Posted by: Geoff Sobering on March 16, 2005 at 15:29:22:
In Reply to: Carbon Fiber posted by Pete Truesdell on March 16, 2005 at 12:25:58:
> ... perhaps the approach is to ban Balsa or set minimums on material
> density or something which would result in an effective limit on a
> carbon super boat while still allowing the tinkerers room to play.
I personally think that's exactly the route the class should consider. I'm certainly not in favor of allowing (much less encouraging) anyone to build "super boats" that obsolete every current hull.
I think a couple of simple rules to control weight distibution in the hull would manage the performance characteristics without mandating specific materials. If fact, I think rules like that might be desirable even if we don't open up the allowed materials. Remember that the _current_ rules allow for a completely legal hull design that is "fully molded glass epoxy prepreg over select low-density end grain balsa wood. Autoclave cured @ 250° F (120°C) with 60 psi (4 Bar) pressure". I don't know about you, but I have a vacuum pump in my shop, and a couple of space heaters and sheets of insulation that let me post-cure Pro-set epoxy, but I sure don't have a hull-sized autoclave!
Cheers,
Geoff S.
US-5156