The T920 is the ultimate sportboat designed to race coastal Category 2 events. It is lightweight yet incredibly strong, and can be built by professional or amateurs using Tboats’ comprehensive plans. A simple accommodation layout lets crew rest during longer races. The lifting keel with crane single lift point allows drysailing or the T920 is easily towed on its own custom tandem axle trailer.
The 3 swept-spreader carbon fibre mast sits on a hydraulic jack so rig tension can be adjusted while sailing to suit the day’s conditions.
Large asymmetric spinnakers are set from the end of a 3.2m prod for spectacular downwind performance.
The prod is also carbon fibre and both retracts back into the boat and, when extended, articulates aft in order that low and fast downwind angles can be sailed extremely easily.
The T920 has a lifting keel which means it can be dry sailed or towed on its own custom designed tandem axle trailer to all your favourite sailing areas. Removable wing side decks means the boat will fit into standard width towing regulations or into a container for shipping.
A neat little lightweight 10hp. petrol saildrive spinning a geared, folding 2 bladed propeller drives the boat sweetly through the water under power.
Alternatively an outboard mounted on the transom is sufficient to drive the boat at speed.
The cockpit has all sail controls well laid out with floor mounted mainsheet traveller and dual topmast backstay system. Running backstays are not required which makes boat handling easy.
Non overlapping jibs and asymmetric spinnakers make tacking and gybing a breeze and the speeds attainable are just awesome.
The T920 really is a maritime sportscar!
Construction
The construction of the boat uses high technology carbon fibre and Kevlar with a foam core. The keel is from laminated carbon fibre with attached lead bulb while the rudder is laminated fibreglass. Construction methods have been designed with both professional and amateur builders in mind as long as vacuum bagging facilities are available.
Female moulds are used and are quickly set up. The moulds are reusable and can easily handle a limited production scenario.
We have developed a number of ways of building one off boats but prefer the method of using a temporary battened female mould for the hull and a female mould for the deck.
The construction photos show the set-up of the hull mould. Full size patterns are provided for the frames or the file to computer cut them on a CNC machine. The frames are stood up and the battens are fixed to the inside of the frames.
Foam is then screwed from the outside through the battens and the whole interior including internals is completed
The deck mould is made using a combination of MDF flat panels and timber strips.
The deck is finished using coats of Duratech and is sanded and polished ready for the outside skin. The foam is best vacuum bagged on but this is not essential as good results can be achieved using contoured or split foam. The inside skin is applied and then painting and fairing can be completed before the deck is placed on the hull in its mould.
The deck is faired into the hull and taped on before turning them over and fairing and glassing the outside of the hull.
The interior hull/deck joint is then taped together while the boat is upside down.
Fully finish fairing and painting the outside of the hull before turning upright and finish painting the deck outside.
Full drawings are supplied with full size templates for keel, rudder and frames. Materials list, specifications and build methodology backed by advice from Thompson Design makes building a new T920 an achievable project with exciting results.
Plans can be supplied in electronic or paper form.
We can also help with the purchase of material and parts and also can supply carbon spars from NZ at excellent rates.
The drawings can be sent in either DXF for the full size patterns and PDF for the A3 drawings in electronic form. We place the drawings in a password protected folder on our web site in order that you can download and print at your convenience. We also do provide drawings in DXF form that a CNC machine can cut the frames directly from MDF timber.
Contact us for a set of study drawings with a brief build methodology and material list for your building costing and feasibility.
We have good backup during the construction and tuning phase and are available via email.
Sailing
The T920 is simply rigged with no backstay and a two piece carbon fibre mast that pulls apart for easy transporting. It is simply stayed with three sets of aluminium spreaders with one set at the I point to support the masthead spinnakers. The aft facing top spreaders allow for the mast to bend off in the puffs upwind making the boat very easy to sail in all conditions.
The rigging is all Rod or Dyform utilising special double acting adjustable turnbuckles for adjustment.
The bow prod is carbon fibre and is retractable.
The sail plan is very effective with a large roach mainsail, three jibs and two masthead and one fractional spinnaker. The class rules allow very little tolerance in the mainsail and the biggest jib is regulated by the rigging wires. The spinnaker has a maximum and minimum area measurement that allows for flexibility in the dimensions of the sail to allow for individual development.
Moving about….
The T920 is easily towed on the custom trailer behind a large car, the sides of the boat are removable to allow the beam to reduce for easy trailering.
The boat has an optional keel lifting crane that is used to wind up the keel for ramp launching. Alternatively the boat may be lifted by its central lifting hook on top of the keel for dry sailing.
