C-Class: Rafale Project by École de Technologie Supérieure, Montreal

by Editor · Published February 27, 2015 · Updated May 24, 2019

This kind of projects is what takes studying to another level. C-Class project report sent by Tristan Vanderhaeghe , Project Catamaran Class-C / Responsible for communications & ETS student.

– Project web : etsclassc-rafale.ca/fr/home.html
– FB: facebook.com/projet.catamaran.ETS
– Become a partner & Donations: etsclassc-rafale.ca/fr/commandites.html
– Twitter : twitter.com/classc_ets
– « Litlle-Cup » 2015 event :littlecup.org/
– C-Class website: c-class.org/
– C-Class CSN posts catsailingnews.com/search/label/C-Class
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– École de Technologie Supérieure, Montréal –
The “RAFALE” C-class catamaran project was born in autumn 2013 in Montreal, started by students from the École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS). It is a colossal two-year project that aims to design and build a catamaran to take part in the next c-class catamaran world championship, to be held in Geneva (Switzerland) in September 2015. The organization of the next edition is taken in charge by the team HYDROS, who wants to develop the C class, a class of boats that was created in the 70’s.

This championship, also known as “Little Cup”, in reference to the “America’s Cup” race puts these true ‘Formula 1’ of the seas that remind us of the “AC72” seen in 2013 in San Francisco to a test. Equipped with rigid wings and lifted on “Hydrofoils” these catamarans can reach astounding speeds 35knts (65km/h).

The “RAFALE” C-class catamaran project presents its video of participation to the 27th edition to be held in Geneva from 27 August to 20 September 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNuAbqx20WE Genesis and evolution of the C-class catamaran project Supported by Julien Chaussée, a former member of the British team, “Invictus” and Simon Joncas, a professor at ETS and specialist in composite materials, twenty undergraduate BAcc and MAcc students are working hard to build this catamaran at the forefront of technology.

With an estimated budget of $ 130,000, the C-class
catamaran project is a big challenge that of being present with a completely new boat “made-in Quebec” in September 2015. Thanks to partnerships with different companies, who make high quality materials and services available for the team, the boat will be on the water for the summer of 2015. With this boat, the Montreal team will be the first ever student team to compete at the race and thus defy well-established teams such as Groupama sailing, Hydros or Airbus.

During these two years of preparation, students are deploying lots of efforts in the design and construction of the entire boat in the school’s workshops. The task has to be done within a relatively short time, on nights and weekends, because the participation in the project is in addition to being enrolled in a full-time engineering program. Regarding the design of its sports catamaran, the team of the C-class catamaran project decided to design and manufacture the rudders and daggerboards as hydrofoils, as did some competitors that have already brought this technology at the latest edition of the Little Cup in 2013 in Falmouth (England).

The development of hydrofoils by team “RAFALE” is a success, since first the first hydrofoil manufactured in the fall allowed a first flight during testing in November 2014 on a 20ft sport catamaran. The fabrication of the foil was made in partnership with Mystery Composite, a catamaran builder near Montréal. At press time, in the winter of 2015, the construction is in full swing and many parts are ready to be assembled.
The launch is scheduled for May in order to ensure a workout than 3 months will be in the Montreal area, before sending the ship by container to Geneva.

To ensure professionalism and competitiveness, team “RAFALE” is affiliated with two former members of the Canadian 49er team Marc Farmer and Tej Trevor Parekh, which will sail the boat during the 10 days of competition. The team is following the footsteps of their great Canadian brothers, Fred Eaton and Magnus Clarke, who won the 2007 edition in Toronto, 2010 in Newport and got a 3rd place in the last edition in 2013 in Falmouth with the “Fill your hands” boat.
For people who have not had the opportunity to meet the team at the Montreal boat show in early-February 2015, the “RAFALE” C-class catamaran project will launch the boat in the early spring in the area of Montreal.

If you want to see the boat “RAFALE” in Geneva in September 2015 at the “Little Cup” and be part of the adventure, the team is still looking for partners and sources of funding to complete the budget for the competition.

Become a partner or support the project by making a donation : https://etsclassc-rafale.ca/fr/commandites.html
Follow the project on the website : https://etsclassc-rafale.ca/fr/home.html
Follow the project on Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/projet.catamaran.ETS
Follow the project Twitter : https://twitter.com/classc_ets
Website of the « Litlle-Cup » 2015 event : https://www.littlecup.org/
C-class website: https://www.c-class.org/

The École de technologie supérieure (ETS), founded in 1974, is a constituent of the network of the University of Quebec and one of the largest engineering school in Canada. It is located in downtown Montreal and has about 7,000 students in various engineering programs affecting most areas of industry.”