Special!
13th Edition "Secrets of
Tunnel Boat Design".
(ISBN#
1-894933-30-3)
with Foreword by Mark Rotharmel...
- world renowned F1 Champion
- Canadian Boating Federation Hall of Famer
-
Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer
- host of Powerboat
Television Show
- founding chairman of the Performance Boat Club of Canada
- columnist and feature contributor for Boats & Places
Magazine
Foreword
By Mark
Rotharmel
In man’s
pursuit of speed across water, powerboat builders throughout the world combine
theory with experience to bring us faster, safer and better handling boats. Watching
a present-day Offshore Catamaran or Formula One Tunnel Boat fly
effortlessly over waves at post 140 mph, rarely would one consider the early
designers who brought forward their creations, or the trial-and-error testing by
passionate drivers who risked their lives competing in what arguably has been
deemed the most dangerous sport in the world.
While a
must-read resource for boat builders, Jim Russell’s insightful account of
tunnel hull design includes a comprehensive look at recreational high
performance, powerboat racing and how the sport has been, and continues to be
shaped. In this, the twelfth printing of “Secrets of Tunnel Boat Design”,
the author combines practical experience with his extensive engineering,
analytical and literary skills to help us understand each and every aspect of
what it takes to succeed in building these phenomenal powerboats.
Recognizing the
experimental nature of tunnel boat design, Russell arms the reader with proven
calculations and considerations that remove much of the guesswork used by
builders of the past. He knows of what he writes. Jim Russell is himself a past
North American racing champion, a designer/builder who campaigned his own boats
for years on the OPC circuit. He is also my friend, a person to be admired for
his intelligence and devotion to high performance boating.
During the past
25 years, we have remained in close contact. While racing many different boats,
including Molinaris, Seebolds, Burgess’ and a Furnell Flyer/SEI, Jim was there
to witness several of my crashes – three blow-overs, three barrel-rolls and
two stuffs.
Unlike Jim,
I drove other people’s designs. As a factory racing driver for Mercury and
OMC, I was given the best boats of their time. Still, they were inherently
unstable when stretched beyond reasonable limits. But stretching is what racing
drivers do. That’s how limitations are established.
After retiring
from F1, I signed on with Power Boat Television to test and analyze high
performance pleasure boats. While most of the cats and tunnels today are
thoughtfully designed, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Let no
manufacturer tell you their air-entrapment boat is perfectly safe. It is only as
safe as the driver is knowledgeable and experienced.
While
educational, there is much more to “Secrets of Tunnel Boat Design” than
theory and dynamics. Commemorating the
sport’s heroes and leaders, it is an entertaining, reflective journey back in
time. Performance boating has a grand
history, which is one secret to be shared! 
Mark
Rotharmel is a world renowned F1 Champion, host of the TV program “Powerboat
Television Show” and a columnist and feature contributor for “Boats &
Places Magazine”.
He is also a Canadian Boating Federation Hall of Famer and the founding chairman
of the Performance Boat Club of Canada |
 |
13th edition
"History of
Tunnel Boat Design" book!
"Secrets
of Propeller Design" book!
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