Bladerider FAQ's

Design

Q. What is the hull shape like and what are the main differences over other Moth hull shapes?
A. We looked at a lot of current designs and also took into account the lift available from the foils at higher low-riding speeds (the hull sits higher in the water even when not foiling). The result was a finer bow, straighter rocker, flatter bottom, squarer chines. We then improved the stern shape to get cleaner lift-off. For foiling, the main aim was to reduce weight and windage so the flares were reduced and the freeboard at the front was lowered.

Q. How do the wings attach to the hull and how long do they take to put together?
A. The front wings, along with the mast base, slot into tubes encased by the bulkhead frame. The rear wings are attached by U bolts. The wing covers slot into an integral track on the gunwale and only laced at the front using a clever method to tighten across the wings. It should not take more than 40 minutes to put the wings and gantry on the first time.

Q. What design or NACA section have you used for the foils?
A. The sections are as yet not published designs. For the lifting foils the starting point was NACA 63-412 and Tom Speer's H105. Andrew McDougall spent several months analyzing many standard sections, derivations, and many totally new attempts. The challenge was to create a foil that had high lift-drag ratios at 6 knots and at least as good as the others at top end speeds. As pure section lift-drag ratio predicted by X-Foil, the gains over the NACA 63-412 are really significant from 7 to 20 knots.

Q. What is that long stick hanging from the bow of the boat?
A. It is called a 'wand'. It controls the altitude of the boat automatically via a series of push rods and connections, through the boat, and down to the centerboard main-foil flap.. The wand is offset from the centerline of the hull for practical reasons and to avoid the disturbance a central wand creates over the foils.

Q. Why do foils have the vertical curves in them?
A. The downward curve in the center gives greater lift, the upward curve in the tips helps reduce tip vortex. The rudder foil has more than the center foil as the centerfoil is restricted by the need to keep it straight for the flap hinge.

Construction

Q. Who built the Bladerider X8?
A. McConaghy manufactured the X8 until September 2008. When we appointed McConaghy it was thought that we would only need to build 200 boats a year. But as our requirements changed for higher volumes we had to look for a company that had experience in high volume production line processes and management.

Q. Who is building the Bladeriders now?
A. Topkey Corporation has been granted a license to build all the Bladeriders models. Topkey is headquartered in Taiwan and has factories and subsidiaries in China and USA. Topkey has over 25 years of experience with manufacturing with a wide range of composites. They have over 8,000 employees producing products such as sporting equipment, and components in medical, aerospace, computing and automotive.

Q. What manufacturing standards are employed to build the Bladeriders.
A. We selected Topkey as they will build the Bladeriders to aerospace standard, AS9100. This is first time in the history of sailing that a boat is manufactured to such a high standard.

Q. What fittings and rope will be used on the boat?
A. The Bladerider will be supplied completely fitted out with Ronstan fittings and FSE Robline ropes.

General Enquiries

Q. Do you have a junior training or high wind sail available?
A. Not as yet.

Q. Is the boat being sold as a development design or a one design?
A. The Bladerider will be sold to fit within the International Moth Class rules so therefore there is nothing stopping anyone from customizing their Bladerider within the International Moth Class rules for Moth Class championships.

Q. I have heard that you are pitching the Bladerider X8 as a one design class to ISAF for a possible future Olympic Games?
A. Based on feedback and comments that we have received over the last few years, we feel that ISAF might be interested in something like the Bladerider for a future Olympic event and therefore we are open to any suggestions or discussion they might have. However at this stage the Bladerider will continue to be sold as a mass production boat and to fit within the International Moth Class rules.

Q. Do you have a demo boat that I can test sail?
A. Yes, we will have demonstration boats available in various locations around the world. It is best to contact either an Ambassador, Reseller or us for more details.

Q. What events will your boats be showcased at?
A. Yes, a list of shows, demos and regattas with the Bladerider X8 can be viewed on our events calendar.

Sailing

Q. What sort of sailing skill do I need to sail a Bladerider?
A. It has been proven that you do not need much or if any dinghy sailing experience, however what is more important is good balance, fitness and determination to learn and go fast! It is not uncommon for beginners to tip over 30 times in their first session, however we find that those that have sailed a 29er or 49er before, seem to fly the Bladerider very easily.

Q. How are the foils put in, are they retractable?
A. The foils are inserted from the bottom generally on land or in 1m of water. They can be raised for easy launching in as little as 50cms of water, however it is ideal that you have at least 1.5m (5') of water to launch and sail in.

Q. What technique do you use to lift out of the water?
A. Take off is very easy in flat water conditions. You just need to go on a reach and get the apparent wind up and the boat will automatically rise and stabilise the boat height once at the ideal height.

Q. Do you have any instructional videos for the boat assembly, rigging and sailing?
A. We will be putting these instructional videos in the support section of our web site soon.

Q. How much wind do you need to lift out of the water?
A. The average skipper weighs approximately 70kgs (154lbs) and will lift out of the water in 6 knots of
wind. A heavier skipper would weigh approximately 90kgs (198lbs) and will lift out of the water in approximately 8 knots of wind.

Q. What is the miniumum and maximum sailor weight?
A. Ideally the sailor should not be less than 50kg and not more than 90kg. However based on our own tests, it is possible to sail and fly the Bladerider even if you are as light as 40kg and as heavy as 100kg.

Q. How do you sail the boat in large wave conditions?
A. You just need to slow the boat down a bit downwind otherwise if it goes too fast, the boat will launch up into the air and you will come back down. This is a lot slower than taking it easy by pulling on lots of downhaul and sailing across the face of the wave, not down it. Upwind is no problem as the boat clears the water and sails over the crests of the waves. The Bladerider X8 is the fastest dinghy in the world in these conditions, ie up to 16 knots upwind.

Q. What if my local sailing place has weed or jellyfish?
A. From our experience racing in the International Moth class, we have raced in locations with large amounts of weed and jellyfish and this has not caused any problems. Occassionaly sailors will hook a jellyfish or weed around the foil, but it possible to clear the obstruction without tipping over by forcing the boat up to maximum height until the foil ventilates and the boat will come back down to the water, exploding the object away from your foil. Otherwise you can always tip the boat over and clear it manually.

Q. What if my local sailing place has inconsistent winds?
A. It is much easier to sail a foiler Moth in flat water and inconsistent winds, than in big seas. As you get a gust and pick up speed, you build up your own apparent wind and then all you have to do is bear away and keep the boat dead vertical during any lulls or knocks. Sheeting in on the mainsheet will also help give you control during a lull or knock.

Q. What is the top speed?
A. Currently the top speed set in the International Moth Class is held by Rohan Veal at 27.9 knots in approximately 22-24 knots of wind. The top speed of the Bladerider is held by James Owen-Smith at 27.1 knots.

Ordering

Q. Can I just order Bladerider foils to fit to my own Moth?
A. Not at the moment but one day we will.

Q. Does the boat come supplied with a CE certificate for European deliveries?
A. DIRECTIVE 2003/44/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 June 2003 amending Directive 94/25/EC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to recreational craft states in paragraph 2 (xi) that any craft with hydrofoils is exempted. This means that a Bladerider does not require a CE certificate or labelling provided the Bladerider is sold with hydrofoils. A copy of the directive is available on request.

Distribution

Q. How do you send the boats from the factory?
A. Air freight or sea freight. Your choice, however air freight will be more expensive but much faster (about 4-7 weeks faster).

Q. Do you have any distributors or other builders licensed in other countries as yet?
A. We have opened discussions with a number of potential importers/distributors in Europe and the US. The Bladerider is available for licensing, but we have been concentrating on our own production for the moment. We will keep you informed.

Q. How can I help sell some more boats in my local area?
A. Details of our Ambassador Programme are now available, through which we can support and reward the efforts of enthusiastic Bladeriders to build fleet numbers in their club or local area.