…and into the black

Phil Locker, Competition Composites

With all the talk of new hard-chined designs earlier this year, the story of this Yachting World Diamond (1960’s Jack Holt design) is interesting.  The old hard-chined boats can be fun too!

The client, Greg Dunn of the UK, came to me over the winter wanting a new rudder system to cure some bad habits in his Diamond.

The Diamond in the Rough

Inspiration was drawn from the Australian boat Saltash, which has a larger-than-original rudder, moved 2 feet aft of the original location.  This boat has won the Brisbane Gladstone race a record 7 times.

I drew up a new foil of modern planform and we agreed to go ahead with the project.  The new design features a carbon shaft, molded under pressure in my workshop, and an economical layup of eglass skins with carbon uni’s over CNC-shaped corecell.

Phil’s Foils was able to supply the complete system – rudder with post, through-hull ‘glass tube, UMHW bushings, carbon-over-foam tiller, and tiller extension.

In mid August I was very pleased to receive this email from the client:

Phil, just to say that I am delighted with the control that the new rudder gives me, as she held on to the spinnaker longer than any other boat in big winds last week, when there were broaches a plenty in the modern boat fleet. Everyone who has handled her is amazed at the very small amount of weather helm, and the responsiveness. The rudder has actually ended up 6 inches further aft than my Australian model, and she doesn’t seem to have suffered for it. My Aussie friends are impressed with your rudder design, BTW

Best regards

Greg Dunn

And this photo of the updated boat.  What a sweet ride!     Next up: doing something about that keel.