Sailmaking for Pond Yacht Owners
Learn the fine points in constructing a set of sails for your own pond yacht
- Alan Suydam —AUGUST 19–25
Tuition: $700
Materials: $157.50
Note: This course is open to anyone who has completed any of the pond yacht courses held at WoodenBoat School over the years. Your boat must be ready to sail when you arrive for this course.
As with any full-sized sailing vessel, sails are a major factor in the performance of model yachts, and the best way to learn the importance of cut on sail performance is by making your own sail. In this unique, new course offered by well-known model yacht builder and racer, Alan Suydam, students will gain valuable insight into the characteristics of sails, their design, and the materials used while building a new set of sails for their own pond yachts.
Early on in his model sailing career, Alan was fortunate to study under a sailmaker in the Detroit Model Yacht Club, and he has been making his own sails since 1995. He has experimented in creating sails for a number of model boat classes and has acquired an impressive winning record in model yacht sailing, due in part to his understanding of sail design and construction.
Each student will be required to bring a completed sailing model yacht to class. Alan and the class will review and critique the existing boat’s sails and rigging, then make and mount a new set of sails by the end of the week. Friday will be a sailing and tune-up session on the water.
In this class you will build a set of molds, lay out the pattern of your boat’s sails, and select fabric to make the new set. Using the new sail molds, you’ll construct paneled sails, either taping or sewing the panels together. Final trimming, corner reinforcement, and grommet mounting will complete the sail construction phase. After mounting and examining the new sails, the class will bring their pond yachts to the water for fine-tuning and adjustments and eventual sea trials. We wouldn’t be surprised if some good-spirited racing followed!