Rebb'l - Continued from page 1
The original daggerboard keel was
assembled over a steel plate, with multiple
vertical steel stringers welded to each side.
Timber fillers were then glued and bolted
to the steel plate between the stringers,
then faired to an NACA foil section.
As launched, the ballast was an 1100kg
lead bulb bolted to the bottom of the
board. The completed daggerboard, finishing
up around 70mm thick with a
chord of 500mm, was sheathed in carbon
fibre and glass.
The JT Spars rig is soundly supported
with twin, swept-back, 10-degree spreaders,
topmast jumpers, and permanent and
running backstays.
By today's standards, the sail plan is relatively
low aspect, although the working
sail area is still generous. The emphasis is
on simplicity and ease of handing. Rebb'l
has a fully battened mainsail and a 120%
genoa on a Profurl furler; the only downwind
sail is a flat cut gennaker.
Rebb'l's interior layout uses different
floor and seating levels. The seating/dining
area is raised on a pedestal so those
seated can easily see out through the windows.
Opposite, the galley floor is set
lower to give full standing headroom.
Going forward past the pilothouse section,
the floor level drops again to give full
headroom in the shower/heads compartment
and forward cabin. There's another
even lower floor level immediately adjacent
to the
companionway to aid access
into the aft double and pilot berths. The
aft berth is a king size, with a mirror on
the rear bulkhead making it seem even
bigger.
The engine, a 100hp 4JH3 Yanmar, is
under the dining table, a position Edlin
has used on several of his trimaran
designs. This position keeps engine weight
central, the shaft angle modest and allows
easy engine access on all sides, when the
table is lifted away.
The fuel and water tanks, as well as the
batteries, are all in this area, again aiding
weight distribution. The keel-stepped
mast is in the shower, so water leaking
down the mast drains away. The interior
has been finished in a stipple finish in high
solids epoxy paint and re-coated in reaction
lacquer, which has proved durable
and easy to clean, as well as being forgiving
of inevitable bumps and scratches.
Unusual features continue outside.
Rebb'l's working cockpit floor is set high,
and I was always aware of standing on the
boat rather than in it. The twin tillers
mount directly on the rudder shafts, and
either or both can be quickly removed to
ease congestion. The box in the centre of
the cockpit provides storage for drinks
and life jackets, but its prime purpose is to
give the helmsperson somewhere to brace
his or her feet when the yacht's heeled.
