"Gwaihir Racing" - the first U.S. built Class-40

"GWAIHIR RACING" IS CURRENTLY FOR SALE.  CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Build of the boat is by Ted Brown and Stewart Wiley of Al Fresco Composites, Portsmouth, RI.

To begin the design process we decided to test a series of hulls in a weather matrix for the race as well as a long-race performance predicition tool developed in-house by RMD. Class 40 is a 'box rule,' so we investigated one shape overtly maximized to the box. The other extreme was considerably narrower than the maximum, with a single rudder, lighter hull and a higher ballast-ratio, both to the minimum displacement. A third boat tested was between these extremes. For these three exploratory types, we used a 'parent/child' annex to our Velocity Prediction Program (VPP). This allows the boat to choose the location and amount of ballast (including ballast to leeward or empty) to give the boat its best performance in every wind strength and direction. Of course it doesn't take into account sea conditions, exhaustion, broken gear and the indefinable issue of seakindliness. If it did, we could leave it all to the machines!

An intuition that a subtle step further was needed, led to the final hull choice. It was faster in the weather matrix and RMD's own RTW test by a greater margin than all the others. We were on our way and sent the surface files to Goetz Custom for computer cutting. Design partner, Ross Weene has worked wonders (and long hours) to complete this program efficiently and accurately.

Spars are by Halls Spars of Bristol, RI.  Sails are by Tim Woodhouse's Hood Sailmakers in Middletown, RI. Steve Koopman, Dirk Kramers' partner in SDK Structures has worked with Ross to engineer advanced light, durable hull and appendage structures with materials from Rich O'Meara's ROM Composites of Newport.

This is not only an all-out US entry into Class 40 and GOC arena, but an all-Rhode Island entry too.