Lifting The Lid Of the TP52 Box...

[Source: TP52 Class] The 2011 TP52 Rule will transform the TP52 to an even faster, leaner and meaner allround offshore racing machine.

It will produce a boat that can be raced in IRC regattas without any modification and vice versa, so if you build to the TP52 Rule with the intention to race IRC events you may join the occasional TP52 event, like the TP52 Worlds or one or more of the MedCup events, without modifications.

Furthermore the 2011 TP52 Rule aims to curb the construction options that mainly result in extra cost without any or very little return in performance, like the use of ultra high modulus carbon and kevlar nomex cores.

With the switch to the ISO scantling standard as required by ISAF from July this year and setting a few of our own TP52 standards on top of that, plus selecting the high quality services of Germanischer Lloyd as the Class Authorized Body, we aim to work towards safer as well as more even in terms of weight and weight distribution engineered boats.

We expect the build cost for a TP52 to come down by 5 to 10%.

By going for a deeper keel, a steel fin and a substantially heavier bulb, as well as a bowsprit, we will be able to reduce crewweight in a dramatic way. The final choice will be set on 1050 or 1100kg, aiming for 12 crew. Reducing the current number by 3. This will result in quite some cost saving and exciting sailing.

From 2010 a TP52 will have a bowsprit and twin backstays. The Code-0 is abandoned to the museum. Same for the spipoles, the aftguys, the ingenious jockey poles and all that comes with that. This allows us to introduce a square headed mainsail and bigger kites.

Sail numbers on board again will be reduced to 4 jibs and 4 spinnakers, 1 main, 1 heavy weather jib, stormjib and trysail. This will allow a typicly 5 event regatta circuit like MedCup to further reduce the sail limit to 15 or 16 sails. With one set of sails required to train and do other regattas this will the total amount of sails required for one year to about 25. Still a big number, but for the size of boat and the level of sailing this is very acceptable. Two years ago the top teams were used to look at a number of around 50 new sails each year.

For the 2011 TP52 Rule IMS based VCG limit disappears, resulting in simpler and easier to conduct measurement procedures. Less hassle, less cost.

The 2011 TP52 BOX (indicated are the major changes from 2009):

DISPLACEMENT: 7300KG (was 7484)
CREWWEIGHT: 1050KG (was 1274)
DRAFT: 3.35M (was 3.2)
BULBWEIGHT: 3800KG (was around 3000)
TPS: 8.3M (a bowsprit putting the spi tack more forward by about 1.1m)
MSA: 92.5M2 (mainsail area up by 1m2)
HSA: 65M2 (headsailarea up by about 1m2)
SPA: 260M2 (spi area up by about 13m2)

The full 2011 TP52 Rule, blessed by the TP52 Annual Member Meeting, will be available from mid October 2009. Earlier non-sanctioned versions will be availble upon request from the Class Manager. The time between now and October will be spent by the technical committee to fine tune the numbers and the rule on basis of further advice by experts and suppliers.

There is nothing stopping you from building a new boat to the 2011 TP52 Rule to race IRC events from the moment your boat is launched. Only for the 2010 MedCup and the 2010 TP52 Worlds there will be some restrictions, basically aimed at accommodating the existing fleet racing these events to be 100% competative versus new boats without resulting in major costs for the existing fleet.

This means that for the 2010 MedCup and the 2010 TP52 Worlds we keep inclining the participating boats to bring them all to the same VCG, as well as that we keep the sailing displacement (boat plus crew) near to that of 2009. It will be a boat however that allready sports the bowsprit and the twin backstays.

The TP52 Class feels that by introducing the 2011 TP52 Rule it has done all it can do to bring you to the top of our sport at substantially reduced budget without giving away on quality. In the contrairy, we have stepped up towards an even more reliable offshore racer suiting racing and winning the world's most reknown events. Whether you choose handicap or real time racing or a mixture, this is the rule that will open up the world for you.

There are over 50 TP52's actively racing as a result of the first decade of the TP52 Class, we aim to add at least another 50 in the years to come.

The TP52 is the ideal vehicle for international competition, whether based on WL racing, major offshores or a mixture. This year IRC modified TP52's won offshores like the Sydney Hobart and the Transpac as well as lots of WL or short courses all over the world. The TP52 Class will support any initiative, anywhere in the world. It welcomes fair comments and will try to accommodate good ideas and initiatives. The TP52 Rule will evolve with our sport, it aims to help making a succes of and protect your investment in a TP52. The best way we can do that is by steering for quality and proper controls of boats where ever they race. So far we have done this quite well, a healthy second hand market proves our boats are not 6 months fancies.

Contact Rob Weiland: robswei@attglobal.net