Now we're getting to some of the real purposes of this web blog. From the title of the website, you already know what I'm building. The real question is "what made me choose this plan?".
go and get a coffee, this could take a while.
Well, there are a number of reasons why I chose to take a chance on the Racer X. These are probably best answered by answering some of my own questions and statements from my last blog entry.
The main base specifications of the Racer X build will be the following. To understand what you want to build I guess you need to know your own physical size. I'm around 192cm (6' 2"?) tall and currently hovering at around 100kg (220lbs). This kinda means I have to construct the Racer X in the 7.3m range to account for my weight alone.
All the frames will be based around 12mm plywood.
The length will meet or exceed 7.3m but be no more than 7.5m.
Oars are currently a pair of Croker 287cm S6 Trainers with a Slick (cleaver) blade.
Seat and Slides will probably come from Sykes but I already have a 279mm Sykes seat bogey that can be converted to running at about 220mm width.
It was my original intent to buy a traditional river racer type scull so I could remain on a river and be able to measure results. Something changed and I began to investigate alternative designs (TS515) and the more I looked around, the more I started to think about not racing again and just to enjoy the sport and exercise. As a part of this thought pattern, something made me look at the idea of coastal rowing. It was probably because of a conversation I heard about in passing from other masters rowing members and I had a look into it.
Australia has kinda had something like this as a part of surf boat racing and I have so much respect for this class of athlete. pure nuts, pure guts and if coastal rowing is to become an Olympic event, coastal rowers could come from this calibre of rower (at least in Australia).
Let's be clear, I am not this type of athlete. I like to think I'm an endurance athlete but that's my background and love of 100km bike rides still coming out to play.
I did look at the idea of a coastal boat but again there was a question of price.
I was also looking at plans for boats and in that search, I found 3 or 4 plans for river rowing shells (The Cambridge Racer, The Veloce', The Dragonfly and the Oxford). This type of boat I understand. worst part is that they do take a bit to build and I kept balking at this type of boat. I'd rather buy something like this. I'm not knocking the plans. some look wonderful but I'm not racing, if I'm not racing I'm not interested in this boat style. (knowing me and the point of mind I'm in as I write this, I'm already considering 2 of these plans and I've not even started building the Racer X.)
The people who know me also know that I'm a high school teacher and my specialist area is in Design Technology. I am more than comfortable with timber and need a new challenge. no matter what happens, I'm using timber. I can do this and have a new long term project. I know I will be schooled and made to feel dumb but that's ok. I need to understand humility more. I also want to build skills in new areas. No matter what plan I choose, I will build skills and techniques.
Other designs came up and in the quick searches I was making 3 plans came up and all were by the same designer. One of these plans opened with this sentence.
"Racer X is a skin-on-frame open water racing boat that is sleek, elegant, fast and competitive - yet also quick, easy and very inexpensive to build. She is fit for both hard core racers and recreational rowers who go fast, but want more stability and versatility than a flat water scull has."
"Racer X is not just a flat out racing machine, she is also great for recreational rowers who like to go fast, but don't always want to get up at dawn to go for a jaunt or get in a workout."
It was also at about this time my wife wanted to go away on a holiday break to escape some of this COVID wreck that is on us. We went to Caloundra and the unit we stayed in looked directly over Pumice Stone passage on the north end of Bribie Island. I'm a river rower and even I was thinking "I'd love to row on that". In the days before we went away something also made me think of the idea of skin on frame. I love old aircraft (yet I don't like flying) and frame construction made me think. At this stage, I think I would have bought the Veloce' but something made me stop and it was the do it all potential of the Racer X, the higher weight capacity and the proven multi-role design that won me over.
This is the event it was designed for.
If this design can put up with this kind of ocean racing, be used as a river touring boat for well over 1800km in Europe (one shell through the efforts of 1 person) then it will put up with my efforts to get fit again and explore some areas that a river sculling shell shouldn't be like Moreton Bay, parts of the Gold Coast canal network and any other areas I care to think of that won't be too extreme.
At the back of my mind, I also started to think "is this possible?". This is a 35km route along Pumicestone Passage. Who knows, but it might be something to work towards. It's not as big a challenge as the Seventy48 but it's a start.
Let's put it this way, the plans were bought and fun shall begin.
D
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