Clark Mills designed the astonishingly but accidentally successful Optimist Pram in 1947. He followed up in 1953 with the 15'6" Windmill as an economical build-it-yourself racer to which Opti sailors could graduate.
OH my, I raced 3255 at Christchurch School in 75 and 76. Likely 3247 was also produced in Gloucester, Va. I loved the wooden mast. CCS had only one left, mine. The rest were round aluminum masts that flexed like a noodle. I lived for 15 to 20mph winds on the Rappahannock. While planing my crew would get hits with buckets of water as the angle of the bow would have it no other way. That boat could move. They took a pole in 76' with regard to the rudder blade upgrade. I thought I heard it stayed the same.
I'm not an expert on stalled rudders, but I wonder if all the extra (barn door) rudder wasn't for a reason!? I'm imagining a wonderfull gust overloading the main and whether a skinny long blade can overcome it without stalling? Mr. Harris might have a solid view on that.
The beetle cat’s wide flat hull is well suited to the barn door rudder in light air—weather helm is minimal, it doesn’t extend below the keel and is ideal for shallow waters. A fin keel would get in the way here. But as wind rises the big gaff builds up an enormous amount of weather helm, and that rudder spills a lot of water as the boat heels, and you add even more rudder angle to compensate. A deeper fin might help here. Or you could just tie in a reef :)
I owned #1254 in the Minneapolis area in the early 80s. Wooden, of course, builder unknown. No built-in flotation - it did float, but with the rails underwater so not recoverable until dragged to land. Scary fast! I had a local sailmaker add bronze hanks to the jib and a reef in the main so I could safely day sail it with non-sailors on board. I ran the jib halyard back to the rear of the dagger board trunk so I could douse it if a breeze popped up.
GLASS - the Windmill had such a clean look in fiberglass. Everytime I look at the wooden version, it looks ugly. The floatation chambers down the whole side was again, a clean look. In 76, at a regatta in Deltaville, Va - I lost my leeward stay due to not checking my cotterpins. I was on the starboard lay line and once we determined it indeed went overboard, after starting fifth we came to the windward mark in second. We couldn't tack, and it was so much fun when everyone yelled at us, "what are you doing, where are you going?" Since that day, I've always had 6' of paracord aboard!
OH my, I raced 3255 at Christchurch School in 75 and 76. Likely 3247 was also produced in Gloucester, Va. I loved the wooden mast. CCS had only one left, mine. The rest were round aluminum masts that flexed like a noodle. I lived for 15 to 20mph winds on the Rappahannock. While planing my crew would get hits with buckets of water as the angle of the bow would have it no other way. That boat could move. They took a pole in 76' with regard to the rudder blade upgrade. I thought I heard it stayed the same.
And suddenly I’m wondering how a narrow fin rudder would do on my beetle cat :) I imagine it’d need a kickup…
I'm not an expert on stalled rudders, but I wonder if all the extra (barn door) rudder wasn't for a reason!? I'm imagining a wonderfull gust overloading the main and whether a skinny long blade can overcome it without stalling? Mr. Harris might have a solid view on that.
The beetle cat’s wide flat hull is well suited to the barn door rudder in light air—weather helm is minimal, it doesn’t extend below the keel and is ideal for shallow waters. A fin keel would get in the way here. But as wind rises the big gaff builds up an enormous amount of weather helm, and that rudder spills a lot of water as the boat heels, and you add even more rudder angle to compensate. A deeper fin might help here. Or you could just tie in a reef :)
David, if you check out this youtube from Roger Barnes @ 6:55 is a red Beetle Cat beached with a kick up rudder! nice visual for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtujJN4wJXs
By god yes, there is indeed! That’s a beauty, thank you!
http://windmillclass.myfleet.org/
I owned #1254 in the Minneapolis area in the early 80s. Wooden, of course, builder unknown. No built-in flotation - it did float, but with the rails underwater so not recoverable until dragged to land. Scary fast! I had a local sailmaker add bronze hanks to the jib and a reef in the main so I could safely day sail it with non-sailors on board. I ran the jib halyard back to the rear of the dagger board trunk so I could douse it if a breeze popped up.
The statement that made me laugh was the last one. I'm sure there's a funny story there.😃
https://tsca.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AshBreeze-Spring-2024-web-1.pdf
Pages13-15 "Clarks Mills Lean Mean Sharpie"
Join the Traditional Small Craft Association
BROKEN GLASS!!
GLASS - the Windmill had such a clean look in fiberglass. Everytime I look at the wooden version, it looks ugly. The floatation chambers down the whole side was again, a clean look. In 76, at a regatta in Deltaville, Va - I lost my leeward stay due to not checking my cotterpins. I was on the starboard lay line and once we determined it indeed went overboard, after starting fifth we came to the windward mark in second. We couldn't tack, and it was so much fun when everyone yelled at us, "what are you doing, where are you going?" Since that day, I've always had 6' of paracord aboard!