Bjorn,

The shopping trolley comparison is correct and a much better way of explaining how foiling shunts work than the model I built.  Thanks.  

I will let you know how exciting it is to sail.  Coordination between helmspeople and sheet trimmer will be interesting, to say the least.

The Volvo Proa was designed in response to a competition run by the Volvo Ocean Race for an inshore foiler for their in port races.  The requirements for the boat and how the Volvo Proa met them, are in blue starting on page 7 at http://harryproa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/…/volvoproa.pdf  Given that we did not make the short list, the boats that did should be spectacular.

There are no "trademark" harryproa features.  Each boat is designed to do what it is meant to do as well as possible.  Volvo wanted a racing rig with a crew of 4 crew, so a stayed mast was lighter and more adjustable.  We left off the kick up rudder option as we felt it would have made the boat a bit too radical.  Our plan was to discuss it with them if we were selected.  Foiling Bucket List has kick up rudders.  

No model testing as such, although Steinar has made a cool foiling model and we flew Elementarry with a kite.

erruttan,

Could use 3 identical hulls, but money was no object, sexy looks were, so we went with different. Also, the lee hulls can be much smaller than the ww one.  On Foiling Bucket List, where sexy does not matter and cost does, they are 3.5m/12' long x 350/14" high and wide. 

The tipping mast is for righting after a capsize and easy lifting/lowering, both of which Volvo wanted.  The ability to rake it easily fore and aft makes balancing easier, and was required for the enormous "lake rig" Volvo wanted.  Bucket List is well balanced, so I doubt we will be playing with it very much, at least at this stage. Bucket List's mast is also unstayed, so won't need the wires and foreboom on the VOR boat.   If you consider the lack of structure required, sitting the mast on strings between the hulls is about as simple as it gets.  Ballast on an arm, and a pull down foil on an arm are both on the to do list.

No problem sharing my stuff ups.  Hopefully it will save someone repeating them.  

Water ballast would probably make it less skittish, but would require more grunt to start and stop it.  With one person in the tender and one steering, it was very controllable, but solo in the canal with a bit of swirly breeze was tricky.  

Doug,

Mast idea should work, but it is easier single handed with a gin pole.  It would have been good to keep Bucket List and build another boat to play with but I already have Elementarry and bits of Solitarry so space is at a premium.  Also, the hull which is being chopped up is very poorly built for various reasons.  It will be good to not have to worry about it.

Luc,

The plan is to set up the beams on saw horses in the driveway and play with the mast raising/lowering and the sail to eliminate any weak areas.  Once the mast is up, it should be fine.

I have built the foils, cut the holes in the rudders to mount them, started on the wands and built the fore and aft beam.  Next week should be cut and shut time on the old lee hull. 

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement, on and off list

rob