (1/2 inch) , heavy and expensive. I build my own fins using 4mm plywood+one layer of carbon fiber,  thickness around 5mm (0.13⁄64in), super light, minimum drag.

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The Shape Shack / Re: Slippery bottom shape for 14'

« on: January 20, 2016, 12:46:41 AM »

#3, just lauched. The qualities of #2, with just the little more stability I needed

100

The Shape Shack / Re: Slippery bottom shape for 14'

« on: January 20, 2016, 12:40:03 AM »

February 2015 : The 2nd one, 14' x 26". Flatwater version of #1. Really fast, but a terrible roller, my favorite on lakes and rivers but I won't go out to sea with this one.







#1 and #2 (above)



More than 60 km (39 miles) in 8:32, I was not really tired, I could have paddled a few hours more.


Testing #1 and #2, debriefing with Pierre

101

The Shape Shack / Re: Slippery bottom shape for 14'

« on: January 20, 2016, 12:28:19 AM »

The board that made you say out loud....Wow! This thing feels like a hot knife through butter. That goes well in chop upwind, wind on the beam, downwind. What did you attributes do you feel made it paddle so well?

Hi guys

We all know that surfskis (rounded bottoms) a really fast, so SUPs with partly rounded bottoms should be the answer, if you find the good compromise between speed and roll. This compromise depends a lot on the paddler's height, weight, and of course skill. Pierre is really good at finding this compromise.

I already built three 14' boards, based on Pierre's designs.

The 1st one (and my home made board), 14' x 29", august 2014, was just a draft. Too wide, quickly built, too heavy, but really impressive. Maybe not the fastest board ever, but definitely slippery and effortless at speeds around 7 km/h (4.5 mph)



(here on the left, compared with a 2012 Naish Glide 12'6)

And really stable

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The Shape Shack / Re: Best SUP Handle that's available?

« on: December 30, 2015, 01:36:45 PM »

I'm a big fan of E-Z Stick-On Plug on my custom 14' SUPs.

103

Downwind and Racing / Re: The fastest Board?: Displacement vs Planing Hull video and my opinion on board weights

« on: October 01, 2015, 06:56:05 AM »

Pierre, are you working on the design of my future Pierrotrator 18'9" ?

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Downwind and Racing / Re: The fastest Board?: Displacement vs Planing Hull video and my opinion on board weights

« on: October 01, 2015, 06:34:01 AM »

No surf today ? Let's try with Pierre's 14' rounded shapes.

They are just magic on small bumps or waves.

  (Marseille, 2 hours ago)

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Gear Talk / Re: The ventral fin from Larry W. Allison

« on: August 12, 2015, 11:51:48 AM »

 No offense taken blackeye