We took care of every detail in Nano's design. All fittings are made of stainless steel AISI 316 which ensures the absolute corrosion resistance. Every fitting is designed with the use of the latest 3D software. Cutting of all the details is done with a 5-axial laser.

For the absolute reproducibility of all bent elements, we use numerically programmable benders in the process.

In order to sustain uniformity of welded components we use stainless steel AISI 316L as a binder. When welding parts together, we use the TIG method in argon environment. A steady hand of our experienced welders guarantees uniform and aesthetic welds. At the end of the process all the fittings are pickled in a special mixture of acids to remove any surface scales and stains.

All rivets used in Nano are sealed and acidproof with a pre-prepared controlled swelling area. Additionally, a pre-formed crumple zone of these fittings provides very good strength parameters of all connections. The tightness of all used rivets makes the mast unsinkable during a potential dump.

All stainless steel nut rivets used in Nano are also sealed and acid-resistant.

Experienced sailors know how a good stretch of the trampoline is important for the smooth movement on the catamaran's platform. In Nano project we designed beams and side lines of the hulls so that all four lines forming a trampoline make it one perfectly flat surface. Nano's Trampoline can be individually strained in any of the four directions.

When designing our new centerboards we focused our attention on selecting an appropriate profile thereof.

Considering the fact that in majority of circumstances centerboards operate under transient flow, we decided to apply well proven profiles which at low resistance throughout the entire range of velocity provide high efficiency and are highly resistant to breaking of stream.

In the "vertical" section of the centerboard we have applied the NACA 63-012 symmetric profile which ensures generation of appropriate side force both at small and large speeds while at the same maintains appropriate rigidity.

In the carrier section this profile turns smoothly into a non-symmetric NACA 63-412, passing through all the intermittent profiles: NACA 63-112; NACA 63-212; NACA 63-312. It must be noted here that this profile is capable of generating adequate lifting force as early as at 0 degree trim. 

Apart from high efficiency proven by computer simulations, the NACA 63-412 profile performs perfectly well also both in the large and ultra light units equipped with hydrowings. The choice of the NACA 63-412 profile constitutes and ideal consensus of low resistance at high speeds and generation of high lifting force in the entire velocity range.

WingFoX Nano has been equipped with centerboards of variable curvature and variable profile.

Since class regulations restrict the area we can use to generate the lifting force to 40 cm, the shape of our centerboards was designed to take maximum advantage of the area available.

The geometry of the centerboard was designed so as to allow the lifting part to generate lifting force even when the centerboard is partially drawn out.

The asymmetric profile used in the lower section of the centerboard generates lifting force already at zero trim. The centerboard box and the elements contained therein permit centerboard trim within +/- 5 degrees of the angle of incidence of the lower section of the centerboard.

The centerboards feature increased length to allow them to work deeper in the events of more stabilized conditions. In the surface layer we encounter rotating currents, a rotation of water masses, which impairs the efficiency of a centerboard.

Assuming appropriate lifting force to be generated by the centerboard we took every effort so that a lifted up centerboard could still generate adequate side resistance necessary for the boat not loose its capacity of sailing upwind.

What happens in the case of centerboards having constant radius of curvature is a considerable loss of lateral surface of resistance, which causes increased leeway and makes upwind sailing impossible. In extreme cases the loss of upwind sailing potential may not be compensated by higher speed.

The special design of the centerboard box allows its easy raising while maintaining tight fit in every position.

New centerboards WingFoX Nano are made entirely of carbon prepreg. We do not cover them with a layer of topcoat so the run-off edge is very thin though also very tough. The entire element is hardened and annealed in an autoclave. 

Due to specially designed internal structure it was possible to give up the use of filling foam and glue to fix the two parts together.

The centerboards are made in a single process technology and thus are monolithic, which ensures their high rigidity at minimum weight.

Special array of carbon fibres, accompanied by appropriate design, yield a significant increase of rigidity. We have put much effort to the selection of centerboard geometry and its rigidity so as they would not cause vibrations. We have paid particular attention to the forming of "higher harmonic vibrations" which are periodically appearing oscillations whose frequency is a multitude of their free vibration frequency. What results is an uncontrolled amplification of the amplitude. In extreme cases it results in breaking the stream flowing round the centerboard and a sudden drop of the lifting power. Windsurfers are well aware of such situations when suddenly the centerboard looses its capacity of generating side resistance force and a spinout occurs. Apart from lower efficiency, an oscillating centerboard causes diffusion of energy and thus generates increased resistance.

 Centerboards require high precision of workmanship. That is why we have applied the CNC technology to make centerboard forms. Specialist software allowed us to optimize the lifting power in relation to the resistance.

When designing the WingFoX Nano our main priority was maximization of the speed it reaches, so again a battle began for platform rigidity while maintaining its minimum weight.

And it was precisely here that our experience gained in constructing the masts began to bear fruit. We designed completely new beams which are characterized by a variable cross-section profile depending on the forces which impact upon them.

Although the front beam does not differ in its outer shape from the rear one, each of them is an entirely different construction. The array and number of carbon fibres, i.e. the laminating plan, is different for each of the beams since they both carry different loads. Needless to say, they are made of carbon prepreg and annealed in an autoclave at high pressure.

In spite of the variable cross-section of a beam which suits the specific stress pattern, when developed its surface makes a rectangle, which permits applying continuous unidirectional fibres along the entire beam.

This has a crucial effect on its crosswise rigidity. For comparison, the tenacity for carbon fibres ranges from 2700 to 3500 MPa while the ultimate elongation is from 0,6 to 1,4 %, respectively. For a typical EP resin the tenacity is approx. 80 Mpa with ultimate elongation 5 % (1 Mpa = 1 N/mm2). Therefore, it is of absolute importance to have the forces transferred directly by the carbon fibres and not by the resin.

Another important element is the initial stress of the carbon fibres before polymerization of the resin. The high temperature annealing of the carbon prepreg in a special mould in an autoclave guarantees appropriate initial stress of the fibres. Due to this technology as well as the variable cross-section of the beam, we have achieved a much higher rigidity than it would be possible with a circular beam cross-section and a traditional mould.

The lack of a dolphin striker in the WingFoX Nano seems obvious.

In order to effectively maximize the rigidity and strength one must know thoroughly the properties of materials already at the design stage. There is no provision for hiding air bubbles and other imperfections under a thick layer of topcoat as it is often the case when traditional technology is applied.

The appropriate shape of the beams permits their ends to hide completely in the hulls while at the same time the beams are carried well above the waterline. The deep and total mounting of the beams in the hull maximizes the rigidity of the entire platform.

The last year showed distinctly that the sailors who used newer design began to attain very well. The hull of a modern A-cat features a design where using the best materials may not be sufficient. It seems equally important to use them properly so as to take maximum advantage of their properties.

The standard "wet" lamination or using the vacuum technology proves insufficient. Care must be taken to use the best materials appropriately and to process them properly.

The WingFoX hulls are made of high temperature EP carbon prepreg. By annealing them in an autoclave at the temperature of 140^o C and the pressure of 6 bar we obtain a top quality laminate which is unattainable by other methods. There are but a few manufacturers in the world who have autoclaves spacious enough to handle the entire boat hulls. Our six-meter long autoclave has been designed especially to anneal the entire hulls.

We applied a 10 mm thick Nomex aramid honeycomb-shaped separator. Combined with the carbon prepreg, Nomex renders an unprecedented structural rigidity while maintaining the minimum weight.

The hull is especially reinforced with additional layers of carbon fibre in all locations which require such a reinforcement. For instance, the area of the centreboard case is strengthened as the latter is designed to transmit in whole the generated aerodynamic lift.

The rigidity of the hull and the entire platform constitutes a basic parameter decisive of the catamaran's speed. After an impact of a side wave onto the bows, an insufficiently rigid hull may start vibrating. The resulting lateral resonance of the bows disperses a large amount of the movement energy and creates a sudden increase in resistance. In order to increase the rigidity we have additionally reinforced the hull by applying an extra layer of unidirectional carbon fibres on its surface.

The hulls are sprayed with ultra hard and UV resistant varnish.

The hull model was made by CNC milling technology, which ensures high accuracy and symmetry of up to 0.1 mm. Milling was applied upon completion of laminating to the entire hull treated in bulk.

The increased rigidity of the entire platform is furthermore due to a deep mounting of the beams in the hull, not to mention the very design of the beams, but this comes in the next article.

When designing a new shape of the hull, we took advantage of the experience gained in the use of the earlier design as well as the experiences of other sailing contestants who used the constructions that have appeared in the last year.

The shape of the new hull is totally altered, though we shall use a few comparisons to the precedent design to illustrate the extent of these changes.

The bow section received a better slenderness and a high angle of inclination of the attack edge. The upper section of the hull from the bow to the first beam was "sharpened" so as to minimize the resistance which appears when cutting the top of a wave.

The bottom-board of the WingFoX Nano begins to flatten just at the front beam only to become completely flat at the stern. The bottom-board in the stern section is wider and lowered by nearly 5 cm. The hull was designed to quickly reach high speeds and to better cooperate with curved centerboards. All this to allow the hull to leave water as quickly as possible.

The change of the shape of the hull and beams resulted in raising the rear beam by ca. 10 cm. The position of the front beam was changed and now it is moved backwards in relation to its earlier position.

Despite its completely new shape, the new hull features similar displacement parameters as the precedent design. Compared to the former hull, the WingFoX Nano has the volume smaller by 5 %  and the surface area smaller by 3.5 %.

The front and rear beams are installed deeply in the hull, which leaves the deck area free for the ballasting contestant. The position of the stern beam was also changed and now it is moved backwards to allow the sailor to achieve the best performance of the cat when sailing downwind.

The traveler track of the mainsail was sunken entirely into the hull so as not to disturb when coming onto the balance board.

Due to the application of curved centerboards, the location of the centerboard case was changed more towards the front.

The section of the deck between the beams was designed so as to provide for the most efficient ballasting action by the contestant on the balance board without "tacking on" any additional elements to the hull.

The hull was designed so as not to impose any limitations when planning a further development of the construction. Appropriately designed beams and centerboard case allow for their free dislocation if required.

Presently, we are working on a new type of rigging.

In the event a sailwing is used, the position of the rigging centre will be changed, which will require a correction in the location of the beam and the centerboard case in order to maintain ideal neutrality of the boat.

The WingFoX Nano was prepared to these changes as early as at the stage of designing the shape and the technology to be used.

In May 2011 a new model of our A-class catamaran - WingFoX Nano will be launched.

We are going to advise you all the details of the new design in a series of articles.

For the start, just a few remarks on the main principles of the new design.  

Through observation of the recent developments in Class A we have come to the conclusion that what we need is to launch a completely new boat. From the start, we discarded the idea of having the old design modified and we decided to apply an entirely new approach to the design process. As a result of this approach, a completely new catamaran was created, both in design, technological and in materials respects.

At the onset we decided that our new catamaran will be capable of raising both hulls out of water while at the same time it will be easy to control, durable and safe. At the stage of forming assumptions these were independent of any constraints, whether regarding design or technology. We set to work on the assumption that human creativity has no limits and difficult problems are solved in due time.

And it was there where we came across the first problems. They came from the class regulations which cannot be circumvented. When creating laws, restrictions and bans, people move around in a world they are familiar with and can make use of their so-far experience. As it turned out later, this interdependence became our chief ally in overcoming the restrictions set out by the class regulations.

In our view, if Class A is to maintain its leading position in the future, it may not be muzzled by the new regulations that appear once and again. Class A owes its high position precisely to the fact that the class regulations are straightforward and limit the designers only to a minor degree. Progress in yachting takes place anyway, so the question is whether Class A will be allowed to fully participate in that progress. Excessive restrictions may cause the progress to evade our class and find its vent in other classes such as, for example, Moth.

The regatta character of Class A and the extensive competition among the manufacturers guarantee continuous advancement. Looking at other classes of large-hull boats one can boldly claim that Class A is the most sophisticated, while at the same time the prices of new boats do not differ significantly from the prices in other classes. Other large-hull boats, in particular the monotypes manufactured by the same producer, are not so extensively modernized and in time become archaic.

As we all know, nothing favours progress better than competition, both among sailing contestants and manufacturers. Time and again, a new leader springs up in this field and to match them it is not sufficient to catch up with them, they have to be defeated both in the regatta and in manufacturing.  This wonderful mechanism has been effectively driving Class A for years. In our opinion this progress may not be hindered through the introduction of more and more bans and restrictions. Can you imagine our class without such manufacturers as Flyer, Scheurer, Marström, Nikita or DNA? And would we be in the same place if we were sailing on glass platforms with aluminum masts?

All new ideas and new designs are ruthlessly verified in the course of the tough regatta struggle. There is no other class where some many new technologies and solutions are being tested. Only the proven ones can become widely known. All elements that fail to give an edge to a contestant are immediately discarded as a natural course of events. What speaks best for our class is that when someone begins his career with Class A he will find it difficult to change to any other boat.

Again in the history of Class A a certain era comes to its end. Last year witnessed an unbelievable  technological and construction progress, but this is just the beginning of changes.

The time shift gave us a huge advantage by providing an opportunity for observing and developing the earlier designs. The WingFoX Nano was designed with the application of the latest 3D software. The design contains every little design detail in order to allow quick and well organized manufacturing once the design phase is completed. The design work on the new boat was accompanied by designing the tools required to make all individual elements. The innovative design solutions open up a new era in Class A.

The approved design solutions guarantee minimized resistances, maximized speed, full functionality and absolute safety for the user. A very important aspect for us was the simplicity of operation. Anyway, a sailor has only two arms. To say briefly, ergonomics comes top. The currently implemented WingFoX Nano project not only crosses another limit, but also charts a new standard in the approach to building A-cats.

Read about this soon.