Turbo 240
- Thread starter The Rabbit
- Start date
Done what? Fly a kite that completely blocks the view? Look out the back if you gotta watch outside.
I wasn't very clear with the question, wondering if anyone has done these kinds of modifications to a 240. I increased the mainsail area by 20% with the square top and put a sprit on that increased the J by 2.5 feet. So the boat is fully powerd up in 8 knts of wind. I reef the main at 12 knts. It is a handfull but under 10 knts of wind PHRF racing it is hard to beat.
My 240 couldn't handle this (or maybe it's me). Here is a pic from last October. Took the boat across Chesapeake Bay with a buddy. We had 18 kts on the nose at least and I took the pic with the boat tucked in for the night, in a very sheltered harbor. Look at the courtesy flag, just below the spreader? It's standing up straight.
The sail mods in the OP look great, I guess it just depends where you sail to make it worthwhile.
The sail mods in the OP look great, I guess it just depends where you sail to make it worthwhile.
It looks great, Rabbit. The question is, where are you sailing it? I'd love a drifter in very, very, light air, but would normally get clobbered even trying it.
We are in south Florida, that pic we were in Biscayn Bay. As soon as it stops raining I will be adding some running backstays so we can carry the kite in 10knts without fear of folding the rig. The sails are Doyle Stratis. Cheaper than dacron sails on the C36 I had before.
You should have serious PHRF ratings penalties for the extra sail area on both sails.
Ideally, the extra time should correct the ‘hard to beat’.
3 seconds for the main and 3 seconds for the sprit. That's the best part of doing the mods on this boat, PHRF hasn't figured out how to deal with this boat yet. I expect that to change after a year or so. We did the Miami to Key Largo race and corrected in front of every race boat on the bay by more than 6 minutes.
That's interesting. Most PHRF boards will 'over-rate' experimental mods, and then adjust down from there if needed. The thought if they are off this way, they only hurt one boat (the ones with the mods). If you UNDER rate the changes, you hurt the rest of the entire fleet. Its the kind of thing that turn people off of racing; having a boat in the fleet that can't be beat due to an unfair rating.
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Jackdaw; I would be concerned knowing this boat all too well that it has too much sail area for the design of the boat should strong winds suddenly flare up not to mention the cost. Your thoughts
Of course it has too much sail area, that's kind of the point in turboing a boat. As for the cost, I picked the boat up for 8k then spent 7.5k in the sails and rig. Still cheaper than new sails and dockage for my old C36. Just having fun.
Thank you for advising and most particularly being over powered. I was involved with these boats from inception to the very last of the 260 hitched to my truck as a dealer. You will find I err on the side of safety.
On a funny note there is an n scale model train coming out this year referred to as the Turbo train
On a funny note there is an n scale model train coming out this year referred to as the Turbo train
Thanks Dave, I have been reading your post since 2002. I appreciate your input. I have been sailing for quite a few years and I suppose my level of acceptable risk has creeped up over the years.