Photos and report from T.J. Perrotti of Perrotti Performance Design:




I had some fun last week with the junior sailor students (age 10-11) at Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, RI.

We talked a bit about what makes a sailboat go, along with the basic concepts of things like stability, resistance, lift, and the like. Then, with a clean-slate whiteboard, the kids set out to design their own model sailboat, with just a bit of direction from me. They conceived the "Tritanic" ... a trimaran racer, which we then fabricated out of soda bottles, rigid insulation foam, bits of wood, hot glue, and shower-curtain sails. Bets were running 50/50 on whether it would sail or self-destruct, and I'm happy to report much of the former, and none of the latter.

The pics attached show the construction, launch, and inaugural sail, with Newport Bridge in the background. And smiles all around, of course ... lots of smiles! I think the kids did a fabulous job at putting their creativity into action. Future AC designers, builders, and racers?

Regards,

T.J. Perrotti
Perrotti Performance Design, LLC
107 Coggeshall Ave.
Newport, RI 02840 USA