ovni?

[Birdseye]

I was rather taken by the ovni 345 at the boat show. It seemed to me to be very well designed by someone who actually uses a cruising boat. Nice wide side decks, good sail handling, good anchor facilities and an excellent internal layout.

But I am uncertain about the stability. I want a boat that will take to the ground, but the internal ballast of the ovni means that the avs is 103 degrees according to YM. This is little more than horizontal - so if you broach, put the mast in the water, could you end up inverted?

What do posters think? How many of you have ever ended up with the mast flat in the water? Would you think this level of stability adequate for coastal / channel crossing type use? And does anyone know what the equivalent avs of something like a Benny drop keeler would be?

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[Sailfree]

My understanding is that the ballast is in the boat not the keel. In rough seas you raise the keel leaving the boat with nothing to trip over similar to raising the centreboard when gybing a dinghy. Not so good though against a lee shore for beating. Be prepared to also hang additional anodes over the sides when berthed. Nearly all aluminium boats I have seen in France do this. The Ovni appears a very popular blue water boat for those that actually do it!

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[webcraft]

I've often wondered about the Ovni . . .

Even with the keel raised, the laws of physics say that a 7-8m breaking wave on the beam will capsize the boat - and with such a low AVS she will stay inverted.

I'm surprised she gets CatA at that length and with that AVS, and surprised that she is a popular blue water boat among the alleged cognoscenti. Have never heard anytihng bad about these boats, so maybe there is more to this than the usual formulae.

Of course, a lack of ballast doesn't always mean a low AVS - look at RNLI boats. I would have thought a good design for a swing/drop keeler would involve a largish pilot house providing plenty of buoyancy / righting moment from angles in excess of 90 deg.

All IMHO - no personal experience of the boat, only what I've read.

- Nick

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com>http://www.bluemoment.com</A></font size=1>

 

[Birdseye]

You may be right about the pilothouse . Look at the Southerleys which have an AVS in the 160 / 170 deg region - more stable than many Swedish blue water boats despite the drop keel.

There has to be more to the calculation though since many cats do serious long distance voyages in weather that causes problems for monos - and cats have avs anywhere from 70 upwards

But to repeat the original question, has anyone been laid flat by a wave?

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[boatless]

Only been knocked flat once with white sails only, in Southampton Water. Have more experience than I should have of doing it with spinnakers.

Masthead did go into the water, just, witnessed by photographers, who didn't sent me a copy.

Did I mention that a Mirror page 3 girl was steering at the time?

I noticed the AVS angles quoted for Southerlys, and must say that I was more than a little surprised. Don't know how to put this, but do you think somebody made a mistake?



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[brianhumber]

Re: Mast at 90

Once went very close after passing northwards through Raz de Sein. Came out of Raz and shelter of islands in August bit of a blow and was beam on to big swell and quite a bit of puff. Got to top of wave and over we went. Lady on helm said we all just stood/sat there as we heeled right over nobody moved or said a thing, although I remember thinking 'shit'. As Decca had given up for the day and vis was nil in the rain I said sod it and retired into Morgat for drinks.
However to get back to your point, Ronhilda had looked after us, she is lifting keel, but all the weight is in the keel, tons of lead 2.4m down.
I have also admired the larger Ovni, design cannot be that unstable as you say lots of RTW examples with no reports of floaters upside down.

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[doris]

Everywhere you go

there seems to be Ovnis. Windies, S Pacific, Far east....they are the only european make that seems to be more 'blue watered, than H Rassey. Can't be all bad!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Real men do it 2handed.

 

[Sybarite]

Very good reputation in France and Jimmy Cornell now has one so that's a reference.

Main criticism is it's capability close to the wind but then gentlemen don't go to windward.

John

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[castaway]

I sailed next to an OVNI part way from Chi to Bembridge a month or 2 back, and was watching with interest as I have always fancied one.

I wasn,t so impressed as my elderly Halberdier kept pace with him to windward in 10kts, mind you his sails were a bit knackered.

Nick

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[danera]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.noonsite.com/aventura/FAQ2.html>FAQ on Jimmy's Ovni 43</A>. I've sailed over 12000 miles on her, including a 1000 mile beat from Fanning to Hawaii and found the upwind performance to be fine. You have to sail her well to avoid stalling the high aspect centreboard.


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[Sybarite]

Bona zuia Domnul Cornell....

I'm glad to hear this news as the OVNI (or the Cigale 14m) is on my wish list for when the lottery comes in...!!

Lareverderi

John

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