Nicorette unveils its Triple Moving Foil (TMF)

• NEWS
• 25 Nov, 2003 06:13:00 PM

Nicorette unveils its Triple Moving Foil (TMF)

Maxi yacht Nicorette has a new weapon for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2003 - a Triple Moving Foil (TMF), designed by Alex Simonis.

Nicorette, one of the world's most advanced ocean racing yachts, today unveiled its latest development, a Triple Moving Foil (TMF) system at the ADI facilities at Garden Island, Sydney, as the maxi prepares for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2003.

The TMF system, comprising a traditional rudder, canting keel and canard (both with trim tabs) was given its first offshore outing in the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Flinders Island race last weekend where it proved an integral component of Nicorette's line honours win in the 92 nautical mile offshore race.
Owner/skipper Ludde Ingvall is confident the new keel system will put her amongst the fastest yachts in this year's Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet and makes her ready for the vast diversity of conditions this race can throw up. In addition to the TMF system, the 79-footer returns to the Sydney Hobart with a bowsprit to carry larger, more powerful spinnakers and special compound, multi-layered, pearl-effect coating to create a dramatic impact on the water.
Canting keel:
Canting keels are not new technology; however, the rules for offshore racing yachts have only recently started to allow canting keels. This will be the first year that canting keels will be used in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
A canting keel can be deliberately 'swung' to windward to give a yacht more stability in stronger winds. Two powerful hydraulic rods inside the yacht control the angle of the keel to counter the heeling force by the wind in the sails.

As the wind becomes stronger, Nicorette's canting keel will be adjusted within the limits set by the rules to keep her within that efficient range before having to reduce sail area.
The keel is 4.8 metres long, but only 40cm wide and 80 mm thick at its thickest point. The bulb of lead at the bottom weighs 7.5 tons – almost half the total weight of the yacht. The bulb design is a torpedo style design for minimal resistance for the mass of lead it contains.  
The trim tab:
Behind the keel blade, is another smaller rudder, known as the trim tab. The trim tab gives the yacht 'lift' working in the same way as a wing on an airplane. By swinging the trim tab to port for example, the skipper makes the keel asymmetrical, like an airplane wing and generates lift on the starboard side. This helps counteract or neutralise drift (or leeway) to leeward, which is normal for sailing yachts. The result is that Nicorette can sail closer to the wind than rivals who do not have a trim tabs.
The Canard:
When the keel, which is very small for this size of boat, is not providing enough 'lift' the Nicorette can lower a canard, or a centreboard which is located forward of the mast and the keel.  The canard also has a trim tab to allow it to generate further lift as the trim tab makes the canard an asymmetric foil.  The canard is only used to the extent required for upwind sailing.  While sailing with the wind, the Nicorette crew will lift it up to decrease resistance in the water and increase speed.

Designer of Nicorette's Triple Moving Foil system is Alex Simonis of Simonis-Voogd Designs.