Super 12-meter cruiser with round bow flies thanks to foils

The round bow is the new trend. Not only for ocean racing boats like Ambrogio’s all-Italian 12-meter Class 40 that just finished second at the Route du Rhum(read more here).

The boats with round “cruising” bows.

Now round bow boats, scows as these types of boats are called, are also coming to the world of “normal” boats, the ones you cruise with(here we told you about the 8-meter round bow boat you can DIY).

Round bow – boats antagonistic to catamarans

So many designs of all sizes have just been presented that exploit the enormous space and performance advantage of boats with rounded bows over traditional monohulls that have sharp bows, as we have been accustomed to until now. So much so that they became serious opponents in terms of space and performance at the wide swaths of catamarans.

Perhaps the most interesting design has just been unveiled by the design firm VPLP, a true specialist in round bow boats. The French VPLP designers, just to make a point, at the last edition of the legendary Route du Rhum ocean race had at the start out of 138 competitors some 30 round bow boats, including Imoca (60-footers) and Class 40 (12 meters).

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Round bow – The 12-meter cruising boat with foils

VPLP’s project is called Fast Cruising Scow, is 12.18 meters long and 3.95 meters wide. In addition to the round bow, it also has another special feature, it is equipped with retractable foils that allow it to rise above the water when the wind rises above 8/10 knots, reducing the wetted surface and thus the drag. The consequence is that the Fast Cruising Scow glides even with little wind and reaches speeds unthinkable for a traditional cruising boat, monohull or catamaran.

The retractable foils are C-shaped, and when they are raised the boat returns to being a normal boat .

Another interesting feature is not only that the width at the bow is the same as the width at the stern, so as to allow unthinkable spaces above and below deck, but also that the aft space is on one level, so as to have a single room grouping the cockpit and dinette. Just like on catamarans.

The designers have also succeeded, so they say, in reducing the violent impact on the bow-formed wave that scow racing boats have by reducing the angle of impact between hull and wave.

Fast Cruising Scow – Boat tab

Overall length 12.18 m
Maximum width 3.95 m
Draft 2.20/3.00 m
Sail area 110 sqm
VPLP Designers
https://www.vplp.fr/plaisance/asap/

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