New Mouse trap Phenomena - part 2

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Mon, 08/17/2009 - 16:07.

Seen one of these lately? I think I photographed the prototype in Toronto Harbor last year.  I will check my archives.   This photo courtesy Steve Killling, and the linked article is by Adam Mayers, Toronto Star

When is the last time you transitioned between displacement and planing?  Experience any instabilities?

We can do the same big design jump with wind turbines, I am convinced.

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  Here is Mr. Eaton last

 
Here is Mr. Eaton last August putting the final touches on the rigging of a model A3 Morrelli & Melvin (Morrelli is located in Huntington Beach, California)  built catamaran just before he set sail.  This A3 is about the same size, scale, as a 16 foot Hobie Cat, but much lighter. You can read more details about the A3 here.  
 
When I mentioned to Mr. Eaton that I had (last summer) seen and photographed -at a long distance - a novel catamaran which was sailing faster than speed boats in the Toronto Harbor, Mr. Eaton understatedly replied:
 
"Yes, that was me".
 
I am assuming that the foil cat in the top photo is the cat I saw last summer.
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Huntington Beach is where surfing really took off in the 60’s – and along with surfing - fiberglass composite technology to build new designs of surf boards.  Hobie Alter, a surfer, took the wave and wind and board combo and invented the Hobie Cat sail boat - now no need to have to struggle by hand to paddle back out from the beach - WINDPOWER - did it. 
 
This series of New Mouse Trap phenomena reports is intended to explore the connection between toys and innovation.