"Monster Garage" boat being created for expedition race.

[HooptieWagon]

A 19' Flying Scot Class sailboat is being heavily modified, Monster Garage fashion, to compete in the 2014 Everglades Challenge, a 300+ mile expedition-style race starting at Ft DeSoto at the mouth of Tampa Bay, racing down the Gulf of Mexico, throught the Everglades and Florida Bay mudflats, and finishing in Key Largo. Follow the progress of the building and testing here:
https://m.facebook.com/pages/Frankenscot/443256769108126?id=443256769108126&_rdr

or go to Watertribe.com for more information on the race.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Thanks! Here is the non-mobile link to the same page....

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankenscot/443256769108126?id=443256769108126

[HooptieWagon]

2. Thanks.

There was also a discussion thread on Sailing Anarchy several months ago, when the project first started. Its a fascinating race. Start is March 1st...all the boats are equipped with trackers, so the race can be followed live online. The boats are kayaks, sailboats, and catamarans; mostly under 20' as the start requires a beach launch from above the high-tide mark. Also, they are all centerboarders, in order to navigate extensive shoals at spots on the course. There are several checkpoints along the course, getting in and out of them requires going through breakers and narrow winding inlets.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. I don't think a flying scot is the right boat for the everglades challenge.

Hiking out looks cool and is fun for a couple of hours or so. The EC is a seriously grueling 300 mile, several-day race. The boat with the most wins under its belt is a the Graham Byrnes B&B Core Sound 20.

I personally think Graham is one of the best designers out there.

[HooptieWagon]

4. The Coresounds are great boats.

But no boat is perfect. The FS should go upwind better than the CS. Also, is faster in light air and offwind b/c of large sail area. Won't row as well, or be as comfortable. Main reason FS was chosen was because it was free. But its not a bad boat for the EC. Stable, built like a tank, and much faster than peep think.
There's several fast monohulls entered for 2014, should be a good race.

edit to add: Hiking out is not an issue for the FrankenScot. They have built racks, similar to H18 Magnum, that take beam to 11'. Great righting moment by just sitting there.

[HooptieWagon]

5. Update:

Frankenscot, as the boat is called, completed the full course. 4th boat overall at the finish, and first monohull. Except for Randy Smyth's custom built tri well out front, Frankie was swapping positions with fast, well-sailed multihulls. 2nd overall was a modified Tornado, 3rd was Alan Stewart's custom trimaran... Frankie was ahead of each at various points, and finished close behind. Frankie becomes both the first sloop rig, and the first stayed rig, to win class 4. The wind was primarily light, except the afternoon and night of the first day saw 15-20 knots from behind. Frankie was exceptional on those conditions...sailing faster than the waves and becoming airborne leaping over the top, while tacking downwind with the 450 sq ft masthead asymmetrical spinnaker up. Later the crew throttled back and switched to a much smaller spinnaker to keep from damaging the boat early in the race (and to conserve their energy). They still managed to maintain a pace that forced several major competitors to break, and one to sink, in pressing too hard to keep up. Well done, guys!

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. Congrats! n/t