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 Post subject: Rudders
PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:00 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:00 pm
Posts: 4
Location: san ramon. CA
I read an article that gave details and photos on how to stiffen the Lexan rudders using carbon fiber. Is this class legal as long as the dimensions of the altered boards don't exceed class rules?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 04, 2004 5:14 pm 
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Authorized Hobie Dealer

Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:35 pm
Posts: 1369
Location: 315 N. Hwy 79 Panama City Beach, FL 32413 850-235-2281
I'm not sure if anything would stick to the plastic rudders or not. Sounds like a lot of work to me, just order the fiberglass race rudders from your favorite Hobie Cat Dealer and you have a great rudder and look at the time you save, which means more time on the water and that will produce more boat performance than anything else!


Thanks,
Brad Stephens
www.sunjammers.com
Authorized Hobie/Vanguard Dealer
Hobie Division 15 Chairman
[email protected]
850-235-2281
Panama City Beach, FL


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 04, 2004 5:50 pm 
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Hobie Approved Guru

Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
The short answer to your question is yes, it would be class legal as long as it didn't change the measurement parameters of the rudder (see page 14 of http://www.hobieclass.com/classrules/RBook031001.pdf).

I agree with Brad, though. Much better to get the racing rudders from Hobie, or if you're really hell-bent on spending time in the shop, build some kick-ass carbon rudders from scratch.

Lexan rudders are teh sux0r.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 10:06 am 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2003 10:31 pm
Posts: 91
Location: Memphis, TN
For the benifit of anyone reading this in the future and thinking of trying it.

If the article you refer to was the one published on TheBeachcats.com, please note that the experiment failed and the article was removed from the site at the request of the author.

Not all ideas work!

Damon Linkous
www.TheBeachcats.com


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:30 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:00 pm
Posts: 4
Location: san ramon. CA
Can you tell me how it failed? Did the epoxy he used not stick to the rudder or was the difference not enough to warrant the effort?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 1:16 pm 
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Joined: Mon Aug 11, 2003 10:31 pm
Posts: 91
Location: Memphis, TN
I don't know any details, I was just told the the experiment was a "complete failure" and he didn't want to encourage others to go down the same path.

My own opinion is that this is one of those areas where it wouldn't pay to try to "reinvent the wheel" (or rudder).


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