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| The revolutionary mxNext |
Over the last decade the realm of
performance skiffs has accelerated from a world where a trapeze and hiking
racks were the cutting edge norm, to “flying boats” like the modern day Moth,
and the end is not yet in sight. It’s an exciting time as sailors seek out more
speed and better performance in a package that is both manageable and
affordable.
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| The mx-Ray ripping along downwind |
One of
the first boats to offer both affordability, and even at a full-tilt speed of 20+
knots was quite manageable, was the Mx-Ray, a 12-foot fiberglass skiff designed
by Vlad Murnikov. In the early 1990s Murnikov floated the idea of a
single-handed dingy that would carry an asymmetrical spinnaker to greatly
increase performance. He presented the concept to the big guns of dinghies manufacturing
and was summarily laughed out of the room. It would never be possible for a
single person to manage a spinnaker they claimed, but Vlad was not deterred.
Suggesting that something is
impossible to a man who was able to build the first, and by happenstance only
Soviet Union Whitbread entry was akin to telling
Einstein that relativity was all relative. A few short months later the first Mx-Ray
was out carving up the clear waters of Biscayne Bay and not long thereafter it
was put into production. It did not take long before all major dinghy
manufacturers had copied his asymmetrical spinnaker idea.
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| The Original....MX-Ray |
The Mx-Ray
was well ahead of its time and was met with enthusiasm by speed hungry sailors.
Soon hundreds had been sold. Along the way Vlad met Mark LeBlanc, a visionary
boat builder with a keen eye for design and a passion for fast boats. Their
collaboration was very successful, but after the Mx-Ray business was sold the
two pursued separate goals. Fast forward a dozen or so years and Vlad has the
lines for SpeedDream drawn. The initial drawings were for a 100-foot version of SpeedDream and renderings of the sleek, futuristic boat were circulated around the globe. LeBlanc
was intrigued. Would it be possible to apply the SpeedDream100 concept to smaller
boats? Would it be possible to develop an Mx-Ray successor along the lines of SpeedDream?
Discussions began and soon the first few sketches of what would become mxNext
were drawn.
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| The original design showing hiking racks |
Once it was decided to build a
scaled version of SpeedDream and the lines for the smaller boat were finished,
Vlad focused on the mxNext. The boat would have to be a generation ahead of its
peers, just as the mxRay had been. CFD analysis of the SpeedDream27 made it
clear that a wave piercing bow was a tangible benefit and immediately the idea
was incorporated into the mxNext design, as was the
slender, sculpted hull, but that was where the similarities ended. Initially
the boat was drawn with hiking racks to add hiking power and stability, but eventually
they were replaced by more elegant and easier to build flared wings. The wings provide
not only a perfect platform for hiking, but a stylish, most decidedly
futuristic look.
With the
conceptual design completed Vlad turned to the team of Rodger Martin and Ross
Weene with whom he collaborated on the SpeedDream prototype, and they produced
a detailed design with more precise engineering. SpeedDream partner Gurit once
again are supplying the composite materials and Mark LeBlanc has taken on the
role of builder. With the molds now completed he is starting to lay down the
first layers of carbon.
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| Wooden molds to start with |
The
mxNext is going to be light, structurally strong and able to carry a pile of
sail area including, of course, a large asymmetrical spinnaker. Where the Mx-Ray
was a tad under 13 feet in length carrying a mainsail and spinnaker each around
80 square feet, the mxNext is a foot and a half bigger carrying a mainsail and
spinnaker both at 110 square feet, a significant difference. While sail area
and boat length are important the most striking difference is in overall
weight. The smaller Mx-Ray weighed in at 140 pounds all up, light for it’s
time. With advances in engineering and carbon construction the mxNext is as
light as a feather weighing just 90 pounds.
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| Ready for the first layers of carbon |
While is
perfectly OK for us to tout the performance attributes of the Mx-Ray and mxNext,
it’s heartwarming when someone else chimes in on our behalf. Here is a recent letter from a fan. He
wrote, “The Mx-Ray always produces laughter because of it's sheer exhilaration.
I know of no other single-handed boat that can do this on such a consistent
basis. I should know because I have owned, raced or sailed more different kinds
of One-Designs than anyone I have ever met or known. So I am looking forward to
adding the MxNext to my list. If it's anything like the Mx-Ray we will have a
winner that blows the doors off the competition.”
The mxNext is born from the heart
of SpeedDream yet birthed as a mini version that will most definitely set the
small boat sailing world on fire. The first boat due to hit the water early
2013.
For images of the mxNext under construction please click
here.
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