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Welcome to the special section “BAM 35 Years.” We are presenting “cult” articles from the Motor Boats archive, starting in 1990. A journey through time among stories unobtainable today, even in the great sea of the internet! A dive into the world of epic moments in motor boating. We begin with one of the stories we were most passionate about.
From Motor Boats 1995, no. 3, April, pp. 48-49.
The VSV 50’s slender elliptical-section hull revolutionizes the concept of a displacement boat; it is a true torpedo, a hull with a tapered, hydrodynamic line that cuts through waves. The absence of trim variation allows this boat to reach high speeds even in adverse sea conditions.
After the creation of the deep-V hull that revolutionized the world of yachting, there were no substantial changes in this industry for many years. Today the British shipyard Paragon Mann has created the new VSV 50, a hull with very special features. The company, based in the Isle of Man, began in 1993 to build hulls for military and commercial use, using its VSV hull for high-speed ferries, military vessels, and coastguard boats. VSV is the acronym for Very Slender Vessel and was used by Paragon Mann to describe an innovative design, the most striking feature of which involves a thin, (slender) elliptical hull with a length-to-width ratio of 6 to 1.
This type of hull, due to the low buoyancy of the sharp bow and the high length-to-width ratio coefficient, causes the hull to cut through waves without planing, unlike displacement hull boats. This ability is most noticeable in short waves; in the case of long waves, in fact, the effect is not such that it can be felt by this boat. The commercial use of the VSV 50 is justified by the large load and fuel reserve capacity; in fact, with a displacement-to-length ratio within 100, even with a considerable increase in weight the displacement curve, as well as acceleration, undergoes no change. Hydrodynamic stability is achieved through two inclined fins that are an integral part of the hull. These control the front and rear trims, but more importantly they provide lateral stability both when the boat is stationary and while sailing. The trims are used to reduce the wetted area when sea conditions are such that the hull can reach maximum speed. The VSV 50 is able to develop greater speed than a V-hull hull of equal displacement and power by increasing the trim angle and wetted surface area. The VSV 50 hull has demonstrated remarkable marine qualities, coping with difficult sea conditions with good results. The way of carrying is very different: in fact, while with traditional boats one has to continuously adjust the engines when facing headwind conditions, it is no longer necessary to do so when sailing with the VSV 50. This feature, by keeping not only the engine adjustment but also the trims more constant, results in a significant reduction in fuel consumption.
In addition, since the hull is not subject to continuous trim changes, it is possible to increase speed without causing any inconvenience. The VSV is equipped with an air-conditioned enclosed cabin. Four watertight compartments ensure good buoyancy. Speed, seaworthiness, range, safety: these are the qualities that, the shipyard assures, you will find on this “Concorde of the sea.”
By Metella Ronconi
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Welcome to the special section “BAM 35 Years.” We are presenting “cult” articles from the Motor Boats archive, starting in 1990. A journey through time among stories unobtainable today, even in the great sea of the internet! A dive into
