It is beginning to look fairly certain that there will be a kit version of Wild Hare hopefully available by the spring of 2012. If it happens we will be hoping for distribution in both the US and Europe. More details as things firm up.
Work is underway on a design for a home build kayak sail rig with outriggers to be available possibly as plans or as plans and a kit. I have received serious interest in a rig with the exciting performance of Mark Balogh designs but at a price more accessible than my earlier commercial products. Please feel free to contact me with interest in or questions about this project.
I believe I now have arranged manufacturing for high quality high performance small craft sails. Anyone interested in a custom sail design produced at a very high level of quality please feel free to contact me. Please email me at mark at markbalogh dot com
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
MBC&D and Wild Hare update.
A couple of quick but important pieces of news today. First, I have entered into a dialog with a major Kit Boat company to explore the possibility of offering Wild Hare as a plywood kit boat. Further discussions are upcoming and I will post any outcome here as things develop.
Second bit of news is that due to a change in status in the purchase agreement I signed when I sold Balogh Sail Designs, I am happy to announce that I am no longer inhibited by a non compete clause. This means that I am now free again to offer kayak and canoe sailing equipment designs. I have some brand new ideas about these designs and hope to pursue them when I get some version(s) of Wild Hare into production. This same change in status coincidentally returns all rights to the BSD designs to me. It is nice to have these designs in my active portfolio again.
Second bit of news is that due to a change in status in the purchase agreement I signed when I sold Balogh Sail Designs, I am happy to announce that I am no longer inhibited by a non compete clause. This means that I am now free again to offer kayak and canoe sailing equipment designs. I have some brand new ideas about these designs and hope to pursue them when I get some version(s) of Wild Hare into production. This same change in status coincidentally returns all rights to the BSD designs to me. It is nice to have these designs in my active portfolio again.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wild Hare phase 1 is complete
The first phase of the WILD HARE design is nearing completion. For me a design starts as a concept and that concept is developed in a series of drawings done on paper. It is a method I have used for 40 years and it is efficient and comfortable for me. Today I will complete the concept drawings with a drawing of the second rig design. The main hull, single aka and amas are drawn and I am very happy with them. The WILD HARE is a performance oriented version of the POCO design I did in 2001 for Windrider that became the WR10 trimaran. The POCO was a breakthrough design in that it used only one aka and short amas to simplify and minimize the construction and user assembly of the boat. The amas were developed to provide both stability and lateral resistance for the POCO and the boat sailed very effectively on all points of sail without the use of a dagger or centerboard, leeboard or keel. This made the POCO very simple to deploy to the water and to sail. There were only two controls on the POCO, the main sheet to trim the single sail and the rudder uphaul to lift the rudder blade when returning to the beach. This minimalist configuration proved to be so successful that I decided to proceed with further development in the form of the WILD HARE.
The WILD HARE concept is one and a half times as long and wide as the POCO concept but with a more favorable length to beam ratio for all three hulls that will allow it to escape much of the wave making drag of beamier hulls. It still maintains the single aka configuration but with a folding mechanism rather than with demountable akas and amas. For robust simplicity and ease of use the WILD HARE continues with a single sail set on a cantilevered free standing spar. The WILD HARE uses an ama shape similar to the POCO but with further hydrodynamic developments to increase lift. The WILD HARE concept design is intended for plywood/epoxy construction to facilitate easy prototyping but also to prepare it for a potential market as a kit boat.
There are two rigs drawn at this time. Both rigs are drawn to be 8.3m2 The first rig is a higher aspect modern full batten sail set on a carbon fiber mast. For prototyping it will likely have some variation of a half-wishbone boom. I hope to test some aerodynamic enhancements for the sail and a very interesting automatic canting system for the mast. Very, very, exciting concepts for an inventor and sail/rig specialist like myself. As I am expecting to make this design commercially available I will for now keep the details of the rig innovations under wraps.
The second rig is conceived for the home builder. It is drawn as an advanced version of a traditional rig so that the home builder can fabricate the spars without need for exotic, expensive materials. This version will attempt to reduce the drag normally produced by some similar traditional rigs. It is a lower aspect rig than the first rig and as one would expect, it is anticipated that this rig would not be quite as effective as the high aspect rig to windward. It is certainly possible though that the enhanced traditional rig would offer more power for off wind sailing.
Thanks to all of those who have sent questions and comments by email. As a general comment here in response, yes I am open to accepting additional inquiries in from potential kit manufacturers. Once the boat is ready I will be quite anxious to have the WILD HARE offered as a specialized kit with the option of a complete high aspect rig available with the kit or just the sail for the home built rig option.
For those who would like to write directly rather than posting a comment and who can’t find my email elsewhere, you can write to me at; mark@markbalogh.com
The WILD HARE concept is one and a half times as long and wide as the POCO concept but with a more favorable length to beam ratio for all three hulls that will allow it to escape much of the wave making drag of beamier hulls. It still maintains the single aka configuration but with a folding mechanism rather than with demountable akas and amas. For robust simplicity and ease of use the WILD HARE continues with a single sail set on a cantilevered free standing spar. The WILD HARE uses an ama shape similar to the POCO but with further hydrodynamic developments to increase lift. The WILD HARE concept design is intended for plywood/epoxy construction to facilitate easy prototyping but also to prepare it for a potential market as a kit boat.
There are two rigs drawn at this time. Both rigs are drawn to be 8.3m2 The first rig is a higher aspect modern full batten sail set on a carbon fiber mast. For prototyping it will likely have some variation of a half-wishbone boom. I hope to test some aerodynamic enhancements for the sail and a very interesting automatic canting system for the mast. Very, very, exciting concepts for an inventor and sail/rig specialist like myself. As I am expecting to make this design commercially available I will for now keep the details of the rig innovations under wraps.
The second rig is conceived for the home builder. It is drawn as an advanced version of a traditional rig so that the home builder can fabricate the spars without need for exotic, expensive materials. This version will attempt to reduce the drag normally produced by some similar traditional rigs. It is a lower aspect rig than the first rig and as one would expect, it is anticipated that this rig would not be quite as effective as the high aspect rig to windward. It is certainly possible though that the enhanced traditional rig would offer more power for off wind sailing.
Thanks to all of those who have sent questions and comments by email. As a general comment here in response, yes I am open to accepting additional inquiries in from potential kit manufacturers. Once the boat is ready I will be quite anxious to have the WILD HARE offered as a specialized kit with the option of a complete high aspect rig available with the kit or just the sail for the home built rig option.
For those who would like to write directly rather than posting a comment and who can’t find my email elsewhere, you can write to me at; mark@markbalogh.com
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
"Wild Hare" 5 meter tri drawings underway
After receiving solid interest in my 5 meter tri concept I have started drawings for an epoxy/ply version. Named after my original 1987 concept drawing of a lightweight simple high performance sailing trimaran, Wild Hare will become the 2010 version of that concept. Possibilities for this design may be plans and a kit boat but the same concept could easily be configured for composite or heat molded plastics. An obvious and possible pipeline for this design is a partnership with an existing plywood kit manufacturer or a startup to produce the kits in the applicable markets. The 5m base design will be configured for a solo skipper. Light all up weight, ease of deploying and rigging the boat will be the primary considerations for this performance oriented tri. Wild Hare will continue the development of the Windrider 10 ama which is able to produce sufficient lateral resistance for windward sailing and additionally produce righting force from its lifting shape far above that available from its buoyancy alone. The advantages of a boat that doesn't need a dagger or centerboard are obvious. If you are an individual or company with interest in this concept please follow this blog or contact me directly. More as the design evolves.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Windrider 10 to be available Spring 2011
Great news this week. In 2001 I designed a small recreational sailing trimaran for Windrider International. The boat was the sailing version of a go-kart and is the most fun you can have in a small trimaran. Unfortunately for the boat, the Windrider division of Confluence Watersports was sold while the boat was just ready for production. Despite a promotional budget of zero during the sale of the company the boat still sold nearly 500 units. The new owner of Windrider International was underfunded and the Windrider 10 tooling sat idle for several years. The good news is that Windrider International has a new, highly motivated, owner looking for larger distribution of the product line again. It is hoped that the WR10 will be available again by the spring of 2011. It is a Wonderful boat. Ask your local sailboat dealer to offer this incredible but affordable sailing trimaran. Please read the most recent post about the Windrider company. You may want to know how this company does business before you purchase one of their boats. Mark
Design update November 2010
It has been a busy summer here contacting potential clients, organizing the facilities here, and conceptualizing new designs. Autumn is here and while it is stunningly beautiful, working on new designs means that I see some of the fall color only through the window of my studio.
From all of the new concepts I have chosen 3 primary designs to develop on speculation. One design must still remain confidential as I don’t want to make it public yet. Let me just say it is a highly task specific sailboat for a fast growth part of the small craft market.
The design that promises the most fun and excitement both from a design and development viewpoint and from the anticipation of sailing it, is a simple, lightweight, performance sailing trimaran. As is my trademark the boat should be elegantly minimalist and offer exciting performance under sail. This design will be developed with available time but is still available for exclusive manufacturing rights. I have contacted two manufacturers who have shown interest but so far no contract is signed.
The last design is one that is of particular interest to me since it is a continuation of a rig development I started in the late 80’s. I am working on the next generation kayak/canoe sailing rig. This new rig will allow fewer components but also greater sail area than the iconic BOSS BATWING rig. While the new owner of my previous company still has a right of first refusal on this rig he has not exercised his option and I would love to hear from anyone wanting to develop this rig looking toward the longer term for delivery in the future.
Please contact me at mb at markbalogh dot com if you have interest in one of these spec designs or if you are interested in a task specific rig or boat design.
From all of the new concepts I have chosen 3 primary designs to develop on speculation. One design must still remain confidential as I don’t want to make it public yet. Let me just say it is a highly task specific sailboat for a fast growth part of the small craft market.
The design that promises the most fun and excitement both from a design and development viewpoint and from the anticipation of sailing it, is a simple, lightweight, performance sailing trimaran. As is my trademark the boat should be elegantly minimalist and offer exciting performance under sail. This design will be developed with available time but is still available for exclusive manufacturing rights. I have contacted two manufacturers who have shown interest but so far no contract is signed.
The last design is one that is of particular interest to me since it is a continuation of a rig development I started in the late 80’s. I am working on the next generation kayak/canoe sailing rig. This new rig will allow fewer components but also greater sail area than the iconic BOSS BATWING rig. While the new owner of my previous company still has a right of first refusal on this rig he has not exercised his option and I would love to hear from anyone wanting to develop this rig looking toward the longer term for delivery in the future.
Please contact me at mb at markbalogh dot com if you have interest in one of these spec designs or if you are interested in a task specific rig or boat design.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Hello. I am back and hoping to continue now to make occasional updates to the blog. I have been proceeding with conceptualization of 3 sailboat designs and have completed the initial phase of the proposals. I have made contact with 2 of the most obvious clients for these designs and have received a very positive response from one of them on one or two of the concepts. I hope to publish some details of the concepts when the clients allow. Meanwhile I am enjoying this lush summer life in beautiful SW France and arranging my facilities for some further design and prototype work. I am also accepting commissions for design work that may or may not include small sailboats. More later
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