Matt Layden announces new EC Boat

[Doug Cameron]

The designers race is on. Matt Layden (AKA Wizard), a man of amazing stamina and fittness as well as an EC winner and boat designer, made the following announcement of a change in his EC craft this year. (He is sailing from his home in Stuart to the start!)

Class 4 beware; this is to announce that I'm changing my entry for EC2007 from Enigma, the 12' boat I sailed in last year's UFC (and current single division record holder for the EC), to a new and even more advanced super-go-fast racer that I'm finishing up as I write (well the epoxy is hardening on the last parts anyway). On the theory that the less boat you have to drag around the faster you can go, I'm continuing my trend of several years in bringing out a shorter boat than last year's. Sand Flea is an 8' decked pram, 45" beam, 85 lbs empty weight, 45 sqft sail area. Sand Flea hit the water for her trial sail yesterday and let me tell you, she is blazing fast! Still, in spite of her obvious superior speed capability I plan on reining her in and letting a few other competitors finish ahead of her this year, just out of the kindness of my heart... Will be leaving tomorrow or Sunday to sail in to Ft DeSoto; see you all in a week! Matt

[dstgean]

Matt would be fast in an innertube.

However, I sense his tounge in cheek since an 8' boat would have a hull speed of about 3 knots sailing or paddling/rowing or whatever makes him happy.

Dan

[Tom Lathrop]

I have been stumbling about all day. One leg has definitely gotten longer than the other.

[JeffM]

Doug, where did you get the info? Does Matt have a site? All I've seen is the one that features cruises by the owners of his Little Cruiser. I'm fascinated by his "chine runner" concept, since I often want to sail in thin water, but I have no idea how such a low-aspect lateral plane could work.

[Doug Cameron]

The information is from the WaterTribe discussion. The Chine wings allow Matt's designs to sail to windward without deep lateral resistance structures (like centerboards, dagerboards, or leeboards). He also uses a balanced lug rig rather than the supposedly faster Marconi.

Those who only consider the conventional idea of an 8 foot boat being slower do not know Matt. He is not called Wizard in the WaterTribe for nothing. He once showed up for a challenge with a blowup boat from West Marine and a sheet sail and left everyone behind. He won the watertribe in Paradox, a 14 foot cruising dinghy.

Downwind or on a reach in a strong wind he can't stay with Graham's designs, but weather plays a role. The year we won the Everglades race in a canoe with a schooner rig, we paddled for 30 hours while the sailboats rocked in the calm. Matt's Yuloh allows him to easily move 3-4 knots for hour after hour in calm, using big muscle groups.

I'll be interested to see who comes into Key Largo first. Following the discussion page several times a day during the race is exciting!

watertribe.com

[sailman58]

By now almost everybody knows this, but just in case somebody hasn't seen the boat. It is a multichine pram almost totally decked over with a single leeboard. At the time I am writing this, Matt is in Florida Bay on his way to the finish line with 7 other boats all at least twice his size.

Ron

[dstgean]

It seems that matt's strategy is to keep going at all times even if it is at a slower pace. Many of the other singles are compelled to stop and rest as their craft has little provision to look after the skipper. Matt's other boats have some form of self steering and the provision to stay somewhat out of the weather. I'm not sure if sand flea can keep Matt out of the weather, but I'll be willing to bet Matt hasn't spent too much time at anchor. Let's fact it, many of the longer boats aren't able to put in the requisite power to take advantage of their theoretical hull speed and are going the same pace as Matt's boat.

As for the boat with the greatest capacity...looks like the spanning mono has some serious positives if you can trust two consecutive wins for graham and crew! Way to go! What an effort in your build and what seamanship yet again!

I'd love to see someone in a performance tri or cat make a push to really test Graham. Moreover, I hope graham finds it possible to sell the plans for the EC 22 for others to give it a go in a speedy designed from scratch camp cruiser.

Dan

[dstgean]

:oops:

make that planing

Dan

[JeffM]

Matt has slept at anchor every night so far, but his wife comments that he "overslept" the third night--having gotten 4.5 hours sleep! Anyway, what kind of self-steering gear can keep an 8ft boat on track well enough for a comfortable nap?! I don't know that I'd be at all happy cooped up in the little enclosed boats Matt builds, but I'd sure like a ride in one some day. At the very least, it would far extend the comfortable sailing season! The exploits of the couple who own his Little Cruiser make a good read.

[Gordy Hill]

Matt declined an offer to sleep in my camper Friday nite and slept in his boat in a little cove near the beach. Saturday morning I saw him calmly wheeling it through the parking lot to the beach rather than sail it all the way around in the dark. My guess is that he carries along the wheels as preparation for the Ultimate Challenge next year.

At Chocko he handled the huge mud flats by polling when he got to the really shallow water and kept polling right along on the mud till he got in to the fairly shallow mud. (8-10 inches)

Instead of hi-tech boots he went bare footed.

He spent 30 - 40 minutes at Chucko and we chatted for a while. Super nice guy! He even shared a few changes he has in mind for his boat.

[dstgean]

So the multi competitors this year weren't interested in competing???

Or the G-cat last year didn't want to beat Graham?

In a sense, yes. Looking at the EC22, about the only thing hotter in a monohull is the 18' skiff with guys on the wire. Comparing a downwind sled like that to an Adventure Island, a Windrider 17, and a couple of proas isn't much of a comparison.

The G-cat from the previous year is a valid comparison. Looking back their lead in the race was cut short by a decision to stay on the beach since they had no reefing provision sounds an awful lot like the similarly correct decision Graham made to anchor rather than try to beat the trailing Norseboat through the bay in darkness.

So yes, I eagerly look foreword to someone showing up with a EC 22 version of a purpose designed multi vs. the EC 22 purpose designed mono. You'd have to find a crack crew to match Graham, but that's what I really hope to see. Comparing the EC 22 to just about anything else in the field is like comparing Carter on a surfski to anyone else on a regular kayak.

Is Graham's performance amazing? Absolutely! I loved following it. But saying that it is conclusive proof that the multis weren't racing is not my point. It is just simply that you need a multi that is designed for the race--not a Hobie 16 or even the G-cat. So I was keenly disappointed when the Adventure tri didn't make the starting line, but eagerly looking foreward to Graham's dominating performance.

Dan

[dstgean]

Boy you got that right. If Carter had tailwinds of less than 5 knots, he might have set more than a class 2 record. That's what I find so intresting about this race...you run what ya brung...but the conditions need to favor your horse or you won't contend no matter what you do. It's also interesting that different venues favor different boats as well-- as evidenced by the types that win the Raid in the Pacific NW and the various Euro raids.

I certainly hope Graham decides to produce plan sets for the EC22 as it's the coolest performance camp cruiser I've yet seen. I really need to get a ride on a core sound to compare....

Matt's performance is truly shocking. Does that guy even need sleep?

Dan

[fatehunter1972]

sleep is relative to exertion, fitness level and adrenalin!

One can go hard for at least three to four days with just 1-2 hour catnaps.

You just have to keep doing something to stay awake.

[Guest Oyster]

Let me inject some comments from a thrid party that has touched and viewed the hull and looked at some of the aspects of the Skimmer. From a backyard builder on the sidelines, BUILT as it sits, its important to understand that there is a fine line between this hull for the weekend warior and anything that he has produced in plan form when considering a BUILD AS SHOWN model.

The issue for the average guy that is looking to build a small cabin boat for weekends, I say forget about BUILDING it as Graham has done. The thicknesses of the plywoods is not for a bunch of kids beating about on the boat and visiting some of the beachheads across the globe.

The cabin, as BUILT, is also an area that requires some knowledge of laminating and BUILDING, with the compound shape that it takes when completed. The builder of this boat is a well seasoned builder and a well seasoned boat owner-operator. This is not to slight anyone while we all sit on the sidelines at what was accomplished here in just over three months time, too. I view this PARTICULAR hull as a type of Nascar Ford Tauras or a Chevrolet MonteCarlo that carries a name only. Heck if anyone here attempted this build even in six months, I wonder if that would even be possible, either.

If these comments are viewed as dirogatory, Frank please remove them and accept my deepest apologies.

[Charlie Jones]

Oyster- I defintely agree. I haven't seen the boat personally, but I've talked to Graham about it. There may be two or three of us that COULD build the boat in that time period by the way, but I sure wouldn't WANT to do it. He invested a LOT of night time hours building it and Carla picked up a ton of slack in the business while he did it. And lets not forget he had Tom Lathrop as a helper- that ain't a small thing

And I agree about the scantlings- it's a purpose built boat- it would have to be treated differently than a Core Sound built to take family out sailing and beachcombing around the bays.

Your NASCAR comparisions seem quitre valid to me.

The thing that really intrigues me, and the part I seriously hope we can work on more, is the spars. I think the birdsmouth/carbon fiber composite spars are going to be a HOT addition to the quiver of boat building arrows we have. I'm anxious to try some.

[Ken_Potts]

I'm also interested in those birdsmouth/carbon upper mast sections. I've read a lot of comments in other threads that mentioned people's interest in easy-to-step masts.

Nevermind the other benefits of removing mass that sits so far from the CG of the boat...

[Brad]

What's the advantage of a birdsmouth/carbon fiber upper mast section? Graham's finished weight was slightly over 0.7#/ft. The 2" and 2.5" O.D. 0.065" wall upper sections recommended for the CS20 weigh 0.47 and 0.59 #/ft. so it can't be weight.

[Guest Oyster]

What's the advantage of a birdsmouth/carbon fiber upper mast section? Graham's finished weight was slightly over 0.7#/ft. The 2" and 2.5" O.D. 0.065" wall upper sections recommended for the CS20 weigh 0.47 and 0.59 #/ft. so it can't be weight.

I certainly would inject several pluses to the complete birdsmouth mast to include not having to deal with aquiring the proper freestanding metal in out of the way places. Using the carbon fiber as they did also required some pressure around the surface for bonding that also is important for strength. This was done by the guys with a very creative rigging which can be done by most folks here.

My opinion is for CJ needs to create a sticky thread of a tutorial for doing the birdsmouth anyway. This would be a quick reference for all of us dummies :wink: without fear and searching for responses of the past.

[Frank Hagan]

My opinion is for CJ needs to create a sticky thread of a tutorial for doing the birdsmouth anyway. This would be a quick reference for all of us dummies :wink: without fear and searching for responses of the past.

that's not a bad idea ... I have several things on it and if I get time I'll add a permanent article to the site on it that's linked to a forum thread. It seems to be a perennial topic.

[Ken_Potts]

Brad,

I didn't realize the CS20 aluminum upper sections were lighter than the birdsmouth/cf combination. Didn't Graham post that commercially available carbon fiber spars would have been heavier?

I wonder if we might be comparing apples to oranges considering that the Southern Skimmer carries so much more sail than a CS20.