As if the Proa wasn't already a rather bizarre sailing device in itself, it is now set to take off. At least that's what Rob Denney from HarryProa an Australian shipyard specialising in the construction of cruising and racing proas. His latest design is an idea for the design competition run by the organisers of the Volvo Ocean Race, who were looking for a new type of boat for spectacular in-port races (for background information see yesterday's news ).
If Denney's Proa works the way it is explained, it would be a real eye-catcher, especially during sailing manoeuvres. But first to the concept.
As the Proa is designed for foiling, it only has rudimentary hulls. There is room for four crew members in the windward hull and, as is usual with a Proa, they do not have to leave the cockpit when tacking or gybing, known as shunting due to the special technique. This is because the leeward hull always remains to leeward and has special features in this design study.
It can be completely dismantled and the individual parts are stored in racks so that several boats can fit into a standard container at once. The hulls of the leeward float can also be rotated. If the boat is to be taken out of the water, the hull parts are turned 180 degrees upwards so that the foils are pointing upwards and the boat can simply be set down on the hull.
The entire device is to be 15 metres long, weigh just 480 kilograms and be powered by a 66 square metre mainsail.
Further details, especially how the manoeuvres are supposed to work, can be found in the picture gallery - just click on the first picture!
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
