Please select your home edition
Edition
Navico NZ Zeus3S LEADERBOARD

Junior Training for the America's Cup + Video

by Neil Deverell on 20 May 2011
New Zealand Optimist team line up for the big day out on an AC45 Gilles Martin-Raget / Oracle Racing

Three days ago we ran the story of a new catamaran design aimed at Optimist sailors. In an updated story we present three video clips of the Vudu sailing in the Bay of Islands.

Bay of Islands Yacht Club Optimist sailor and world’s team member Nathaniel Deverell is hooked on cats! One of the rewards for getting into the world’s team was a sail on Oracle Racing and he has been buzzing ever since!

Nathaniel sailed on Oracle White with James Spithill on 3rd May, the week prior to the AC 45 cats being packed and sent overseas. Jimmy gave Nathaniel the helm and he steered the boat for 10 min, which was a great thrill for him!

When the opportunity came up to race the Vudu cat at the Bay of Islands Yacht Club last Sunday, he couldn’t resist! He found the boat accelerated quickly in the 12 knot gusts and was very impressed with how similar it was to racing on the AC 45.


The Bay of Islands Yacht Club is promoting this boat as a way to keep young people involved in club racing, and by the queue of kids lining up to have a sail it looks like having a promising future! It was also noticed how several adult sailors, who also were involved with the racing, did not want to let go of the helm!!

Founder and builder of the Vudu, Bill Kidman, is currently looking at tooling up so these boats could be mass produced as a one design class, and having strict class rules so all boats will be the same to help keep costs down. Four boats have been built and can be seen racing on Sundays at the BOI Yacht club.



Vudu is designed to introduce youth to performance multihull sailing, enabling even beginner sailors to enjoy the thrill of instant acceleration and excitement of being on the edge! They are fun to sail and easy to sail fast.


Intended for single handed sailing, ideally suited to teenagers who want to have some sailing fun, they can also be sailed by two younger children; or an adult, not too heavy! (Although bigger guys have had a blast, and a larger sail could be added.) The Vudu is a great stepping stone to next level of performance cats such as the Formula 18s, Tornados, A Class cat, or the new Americas Cup catamarans!

Specifications
LOA 3.8m
Beam 2m
Beach weight 50kg
Sail area 7sqm
There has been some concern that Nathaniel may turn up to the Optimist Worlds, held at Napier, N.Z., Dec 31 2011, in a catamaran!!






Maybe the Vudu F 12 Cat will be the way the youth sailors of today will replace some of the grey hair seen on some of the AC boats!!

More about Vudu can be found at http://www.boiyachtclub.co.nz/vudu.php







Sea Sure 2025Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignNorth Sails Loft 57 Podcast

Related Articles

Melges 15 Fittings Guide
A breakdown of the fittings based on a complete Allen Brothers fit-out If you are looking to upgrade or replace the hardware on your Melges 15, it helps to know exactly which fittings you need and what their role is on the boat.
Posted today at 7:30 am
Fortaleza World Sailing Championships announced
Test event in January 2026, and the real thing in January 2027 World Sailing has confirmed the dates for Fortaleza 2027 World Sailing Championships as 22-30 January 2027, with a Test Event being held one year prior.
Posted today at 6:40 am
All set in Trieste for the Melges 24 Worlds
Racing set to begin at Yacht Club Adriaco The countdown is nearly over. In just a few hours, the Yacht Club Adriaco will oversee the start of one of the most eagerly awaited international sailing events of the season.
Posted today at 4:41 am
2025 Six Metre World Championship Day 1
Wind gods fail to deliver in Oyster Bay, NY Sadly day one of the 2025 Six Metre World Championships at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (SCYC) proved to be a non-starter as the wind failed to make an appearance.
Posted today at 12:51 am
SailGP: Blackfoils caught out in Geneva - Day 2
A day of mixed conditions and tight three-up racing has seen the Black Foils record an eighth place A day of mixed conditions and tight three-up racing has seen the Black Foils record an eighth place finish at the Rolex Switzerland Grand Prix on Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The team has dropped back to be third on the Season leaderboard.
Posted on 22 Sep
52 Super Series Porto Cervo practice race
The loss of the last 'dress rehearsal' is something of a disappointment Although there was just enough breeze to execute a couple of meaningful practice starts, the breeze dropped away and thereafter proved insufficient to allow the planned two short official practice races to be sailed today off Porto Cervo.
Posted on 22 Sep
Materials That Make the Difference
Discover the performance fabrics behind the Henri-Lloyd AW25 collection Discover the performance fabrics behind our AW25 collection. This season, Henri-Lloyd has focused on advanced, responsibly sourced materials designed to thrive in demanding coastal conditions.
Posted on 22 Sep
Teams are go for 2025 Six Metre World Championship
29 boats registered and ready to race Registration is now complete and 29 teams from ten nations are ready to race for the 2025 Six Metre World Championships at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club on Long Island Sound.
Posted on 22 Sep
2025 Dutch Water Week overall
From experiment to future The Dutch Water Week concluded today with the pilot finals of the Sailing Grand Slam (SGS).
Posted on 22 Sep
RORC Transatlantic Race 2026 preview
3000 miles, one epic challenge The RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association and Yacht Club de France will start from Marina Lanzarote on 11th January 2026.
Posted on 22 Sep