On the Water
The SeaPhantom - helicopter speed, powerboat price
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February 14, 2007 As a leap forward in the capability of watercraft, the SeaPhantom is landmark. The company’s catchcry “Helicopter speed, powerboat price” explains how effective it is, but the devil is in the detail and this toy is a combination of several technologies, each of them adding a significant dimension to the capabilities. At low speeds, it’s just like a boat, then as it transitions to medium speeds, it lifts out of the water on proprietary shock dampened 'foils' which are outboard on each side and are the marine equivalent of a desert race car suspension – long travel and capable of withstanding massive impacts. This is a very serious suspension system with non-corrosive fiberglass leaf springs and billet-aluminum airbags tested to 60,000 pounds for dampening the wave impacts. At these speeds SeaPhantom is like a trike with two wheels (the foils) at the front and one driving wheel – in this case a 625hp Ilmor V-10 running through a propulsion system adapted from an offshore race boat. Once there’s clear water in front of it, tweak the speed and the lifting-body airfoil design picks it off the water in ground effect, radically reducing hydrodynamic drag. Without all that resistance of the water to contend with, the SeaPhantom can rocket along at 120 mph using just a fraction of the V-10’s 625 horsepower with radically-improved fuel consumption. Read More
Human Powered Transatlantic Attempt
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February 5, 2007 Greg Kolodziejzyk set a world record for human powered vehicles last July when he pedalled his streamlined recumbent bike 650 miles in 24 hours. Now Greg is embarking on an even bigger adventure, first planning an attempt at the 24 hour human powered boat distance record and then following it up with an attempt at the Human powered Transatlantic record. Unlike most previous HPV Transatlantic attempts which have involved rowing (275 attempts, 273 by rowing, 176 successful, six deaths), Greg’s boat will be propeller-driven, though he’ll be after the same record which currently stands at Frenchman Emmanuel Coindre’s 42 days, 17 hours from Spain to Barbados. The 24 hour record stands at 168 km and Greg’s calculations from his 24 hour land record put him in with a very good chance of smashing it - he knows he can average between 100 to 110 watts output for 24 hours, which gives him a speed of 9 km/h in water in his new boat which should result in 216 km for 24 hours. Video here and excellent images with this story.
The remarkable WAM-V Proteus – a new concept in sea craft
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January 30, 2007 Last November we wrote about a extreme experimental boat that had been seen in U.S. waters and at that time, little was known about the amazing spider-like water craft. Now we can lift the lid on the machine, based on an original concept by Ugo Conti of Marine Advanced Research. The appropriately named Proteus (Proteus was an early sea-god capable of changing shape and assuming many forms) is the first of a new class of watercraft based on a patented technology that delivers a radically different seagoing experience. Wave Adaptive Modular Vessels (WAM-V) are ultralight flexible catamarans modularly designed to allow for a variety of applications and to fit the requirements of specific users, missions or projects. Unlike conventional boats that force the water to conform to the their hulls, the WAM-V adjusts to the surface of the sea, with the superstructure flexibly connected to specially designed pontoons by several components that actually move in relation to one another. Springs, shock absorbers and ball joint articulate the vessel and mitigate stresses to structure, payload and crew. Two engine pods, containing the propulsion and ancillary systems, are fastened to the hulls with special hinges that keep the propellers in the water at all times. The modularity of a WAM-V allows the payload to be switched with a different one in less than an hour. In most versions, the payload is a self-contained craft that can lower to the surface, detach and operate under its own power. The switchable payload module effectively changes the WAM-V into an entirely different craft in less than an hour. Some examples of possible payload modules include a luxury cabin for two, cruising accommodations for six passengers, twelve passenger transport, a scuba diving platform or an emergency response unit. Read More
Partial Air Cushion Supported CATamaran landing craft
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January 25, 2007 The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract for the design, construction and evaluation trials on a technology demonstrator vessel, which will be a contender for the next generation of fast landing craft. If selected, the high speed Partial Air Cushion Supported CATamaran vessel (PACSCAT) will be used to support future amphibious operations. PACSCAT technology is also being developed for high speed freight transport on inland waterways within Europe. The freight vessel is expected to do around 20kt (37km/h), with a payload capacity of 2000 tons, so the development of the high speed landing craft will be interesting to watch. The increased speed and payload balance of the PACSCAT will make 'over-the-horizon' amphibious operations feasible for task force commanders. They will be able to stay offshore at a safe distance and return at high speed to recover troops when required. Read More
2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race boats with embedded media
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January 19, 2007 The next running of the world’s most demanding offshore adventure, the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race (the former Whitbread Round the World Race), features 11 ocean legs, eight inshore races and shorter stopovers in a route which takes in the hitherto uncharted territories of Asia, India and the Middle East. The race will start in the port of Alicante, Spain in the autumn of 2008. There are also changes to crew numbers and one of the most intriguing moves was the introduction of a new position of on-board media specialist – every boat in the race will carry full-time media liaison to improve the quality of interviews and imagery and to facilitate quicker and better editing of the vast quantity of footage. On-board audio and video of the last race helped raise the profile of the event but with the immediacy of new media at the race organiser’s disposal, the new moves are expected to further broaden the appeal of the race. The new rules are also designed to facilitate an all-female crew in the event. Read More
U.S. Navy orders a second Trimaran Littoral Combat Ship
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December 21, 2006 The U.S. Navy has approved funding for the construction of a second General Dynamics trimaran version of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) featuring an innovative, high-speed trimaran hull. The 127-meter surface combatant LCS is intended to operate in coastal areas of the globe, and will be fast, highly manoeuvrable and geared to supporting mine detection/elimination, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare, particularly against small surface craft. The LCS's large flight deck sits higher above the water than any U.S. Navy surface combatant and will support near-simultaneous operation of two SH-60 helicopters or multiple unmanned vehicles. The ultra-stable trimaran hull allows for flight operations in high sea conditions. In addition, the deck is suitable for landing the much-larger H-53 helicopters, should that become a future requirement. The Littoral Combat Ship will have one of the largest usable payload volumes per ton of ship displacement of any U.S. Navy surface combatant afloat today, providing the flexibility to carry out one mission while a separate mission module is in reserve. Read More
The non-lethal ballistic Boat Trap
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December 13, 2006 The rapid progress of technology is a two-edged sword, offering an opportunity for all humans to live a life of dignity, with food and water, and free from disease. At the same time it offers a small, disgruntled community the force-multiplication to strike telling blows against much bigger foes as we found on September 11, 2001. There are daily examples in Iraq of technology’s ability to aid a deadly strike against a larger opponent with IEDs and human-driven suicide truck bombs taking a massive toll. Perhaps the best example of a few men being able to strike at a larger enemy was the attack on USS COLE, in Yemen in October 2000, which amply demonstrated the destructive potential of a surface attack and the vulnerability of ships in port. To ensure the safety of military ships, Foster-Miller is developing an advanced Boat Trap system for the United States Department of Defense Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, working closely with the US Coast Guard. Designed to bolster US harbour security and protect coastal military bases abroad, Boat Trap is a non lethal, ballistic net that is deployed from a helicopter into the path of a threatening speedboat travelling at high speed. It is designed to entangle the propeller, causing the craft to immediately stop. The Boat Trap system has undergone extensive testing, and not once has it failed to stop a target. Read More
The Sea Breacher – under, over, and on the water two seater recreational craft
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December 5, 2006 Innespace Productions, co-founded by New Zealander, Rob Innes and Californian Dan Piazza, has just unveiled its latest submersible watercraft, the SeaBreacher. The two seat Dolphin (this along with the Bionic Dolphin constitute a new type of recreational watercraft modelled on a dolphin) was recently selected as one of Time magazine's 2006 Best Inventions. The second model Innespace has designed and built, the new SeaBreacher is fifty percent larger than the original vessel in order to accommodate two full size occupants and larger engine packages. The current prototype is powered by a 130kW Atkins Marine rotary engine. The supercharged race version will produce over 180kW and an international race series is planned. The 12mm thick canopy on the SeaBreacher is taken from the new F-22 Raptor jet-fighter. Read More
Another successful amphibious vehicle English Channel Crossing
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November 15, 2006 Last week yet another successful crossing of the English Channel was made, this time by two Dutton S2 Commander amphibians which made the journey in 7 hours and 5 minutes travelling from Dover (UK) to Calais (France). The attempt fell well short of the Sealegs amphibious boat record of 43 minutes, and the Gibbs Aquada’s amphibious car record of one hour, 40 minutes but there are a few special attributes that should be considered. For starters, the Suzuki-based Dutton S2 is fully road registrable, has true 4WD capabilities, comes in petrol or diesel engine, right or left drive, and costs less than US$50,000 – it’s your genuine budget, works-out-of-the-box amphibian. Secondly, there was almost no planning involved and the crossing was done in less-than-ideal conditions to draw attention to the plight of a wildfowl reserve (wildfowl being amphibious creatures is the connection) and in ideal conditions a time of better than five hours could be expected. With 90 percent of the world's population living close to the water, amphibians make a lot of sense. Read More
Sealegs Unveils Amphibious Rescue Craft
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November 15, 2006 Amphibious vehicle manufacturers Sealegs has unveiled a new amphibious rescue boat aimed at search and rescue roles with government agencies, fire departments and civil defence forces. The 6 metre Amphibious Rescue Craft (ARC) is constructed of marine grade aluminium for demanding field deployment applications. The Sealegs ARC has a base price of NZ$89,000 (US$58,850) and made its debut at the Big Boys Toys show in the company’s native New Zealand last week. With international demand for the company’s unique product now accounting for 80% of production, a new production facility is being readied to increase supply by a factor of four. Read More
Radical boat design
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November 13, 2006 The Urban Legends and Folklore section of About.com has some fascinating images of an extremely unconventional watercraft which will keep your brain active for hours just looking at them. Don’t let the inappropriate section title fool you – they’re real, and the craft is believed to be this Experimental 100' Inflatable Power Cat based on an original concept by Ugo Conti of Marine Advanced Research. The cabin is suspended on flexible legs about 15 feet above and between the hulls, allowing them to glide independently over the surface of the water. The vessel is 50 feet wide and powered by twin diesel engines mounted in the rear of the inflatable pontoon hulls. Read More
The remarkable part boat, part sled, part ground-effect Tupelov aerosled
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November 6, 2006 As the knowledge of the world begins to rush rather than seep across the barriers of language and distance via the internet, whole new areas of regionalised human endeavour are becoming visible to the world, and the glorious history of the Russian aerosled is a case in point. H. G. Wells once wrote, “Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative.” Getting from point A to point B has not always been as easy as it is today. Man’s need to cross the deserts, oceans, forests, mountains and the skies above them has seen many fascinating conveyances built specifically for a given task and the aerosled was devised to cross the vast frozen Russian tundra. It evolved from an adapted horse-drawn sleigh powered by a pusher prop 100 years ago to become a thriving ski-automobile industry and with sponsorship from the Russian Military in the Cold War era, developed capabilities that are truly extraordinary. The January Barrett-Jackson Collector Car auction is to include a fully-restored N007 Tupolev – the vehicle appears to be one of the early prototypes and is the only-known Russian-built aerosled to make it to the United States. Designed by Andrei Tupolev, one of the founders and key figures of Soviet Aviation, the N007 can propel through and protect its occupants from the sub-zero conditions common in the Northern Russian tundra. Powered by a 365 hp nine-cylinder radial engine it hovers just over water, marshland, ice or snow and given a flat stretch, is claimed to reach 80 mph. Part ground effect aircraft, part boat but mainly a sled, the N007 is a priceless example of human being’s ability to adapt and conquer any terrain. Over 800 examples were produced, but it’s a fair bet that this is one of the earliest and most authentic of this second generation aerosleds. Watch for our coverage of the new third generation aerosled later this week. Read More
Patent granted for walking on water invention
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October 31, 2006 History suggests humans have always been captivated with the possibility of walking on water with references to it in Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. In Egyptian mythology the god Horus walked on water, and in Greek mythology Orion, the son of the gods walked on water. Indeed, Leonardo da Vinci even conceived a set of shoes and stocks which would enable this highly improbable act. Now, thanks to an invention by Massachusetts inventor Yoav Rosen, it seems we may be in need of a new colloquialism for the impossible. Rosen’s Da Vinci-like pontoon shoes have just been granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for an “Upright Human Floatation Apparatus And Propulsion Mechanism” and enable him to do just that (video here). Rosen’s company wishes to focus its business activities on its equally remarkable standing kayaks, and is seeking to license or sell its water-walking technology. We spoke with Rosen about his invention. See a video here. Read More
New Royal Navy unmanned fast inshore attack craft
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October 30, 2006 Last week saw the commissioning of two new boats into the UK’s Royal Navy in the form of two remotely controlled Fast Inshore Attack Craft for use during live firing training exercises. Comprising a rigid inflatable boat capable of moving at speed either independently, or while towing a target, the FIAC RT is operated remotely. This allows its operator to conduct manoeuvres safely and realistically whilst live firing training exercises are conducted with small calibre weapons at close proximity to the Naval platform 'under attack'. The design of the craft exploits the technology developed by QinetiQ engineers that helped the RN to clear a key strategic waterway of mines in Iraq during Operation TELIC - the first time the RN used unmanned surface vessels in an operational role. Read More
ABN AMRO ONE retires from round-the-world racing and sets itself for Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
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October 19, 2006 ABN AMRO ONE, the winner of the 2005-6 Volvo Round-the-world Ocean Race will sail in the 2006 Rolex Sydney–Hobart Yacht Race. The world-class race begins its 62nd running on December26 and takes the fleet out of spectacular Sydney Harbour then down the East Coast of Australia, across treacherous Bass Strait finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The crew has its sights firmly on line honours and a race record if the conditions suit the wide-transom boat. The current race record of 42 hours, 14 minutes and 10 seconds is held by Wild Oats. Read More
First non-military diver detection system sold
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September 28, 2006 QinetiQ recently made the first private, non-military sale of its Cerberus high performance diver and swimmer detection sonar system into the yacht market. The system will be deployed to protect a large private yacht and its passengers while at anchor or alongside in harbour. Cerberus, designed to provide early warning of underwater threats to ships and other high value assets, has previously been trailed with naval forces around the world and is currently under extended evaluation with the US Navy. A Cerberus unit will be accommodated in a specially designed moon-pool built into the hull of the private yacht and is expected to go into service in early 2007. Cerberus is able to detect and locate swimmers and divers at ranges exceeding 800 metres, providing operators with sufficient time to establish whether that individual represents a threat and decide upon an appropriate response. Read More
First Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Launched
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September 26, 2006 The LCS is finally in the water, and one of the most anticipated combat ships in history has moved a step closer to deployment. There are two types of LCS (the other is the Austal-designed General Dynamics Trimaran) and the first Lockheed Martin LCS (previous stories here, here and here) was last week christened FREEDOM (LCS-1). The agile 377-foot FREEDOM is the inaugural ship in an entirely new class of U.S. Navy surface warships is designed to help the Navy defeat growing littoral, or close-to-shore, threats and provide access and dominance in coastal water battlespace. Displacing 3,000 metric tons and with a capability of reaching speeds well over 40 knots, FREEDOM will be a fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant with operational flexibility to execute focused missions, such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and humanitarian relief. Read More
Remote-Control Pool Skimmer
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September 2, 2006 Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life. Accordingly, if you can find a way of making disagreeable chores fun, you’re well on the way to making your whole life super peachy keen outside of work. We’ve previously written about how to make mowing the lawn fun, and now here’s a way to make skimming the pool equally enticing – so enticing that you might be able to find others to do it for you. The US$140 Jet Net Remote-Control Pool Skimmer removes leaves, and assorted debris from your swimming pool's surface. The two foot long remote-control catamaran runs on 9 volt rechargeable Ni-MH batteries and does all the work while you laze in the sun up to 100 feet away. Via our esteemed colleague Red at the The Red Ferret Journal
The Protector Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV)
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August 17, 2006 It might be remote controlled and small, but it’s not a toy boat by a long shot. Indeed, it’s the only operational Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) that exists today having successfully served in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean. Developed by Israel’s Rafael Armament Development Authority in response to emerging terrorist threats against maritime assets, the Protector is stealthy, highly autonomous and can operate with general guidance from a commander in port, riverine, harbour and coastal waterways in a variety of roles, thanks to the plug-and-play design of its various mission modules, such as force protection, anti-terror, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine warfare and electronic warfare. The options include a highly accurate, stabilized mini-Typhoon weapon system with an excellent hit-and-kill probability, plus cameras, search radar and a Toplite electro-optical (EO) pod for detection, identification and targeting operations. Read More
Rinspeed Splash makes amphibious English Channel attempt
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July 27, 2006 The English channel is without doubt the world’s busiest waterway, even before the raft of record attempts we have seen for amphibious vehicles in recent times. Yet another amphibious vehicle took to the waters this week, and although the outright amphibious vehicle record remained intact, and the amphibious car record also remained unscathed, there’s a new record for hydrofoil amphibians which has been set by Rinspeed and its outrageous Splash concept car. Read More
The World’s largest Container Ship launched
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July 11, 2006 It’s normal for things in the digital realm to get much larger very quickly, but it seems the same thing is happening with container ships, which seem to be more efficient the bigger they get. Samsung Heavy Industries recently launched the World’s largest container ship, breaking its own world record of 9200 teu (a teu is a 20 ft container) which it set less than 12 months ago. The Xin Los Angeles is the new heavyweight champ and carries 9600 teu - equivalent to 1.3 million 29 inch color TVs, or 50 million mobile phones. Whatsmore, the record will almost certainly be broken again in the near future as SHI has developed a 12,000 teu container ship design in co-operation with Lloyd's Register and is working on a container ship capable of carrying 14,000 teu. To put matters in perspective, SHI built what was then the world’s largest container ship in 1999 - it carried 6,200 teu. This ship is more than three times larger than the Titanic and has a crew of (you’ll never guess) … Read More
environmentally friendly foam for surfboard blanks
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July 7, 2006 Sandia National Laboratories prides itself on provifind technology solutions to the most challenging problems that threaten peace and freedom for our nation and the globe. It’s accordingly highly appropriate that it has developed an environmentally friendly foam that may also be the answer to surf industry crisis. TufFoam was originally conceived by Sandia materials scientists for NNSA as an encapsulant material to protect sensitive electronic and mechanical structures from harsh weapons environments. It is a water-blown, closed-cell, rigid polyurethane foam that features formulations as low as 2 lbs.-per-cubic foot density. But beyond its use as a structural material, the foam likely has other applications. Clark Foam, the leading manufacturer of foam for surfboard construction, unexpectedly closed its doors late last year because of the impact of ever-tightening environmental regulations on the manufacturing of their polyurethane surfboard blanks. The move led to near-panic, particularly in California, by manufacturers and sellers of surfboards who fear they will not be able to find the high strength-to-weight ratio surfboard blanks necessary to make the boards. Surf historian Matt Warshaw, in an article in the Santa Barbara NewsPress, said “it’s the equivalent of removing lumber from the housing industry.” Read More
Orange II shatters PlayStation's Transatlantic Sailing Record
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July 7, 2006 Of all the ocean sailing records, the Atlantic crossing is without doubt the most famous and most sought after. In 2001, legendary American adventurer Steve Fossett sailed across the Atlantic in PlayStation faster than anyone else in 4 days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and 06 seconds. Today, Frenchman Bruno Peyron and his Orange II crew smashed Fossett's record aboard the maxi catamaran Orange II, finishing the course from Ambrose Light near New York City to Lizard Point off the southwestern tip of Great Britain in just 4 days, 8 hours, 23 minutes and 54 seconds - more than 9 hours faster than Fossett. Halfway through the 3,100 nautical mile trip, Orange II hit a submerged iceberg and broke one of its two steering rudders. The team had to slow down considerably to keep from capsizing but managed to maintain a boat speed average of over 28 knots. Peyron and his veteran team already hold numerous sailing records including the fastest ‘round-the-world time. And on this trip, they broke their own 24-hour world speed record twice -- making Orange II the fastest sailboat in the world. Our report on Orange II and its preparations for this event in depth can be found here. Read More
Orange II sails 752 miles on the first day, and 766 on the second
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July 5, 2006 If you’ve been reading Gizmag regularly over the last month, you’ll know that there’s a significant attempt on the transatlantic sailing record which started earlier this week by Orange II, the world’s fastest sailing boat which already holds the round-the-world record and the 24 hour record. As predicted, skipper Bruno Peyron and the crew are sweeping all before them, and in their first 24 hours on the water the boat demolished its own 24-hour sailing record by covering 752 miles in one day. That’s 60 miles more than the previous record. This is already something that will enter the history books and it may just be the start. On the second day it covered 766 miles, creating a new record again. At the end of the first day, the maxi catamaran was 133 miles ahead of where PlayStation was on the charts at the same time. After the second day, Peyron’s catamaran had built up a lead of 199 miles over the route taken by PlayStation. At the halfway point, (at 11h42 GMT today, there were 1380 miles left to go to cross the finish at The Lizard), the situation is looking good for a new record. Read More
Transatlantic sailing record attempt poised to begin (live on the web)
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July 2, 2006 Five weeks ago we ran a story on the World’s fastest sailing boat, the 36.8 metre Orange II catamaran (amazing image library here) which holds the round-the-world record (50 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes) and the world 24 hour record (706.2 miles at an average speed of 29.42 knots), indicating the boat and crew were on stand-by for an attempt on the trans-Atlantic record of four days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and six seconds. In terms of sheer speed, it is certainly the fastest sailing record in the world. To beat Steve Fossett’s time, skipper Bruno Peyron’s men will have to keep up an average speed of almost 26 knots throughout the Atlantic crossing. That means that the boat will have to be sailed continually at 30 knots to ensure this average is kept up throughout the voyage. The news is that after five weeks of waiting for the ideal conditions, Orange II is now making final preparations to leave New York today. Having a sponsor such as France Telecom enables the whole world to sail with Bruno and the boys during the four day sprint, and not only is it possible to follow the attempt live , there is a live video streaming conference planned for the mid-point of the voyage at the attempt web site. This story includes an interview with Bruno Peyron and is written on the eve of his Atlantic record attempt.
The flight of the Manta Ray
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July 14, 2006 Last month we ran a story on the Kite Tube, a human-bearing inflatable towable water kite and within a week we’ve been sent another one – the Manta Ray has an 11 foot wingspan and is specially designed body to allow an average-sized body to rise out of the water and hover in the air. It takes approximately 23 mph moving to get an average sized adult airborn and hovering but as can be seen from this video, once the Manta Ray is airborn, it can hang there for very long period. Now Sevylor “absolutely discourages attempting to hover with two people” but there’s two seats and … aw shucks! At $US499 it comes in one hundred dollars below the Kite Tube and is distributed across the world.Please note that the Kite Tube has now been withdrawn from the market for safety reasons.
New affordable wristband device prevents drownings
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June 21, 2006 A new wristband device could significantly reduce drownings and near-drownings in swimming pools. The device checks individual swimmers via a small worn wristband, monitoring depth, motion and time. If a bather approaches preset limits the wristband issues a wireless alert via radio and/or ultrasonic transmission. The wristband alarm sounds and the LED lights flash, prompting the swimmer to return to a safer location. If they fail to respond appropriately, the unit issues a full alert to supervisory staff - a feature which reduces 'false-positives', a major problem with many alarm systems. Pool supervisors are highly effective once they recognise that an 'event' is in progress but they are human, and the device gives them and distressed swimmers that vital second chance. Read More
Installing a 45 tonne, 20 cylinder engine
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June 21, 2006 Next time you’re belly-aching about the problems associated with pulling a motor out of the engine bay of your automobile, spare a thought for these guys. They are in the process of building the first of two new 107 metre vehicle-passenger ferries for Hawaii Superferry (HSF). The massive catamarans will be the largest aluminium vessels ever built in the USA and will be used to establish Hawaii’s first high-speed vehicle-passenger service. Each catamaran will carry 866 passengers and 282 vehicles and provide services connecting Honolulu to Maui and Kauai in three hours and from Honolulu to the Big Island in four hours. Each ferry has four 20 cylinder MTU 8000 Series engines, each weighing 45 tonnes and producing 8,200 kw (10,995hp) at 1150 rpm. Read More
Proibito (Forbidden) Yacht Concept
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At just 33 years of age, Christian Grande is very young for a yacht designer with a long professional career and some serious international achievements behind him. In 2005. Grande won the prestigious “Yacht 2005 European Trophy 50/60’Open” design award during the Cannes Boat Show with a nomination for the European Ship of the Year award for his Yacht C52 project for the Sessa Marine shipyard. Now Grande is pushing the edge of the envelope in nautical design again with his Proibito (Italian for “forbidden”) concept. The Proibito is designed to “disappear all the mechanical components of steering and navigation through the utilization of distinctive kinematic systems”, permiting a complete levelling of the deck and the consequent transformation into a completely open yacht. A word of warning – it may look innocent and relaxed and dinghy-like, but with 950 horsepower and a top speed of 60 knots, the Proibito is deceptive in its appearance. Read More
Kite Tube withdrawn from market
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July 14, 2006 Just four weeks ago we wrote about the the Wego Kite Tube and figured it looked like a heap of fun, but reports just in show that about 19,000 Wego Kite Tubes are being voluntarily recalled. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of 39 injury incidents with 29 of those resulting in medical treatment. Those injuries include a broken neck, punctured lung, chest and back injuries and facial injuries. Sportsstuff has received reports of two deaths in the United States and a variety of serious injuries. Sportsstuff has not yet been able to determine the cause of the incidents but has withdrawn the kite tube from the market . The Sportsstuff Wego Kite Tube is a 10-foot-wide, circular, yellow inflatable watercraft designed to be towed behind a power boat. A rider in the tube becomes airborne by pulling on handles attached to the floor of the tube. Model 53-5000 is printed on the tube near the product valve. The floor of the tube has black caution warning stripes. The cover for the product bears a skull and crossbones and the statement "Never Kite higher than you are willing to fall." The tubes were imported and sold through marine distributors, mail order catalogs, and various retailers from approximately October 1, 2005 to July 11, 2006 for about $500 to $600. Consumers should immediately stop using the kite tubes and contact Sportsstuff on (866) 831-5524 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST Monday through Friday to learn how to obtain free replacement products. Consumers can also visit the firm's Web site for more information. Read More
The coreheat dry-on-the-inside wetsuit
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June 5, 2006 The wetsuit was invented in 1951 by UC Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner to help the U.S. Navy’s “underwater swimmers” who were experiencing difficulties thanks to the advent of the Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) putting them in cold water for long periods. Bradner recognised that divers did not need to be dry to be warm and that thermal insulation could be obtained by air entrapped in the material of the suit … and the wet suit was born. The wetsuit facilitated humans spending long periods in cold water in relative comfort and the protection it affords has been a key enabling factor in the evolution of a host of water-based recreational activities such as sail boarding, body boarding, canyoning, triathlons, swimming, water skiing, diving, sailing and surfboard riding. As the quality of neoprene has improved and wetsuit design has evolved in particular ways for particular sports, the global wetsuit market has grown to somewhere between three and five million units annually. Until recently, wetsuit panels were stitched together, allowing water to enter between the stitching but in recent years, glue-based systems have overcome this problem, though water still enters through the suit’s zipper, plus neck, wrist and ankle openings. Now a new system for preventing water entering the wetsuit altogether raises the possibility of an upmarket, premium drysuit. The coreheat system eliminates many of the problems associated with current wetsuits in that it offers a lighter, more thermally efficient and much more comfortable wet suit that is immune from the cold water flushing which saps the body’s core temperature.
50 mph Quadski converts from Jetski to ATV in five seconds
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Alan Gibb's Aquada and Humdinga high speed amphibious vehicles have been making the headlines for the last few years, partly because they work, partly because they have compelling feature sets and partly because the Aquada has set a few records, most notably in the hands of Sir Richard Branson. Now there's a new affordable Gibbs amphibian on the way that instantly becomes one of the most desirable recreational vehicles on the planet - it's both a quadbike and a jet ski and converts from one guise to the other at the touch of a button in under five seconds, using the 140 bhp motor to reach 50 mph (72km/h) on both land and water. The design offers a new class of recreational vehicle, along with a range of capabilities that make it ideal for life saving clubs, search and rescue, military, emergency services and aid workers who will be able to reach areas and people no two or four wheel drive vehicle could reach. Gibbs Technologies intends to license the design and technology for the Quadski and is seeking expressions of interest.
The world’s fastest catamaran
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May 25, 2006 At 36.8 metres, Orange II is a very large catamaran, designed that way so it can track straight and true at very high speeds. Almost certainly the fastest boat on the water, in August 2004, Bruno Peyron piloted Orange II in an attempt on the crewed Transatlantic record, missing the mark by minutes but setting a new 24-hour distance record by covering 706.2 miles at an average speed of 29.42 knots. In March 2005, Peyron and a 13-man crew completely blew away the around-the-world sailing record set by adventurer Steve Fossett onboard Cheyenne – Orange II’s new mark of 50 days, 16 hours and 20 minutes eclipsed Fossett’s record by seven days. The magnificent maxi-catamaran is now at the Newport Shipyard in Rhode Island, waiting for the appropriate weather window to begin another record transatlantic attempt. Interestingly, Fossett holds the transatlantic record too – set aboard PlayStation, Fossett raised the outright Atlantic crossing record to a point where it can in some ways be compared to the 100-metre dash in athletics. In order to beat the record, Peyron will need to bring all the ingredients together for a perfect race: smooth straight lines on a direct course for home, a strong and steady wind from the right direction… and a level of human endeavour befitting the ocean: a colossal effort! When he starts his endeavour some time in the next week or two, he will have four days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and six seconds to sail across the Atlantic. The pics take a bit of relating to - check out the image library of Orange II - and when you're looking at the images, you'll suddenly realise how big it is - massive. Read More
The floating Nackros Villa
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Given that we apparently crawled out of the primordial slime in our evolutionary path to becoming human, it’s logical that human beings should have an affinity with the water. It’s not just for rehydration purposes that more than 80% of the world’s population lives near water – water brings comfort and renewal. With technology being energised to unprecedented heights, our ability to live near or on the water can now be enhanced and explored in new ways. We’ve been enthralled by Giancarlo Zema’s fascinating Neptus 60 Cliff Habitat and Trilobis 65 floating home and Marcin Panpuch’s Relocatable Amphibious Sphere House, and we have now found another wonderful variation on the theme of living in harmony with water – the Nackros Villa. Modern Marine Homes was established in 2002 with a vision of waterside living without compromise and within 12 months, the first habited show home was in the water in Varvsholmen, Sweden. Development has been ongoing since with ever-changing materials, technical solutions and functionality tried so the company could develop the concept to commercial reality. The current and now available incarnation is the Nackros Villa –a floating multi-story villa crafted by Swedish architect Staffan Strindberg. The 12x12 metre Villa has six rooms and a kitchen, 178 sq metres of living area, 125 square metres of terrace and 74 square metres of windows but is crammed with technologies to enhance your lifestyle and create an ambience of tranquillity and harmony with nature. The bonus is that you can buy one now. Check the image gallery for some beautiful photos of this extraordinary home and read on for Strindberg detailing his work and the thinking and technologies that went into the concept. Read More
The Loon solar-assisted electric pontoonboat
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May 24, 2006 “Exhausting hydrocarbons directly into your own lake isn’t much different from urinating in your family room”, states Monte Gisborne. “We need sensible options if we want to leave something for future generations to enjoy… and I believe that water and electricity do mix!” Monte backed up the talk by building a solar-assisted electric pontoonboat and took his family for a 100 mile, 6-day trip down Ontario’s historic Trent-Severn Waterway to evaluate it. Now he’s developed a commercial version called the Loon for sale to environmentally-conscious boaters around the world. The Loon emits no noise and no emissions and carries up to eight passengers in comfort. Read More
