Wood to Glass
The biggest changes in modern boatbuilding occurred between the years 1940 and 1970. Professional BoatBuilder, in partnership with several museums, announces an exhibition of pioneering designers and builders of fiberglass boats.
Fiberglass changed the world. It might not rank with the invention of electricity or the automobile, but fiberglass—and what we today call “composites”—revolutionized not only boating but many other industries as well. Composites are replacing wood and metal in hundreds of applications: telephone poles, bridges, people movers, wind turbines, car parts, airplane fuselages and wings, to name a few. Their uses are nearly limitless. Why? Because properly engineered composites are stiff, strong, and abrasion resistant, and never rot or rust.
Direct Descendant
Drawn in late 1963 by Renato “Sonny” Levi and currently produced in Italy, the composite-built 30′/9.1m fast cruiser we’re looking at here, called the Levi Corsair, has a pedigreed lineage.
Its parent hull was the beamier 30′ ’A Speranziella, a made-in-Italy one-off that Levi designed specifically for, and then drove in, the inaugural Cowes–Torquay Offshore Powerboat Race off the south coast of England 50 years ago this past August. (By adding a return leg in 1967, the race became, technically, the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes.) Levi drove his ’A Speranziella in the next two Cowes–Torquay events, winning it in ’63. The boat’s impressive performance in all three editions of this difficult race, despite incurring structural and mechanical problems during the first two outings, generated considerable international interest in Levi’s design talents. His remarkable portfolio from that period on—the Levi design studio is still active—will be presented in the February/March 2012 issue of Professional BoatBuilder magazine.
1969 Donzi Ski Sporter, 1/12-Scale Replica
In Professional BoatBuilder No. 135, the article “Wood to Glass” previews the making of a virtual exhibit of boats, designers, and builders significant during the years 1940–1970, when wood as the preferred hull and deck material gave way to fiberglass. Readers are asked to contribute stories and photos to the virtual exhibit, which eventually will become a physical exhibit traveling between our partner institutions: Mystic Seaport, Mariners Museum, and the MIT Museum.
Outside the Box:
Professional BoatBuilder’s Design X PechaKucha at IBEX 2011
Among other firsts introduced at IBEX 2011 last month was Professional BoatBuilder magazine’s Design X PechaKucha for boat designers. What’s that? you ask. PechaKucha is a rigid, allegedly Japanese presentation format that limits each live speaker to 20 slides or images with 20 seconds to speak about each one. This year’s invitation-only evening at the Louisville Science Center proved that it’s a great format for exposure to new boat designs and designers.
Blueprint for Speed
A week after a white-knuckle 106-mph ride in his 39′ (11.9m) Nor-Tech offshore performance boat, Jamie Pellizzi was looking down at his boat’s GPS while his friend Nick Buis drove. Pellizzi said, “I was hitting him on the arm saying, ‘Look, look.’” The GPS read 117 mph.
With no alteration to the bottom or engines, Pellizzi’s boat had picked up 11 mph because Wilson Custom Marine in Stuart, Florida, had “blueprinted,” or fine-tuned, the lower units on the Mercury Racing No. 6 drives. The higher top speed was the direct result of improved handling.
“The more stable and safe the boat feels, the faster you can make it run,” said Craig Wilson, president of Wilson Custom Marine.
