and check out her sail plan:

Lunne Sailplan

www.lunne.se

The astute among you — even those who don’t read Swedish — will discern that she’s not wooden.  But she can be.

I emailed the designer last week and asked if the surfaces were developable, and if plans were available for wood construction.  He answered Yes to the former, and No to the latter.  But he’s seeking feedback on how a wooden kit would do.  I said I thought they’d do fine, but I’d rather that plans were made available for our capable builders.

Please chime in below with YOUR comments.  Maybe we can provide enough groundswell to help make this happen?

To me, this design — if available in wood — would serve, at least, as a modern update of Ray Hunt’s 110.  I love the athwartships fixed outer-seats and the rig.  And her performance seems undeniable.  Please watch the video if you’re interested.

Thanks to our friends at Sailing Anarchy for pointing out this new design.

And brother-in-arms John Hanson found this great website for Swedish sailing canoes:

http://www.kanotseglarna.se/default.asp?id=1&mnu=1.  The links are fantastic.

I’ll be off to METS in Holland on Friday for their annual and great trade show.  If you will be there, please visit us at Stand EL-12.  I’ll try to post on Tuesday next week, but I have no idea if our hotel has an internet connection.

Please comment below.  It’s painless, free, and easy = the way life should be.

Thanks, Carl

PD Racer

Reading Michael’s website a fews weeks ago, I learned that he was in the US.  Last night, in fact, he was addressing a group in Portland, Maine.

A fast trip by Greyhound this morning brought Michael to the Queen City of Bangor, Maine.  And I have just given him a tour of WoodenBoat in the fall.  Pretty but oh so quiet…  Tomorrow we’ll be touring a couple of neighborhood boatyards, and then he’ll fast ‘hound himself to Boston and thence to Sydney on Wednesday…

As Michael says about the PD racer,

We’ve never really had a sailboat as a Family BoatBuilder boat.  I think I like the PD Racer for this, a lot.  What do you think?

And, then, for their second boat, the lucky family may choose Michael’s mouth-watering Goat Island Skiff (I NEED one!):

Goat Island Skiff

I’m posting this early (Monday) so I can spend some time with Michael.  Please check out his website (www.storerboatpans.com) and feel free and encouraged to post your comments at the bottom of this page.

Sulkava Rowing Race

And you have plenty of time to get in shape:  It doesn’t take place until the summer of 2010.

From their website:

“The first World Master Rowing competition for Sulkava long boats”

The first World Master Rowing competition for Sulkava long boats is being organised for the summer of 2010 in conjunction with the Sulkava Rowing Race. The World Master Rowing competition will consist of two starts: a short race of 2,000 metres and a 60 kilometre race around Partala Island, the largest island in Lake Saimaa.

The World Master Rowing competition is open to national and club teams from countries all around the world. Teams in the open series involve a crew of 15 which may be made up of representatives of both sexes. Teams are not necessarily obliged to have their own cox, as a Finnish cox can be supplied by the competition organisers upon request.

Each year around 8,000 rowers take part in Finland´s greatest rowing event, the Sulkava Rowing Race. The World Master Rowing competition is a unique opportunity to race these special Sulkava long boats against competitors from all over the world. Come and experience the Finnish summer and a unique rowing atmosphere in the midst of beautiful surroundings!”

http://www.wmrowing-sulkava.fi/

One of the highlights at IBEX — for me — was having our wooden Design Challenge winning boat in our booth.  Here’s a photo:

MARISSA at IBEX -- photo courtesy of Laura Sherman

I’ve known MARISSA’s designer Graham Byrnes (of B&B Yacht  Designs) for years.  When he indicated he’d be willing to bring MARISSA in her partially finished form to IBEX, we were thrilled.

She was epoxied on the Friday before IBEX (Mon-Wed, Oct. 12-14) and postcured at 65 mph during the hot drive down from North Carolina.

For many, she was the hit of the show.

Here’s a rendering of her:

Marissa rendering, courtesy of B&B Yacht Designs

Graham intends to offer her as a kit.  To read more about her, go here:

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/ec018.htm

And I’m sure by now you’re aware of our new online Directory of Boat Plans and Kits (www.woodenboat.com/boatplansandkits).  Designers:  You can post yours, for free.  Simply follow the upload instructions in the FAQ.

And now to unpack from IBEX….  Thanks, and please feel free to comment, below.