RAPTOR 16 DESIGN QUESTIONS

Is the Raptor a proa?

How is the Raptor like the Marshallese proas on which it is based,
and how is it different?

Why bother with a hydrofoil?

Does the hydrofoil require a minimum wind speed or boat speed?

How much attention does the hydrofoil demand?

Does the hydrofoil lift the Raptor out of the water?

What happens if the hydrofoil hits something?

What are the differences between the Competition and Expedition models?

PERFORMANCE AND PRICE QUESTIONS

How much does the raptor cost?

How does the Raptor compare in performance, price, and features to small monohulls?

How does the Raptor compare in performance, price, and features to small catamarans?

How does the Raptor compare in performance, price, and features to a Windsurfer™?

How does the Raptor compare in performance, price, and features to a kayak or canoe?

OTHER QUESTIONS

How long does it take to assemble and disassemble the Raptor?

Can you rig the Raptor 16 sail on the water?

How many people can the Raptor 16 carry?

How sturdy is the Raptor 16?

What is the Sidecar?

What do you do with the sail when you paddle the Raptor?

Where can I see and sail a Raptor 16?

No. A proa is a narrow, outrigger-equipped vessel whose ends are identical such that there is no difference between bow and stern. When a proa is tacked, the bow becomes the stern, and vice versa. A means is provided to reposition the sail or sails during the tack so that the tack and luff are always forward and the clew and leech are always aft.

On most Micronesian proas, for example, the heel of the mast, which was in the forward part of the vessel on the original tack, is shifted so that it will be in the forward part of the vessel on the new tack. A proa that carries its outrigger always to windward is usually referred to as a Pacific proa. A proa that always sails with its outrigger to leeward is usually referred to as an Atlantic proa.

The Raptor is a sailing outrigger canoe similar in size to the Hawaiian one-person paddling outrigger canoe or OC-1. It was inspired by the exceptionally fast and weatherly proas of the Marshall Islands, where Hydrovisions’ President, John Slattebo, lived for 20 years

The Marshallese proa is a Pacific proa that is longitudinally symmetrical and is sailed with its ama or outrigger always on the windward side. When a Pacific proa tacks, its bow becomes its stern (and vice versa), and the heel of the single mast is shifted by the crew so that it remains in the forward part of the hull when being sailed, providing a balanced and properly situated center of effort.

By contrast, the Raptor sails with the ama to windward on the starboard tack and to leeward on the port tack. This would not work for a Marshallese proa because for the Marshallese craft stability is provided by the weight of the ama and the weight of the crew on the ere (a small platform on the iakos or outriggers, positioned where the sidecar sits on the Raptor). With the Raptor, stability is provided primarily by the Dualift Foil™ and secondarily by the weight and floatation of the ama.

A unique characteristic of the Marshallese proa that accounts for its exceptional windward performance under sail is its horizontally asymmetrical main hull. This hull is sharply curved on the windward side and straight on the leeward side. This shape creates lift to windward, making the Marshallese proa very weatherly.

The Raptor achieves similar performance because of the shape of the Dualift Foil™. This unique foil is shaped so that its horizontal lifting surface makes an obtuse angle with its non-lifting vertical surface. It therefore exerts both a vertical “lifting” force that provides stability (the force is downward on the starboard tack and upward on the port tack) and a horizontal “lifting” force that is always to windward regardless of tack.

The Raptor’s unique Dualift Foil™ is the key to its exceptional performance under sail.

The foil opposes the heeling moment imparted to the mast and sail. When the Raptor is sailed on the starboard tack, with the heeling moment attempting to lift the ama or outrigger out of the water, the operator lifts the foil control handle with light finger pressure, and the foil is given a slight downward angle of attack, thereby keeping the ama at or near the surface of the water. See how it works here.

When the Raptor is sailed on the port tack, with the heeling moment attempting to submerge the ama, the operator depresses the foil control handle with light finger pressure, and the foil is given a slight upward angle of attack, thereby supplementing the natural floatation of the ama and keeping it high in the water or skimming at the water surface.

Without the foil, the Raptor would capsize when sailed on the starboard tack in all but the lightest wind conditions. When sailed on the port tack without the foil, the ama would be forced low in the water, increasing wetted surface and drag and slowing the boat considerably.

The foil can be used in any wind conditions. However, it is not needed in winds of less than about six to eight knots. In such light wind conditions, the weight of the ama is sufficient to keep the boat stable on the starboard tack, and on the port tack the floatation of the ama keeps the boat on an even keel.

In very light conditions it is best to sail with the foil in its stowed position because the added drag caused by the foil offsets the reduction in drag resulting from the foil’s ability to lift the ama slightly and reduce its wetted surface. In light conditions, the foil is swung aft and upward out of the water and into its stowed position by pulling on the foil retraction lanyard.

The foil does require that the boat be moving forward through the water in order to provide stability by counteracting the heeling moment created by wind in the sail. However, the foil becomes effective at a boat speed of only two knots.

Proper use of the foil can be learned by most people in less than 30 minutes. After about an hour of tacking and reaching on both tacks, proper use of the foil becomes more or less instinctive.

Tacking from port to starboard tack in strong winds is the only evolution that is a bit tricky and requires a careful coordination of foil position, foot pedal steering, and mainsheet control.

When the boat fills away on the starboard tack, the helmsman must bear off a bit and ease the main sheet until the boat attains enough speed through the water (about two knots) for the foil to take effect and keep the ama from lifting and causing the boat to capsize. After this evolution has been practiced eight to 10 times in strong winds, it too becomes more or less instinctive.

Once the Raptor is making way through the water on either tack, maintaining a foil position that will keep the boat stable while sailing fast and comfortably is quite easy. However, for those sailors interested in match racing, understanding how the foil affects drag and performance on all points of sail in a variety of wind and sea conditions, and skill in making constant minor adjustments to foil position, are critical to winning races.

Sometimes boat speed is increased by “flying” the ama and having only the foil in the water. Sometimes boat speed is increased by keeping the ama light in the water and not using enough foil pressure to fly it. This unique characteristic of the Raptor makes it a very popular boat with experienced one-design racers because it adds another variable that affects that last quarter knot of speed.

No. The foil can lift the ama or outrigger out of the water on either tack, and it can reduce the draft and drag of the main hull by causing it to lift slightly when on the port tack in high winds, but it does not cause the entire boat to become “foil borne.” It is designed to keep the Raptor on an even keel so that it can take advantage of its large sail area to drive its two very narrow, low drag hulls through the water at high speed.

The foil is designed to swing aft and up out of the water if it hits a submerged object, or if the Raptor is inadvertently run up on the beach with the foil down. The rudder also kicks up if it hits something. Only the dagger board lacks this kick-up feature. The dagger board is positioned between the helmsman’s feet and is easily retracted. The Raptor will sail without the dagger board, but it will make leeway when beating or on a reach with the board up.

The Expedition model has additional storage hatches in the main hull; a roller furling/reefing mast step and associated blocks, cam cleats, and fairleads; and a hollow-roach sail with vertical battens suitable for roller furling.

Most people who order the Expedition model also order the optional Raptor Sidecar™ accessory, which can be used to carry a passenger (person or pet), camping gear, or fishing gear.

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How much does the raptor cost?
There are two models, the Competition ($4,700) and the Expedition ($4,995). Both prices include sails.
You can see the differences in the two models here.

How does the Raptor compare in performance, price, and features to small monohull sailboats?

First and foremost, the Raptor is a true “car toppable” boat. Most small monohulls are not. The heaviest single part of the Raptor (the main hull) weighs only 45 lbs., and the entire boat, fully rigged, weighs only 95 lbs. By contrast, a Laser hull weighs about 130 lbs., and the boat fully rigged weighs about 155 lbs. A single person of average strength can easily lift the Raptor’s main hull on and off a car top rack; the Laser is a real struggle for most people.

Second, the Raptor’s overall performance under sail is superior to that of the Laser and to that of comparable monohulls in the 12 to 16 foot LOA range. In nearly all wind conditions, and on all points of sail, the Raptor is faster than the Laser. This is in part due to the fact that the Raptor has 90 square feet of sail area to the Laser’s 76 square feet, and the Raptor has a sail area to displacement ratio of 39.6, whereas the Laser’s is only 27.8. Unlike small catamarans, the Raptor maneuvers and tacks almost as quickly as the Laser.

Third, the Raptor is less expensive than the Laser and comparable high performance one designs. The current retail price of the Raptor is $4,700 ; the Laser 2 sell for $6,395. The new Fusion 15 sells for about $7,500 (without the spinnaker and trapeze).

Fourth, the Raptor can be sailed at high speed in high wind conditions without the need for hiking out and by anyone regardless of athletic ability. Stability is provided by the Dualift Foil™ and not by the helmsman sitting on the rail and having to change sides quickly when tacking.

Fifth, the Raptor is extremely versatile. It can be paddled without its sailing rig, either in calm water or in surf. It can be raced under traditional USYRU rules that do not permit paddling, or it can be raced under the Raptor Racing Rules that permit paddling whenever the sailor believes that paddling will get him/her to a mark faster than sailing alone. (Thus the Raptor, under the Raptor Racing Rules, places a premium on aerobic conditioning, while conventional monohulls do not.)

The Raptor will also take a passenger (man, woman, child, or pet) in the Raptor Sidecar™ accessory. Unlike the passenger in the Laser or other monohull, the passenger in the Raptor need not hike out, or move from one side to the other.

The Raptor also makes a great fishing platform, with fishing gear carried in the Raptor Sidecar™ accessory, and a great expedition platform, with camping gear carried in the Raptor Sidecar™ accessory or in the main hull storage compartments (Expedition model only). Monohulls in the 12 to 16 foot range are not practical for fishing or expedition camping.

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It is not quite as fast paddling as an OC-1 (Hawaiian racing outrigger canoe), but most competitive OC-1 paddlers are surprised by how well it paddles.

The Raptor performs exceptionally well when paddled in surf without the sailing rig. Many OC-1 paddlers believe it is superior to the OC-1 in surf because its main hull and ama are much more buoyant than those of the typical OC-1, making it less likely to pearl dive.

It also has a much larger rudder than an OC-1, making it easier to control on the face of a wave and less likely to broach. And unlike the OC-1, it has a rudder that kicks up if it runs up on the beach.

When sailed, the Raptor puts sailing kayaks and canoes of comparable size to shame. There is just no comparison. Aftermarket sailing rigs and stability systems sold for kayaks and canoes are devices intended to convert hulls designed primarily for human propulsion into sailboats. The result is something that doesn’t sail particularly well, especially to windward or in strong winds, and that has no convenient place to carry the sailing rigs and stability systems when they are not needed.

Fiberglass kayaks range in price from about $1,200 for a basic model in the 14 to 16 foot size range to about $3,200 for high quality Kevlar models in the 16 to 17 foot size range.

Fiberglass monohull canoes range from about $1,000 to $2,000.

Hawaiian racing outrigger canoes, or OC-1s, range in price from about $1,900 for a basic fiberglass model to about $3,100 for a carbon and Kevlar model.

Aftermarket sailing rigs and stabilization systems for kayaks and monohull canoes add $1,200 to $1,700 to the cost of these craft, bringing the total cost of sail-equipped, high quality kayaks and canoes to approximately that of the Raptor. No sailing rigs are available for the OC-1.

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The Raptor can be offloaded from the top of a car by one person, assembled, rigged to sail, and launched in about 15 minutes. Disassembly and loading on the top of a car takes about the same length of time.

Unlike a wind surfer or kite surfer, a Raptor is remarkably easy to sail. The average person can learn to sail it in about 30 minutes.

Kayakers and OC-1 paddlers who are familiar with foot pedal steering will have no problem steering the Raptor, but sailors who are used to tiller steering have some initial difficulty with the idea that pushing on the right foot pedal steers the boat to starboard, and pushing on the left foot pedal steers the boat to port. Most people are completely comfortable with this steering method in about 30 minutes.

The manual foil control is new to everyone and takes 15 to 30 minutes of practice to get used to. (See discussion under How much attention does the hydrofoil demand?)

The following is the recommended method for introducing someone with no prior sailing or paddling experience to the Raptor. This method will allow the novice to develop the greatest skill level, and get maximum enjoyment out of the Raptor in the shortest possible time.

First, paddle the boat in calm water without the sailing rig installed and with the foil in the retracted or stowed position. This will get you familiar with the foot pedal steering and the feel of paddling.

Next, install the rig and sail the boat in light air, leaving the foil in the retracted or stowed position. Practice tacking and jibing, getting used to the relationship between the wind direction, the boat’s heading, and the sail’s position as controlled by the main sheet. This is basic sailing, different from sailing other boats only in the steering method.

Finally, drop the foil into the water and sail the boat in light air while experimenting with foil position to get used to its effect on stability and the threshold boat speed needed to make the foil effective.

It is easiest to rig the sail on the beach and then stand between the iakos (crossarms or amas) and lift the boat by the forward iako, carrying it into the water. In calm conditions, it is also quite easy to launch the boat off of a beach and then rig the boat while standing in knee-deep water.

It is possible to rig the Expedition model in deep water by straddling the main hull, removing the mast and rolled sail from the stowage clips on the iakos, and then swinging the mast up and into its step. However, this is most easily done while standing alongside the boat in shallow water.

TThe Raptor is designed as a one-person boat. However, it can carry a passenger of 135 lbs. or less in the optional Raptor Sidecar™ when being paddled, or when being sailed in moderate wind conditions.

Carrying more than 135 lbs. in the Sidecar is not recommended because of the added stresses placed on the iakos. Carrying a passenger of any size in high winds or rough seas is not recommended because of the dynamic forces on the boat created in such conditions.

As a general rule, the carrying of a passenger in the sidecar makes use of the foil for stability unnecessary. The foil can be left in its stowed position where it fits under the legs of the passenger. When sailing to windward on the starboard tack in a strong breeze with a very light passenger in the Sidecar, the foil may be needed.

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Like all high performance water craft, the Raptor’s design and construction reflect a necessary compromise between light weight on the one hand, and strength and durability on the other.

To maximize strength and durability at the lowest possible weight, each Raptor is laid up by hand using carbon fiber cloth and epoxy resin with extra reinforcement at critical stress points. The latest vacuum-induced resin infusion techniques are used to insure complete resin saturation without any excess weight.

The Raptor is considerably stronger and more durable than the typical fiberglass OC-1. As a result, it is a great boat for paddling in surf. However, it is not designed for sailing in surf, where the combined dynamic forces of wind and waves can easily result in structural failures of the aluminum iakos.

The Raptor Sidecar™ is an optional accessory that permits the carrying of a passenger (a person of 135 lbs. or less), or a pet, camping gear, or fishing gear.

It depends on what you want to do. If you are using the Raptor to get an aerobic workout, or to go surfing, or for paddling in calm wind conditions, you leave the mast, boom, sail, and foil/control rod/handle assembly on the beach.

If there is a breeze and you are planning to sail and just want to paddle the Raptor a short distance to get out of a marina or crowded area, you paddle with the sail up and the sheet cast off so the sail will not catch the wind. When you are ready to sail, you stow the paddle and pull in the sheet.

If you are racing under the Raptor Racing Rules and you feel you can gain an advantage over your competition by paddling, you paddle with the sheet cast off if you are paddling into the wind, and you paddle with the sheet secure in the cam cleat if your heading will result in an apparent wind speed and direction that will make the sail help you to the next mark.

If you are in the Raptor 16 Expedition model and you don’t expect to sail right away, you can either a) roll up the sail on the mast and secure the boom to starboard with a bungee cord going to the aftermost iako (to keep the boom out of the way for side changes while you paddle), or b) roll up the sail and remove the mast and boom, securing them horizontally in the clips on the iakos.

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Contact Hydrovisions at dealer_inquiries@hydrovisions.com for the name, address, and phone number of a sales agent near you.

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