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Old 27-09-2013, 02:02 PM   #1
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Forgecraft help

Hi all
Is there anyone out there who has any contact details for for the builder/designers of the forgecraft raceboats ( Lucas ) or anyone who raced them?
Thanks,nick.
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Old 27-09-2013, 02:56 PM   #2
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Hi,

I sold mine (Orginially Le Gopher then Commodore / Condor Ferries then Autovogue) back to Richard Lucas who origianally built them. I think he was based up in Oban at the time, this is going back over 10 years!

Toby
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Old 29-09-2013, 12:00 AM   #3
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Hi toby, thanks, ive got photos of yours and all the other forgecraft, a mate and i own jupiter (ex absolute beginners/carphone direct) the first forgecraft built, we have to do a lot of work on her over the winter and she needs some surgery,we have no worries with her rough weather performance (we won a race at torquay on 15th sept this year) but its a fact that this first forgecraft is relativley slow in calm weather (60.5mph is our best so far with XR2 2litre),yours and the other 2 built after ours were a meter or so longer and had the chines running the full length of the hull..ours go half way,this can be changed on ours although i dont belive it will effect top speed,they are for stability and 'grip' i believe...just need to know why lucas changed the design and whether its worth us extending ours or not. It looks like he changed the hull design aswell but all i have to work with is old photos which dont really give me the answers and it seems one forgecraft was turned into a Rib.....i wonder if they will turn HMS Victory into a sand dredger? what engine did you have on yours,2.4? and what pitch prop/topspeed did you get?
regards,nick.
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Old 29-09-2013, 10:34 AM   #4
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The brothers, Jonathan and Richard Lucas built the boats, but the design was by their father (Stephen??) as far as I can remember.

Didn't realise Richard had moved up north, but contacting Jonathan might be possible by looking up his company (assuming he still has/runs it) Elstead lighting, in Alton Hampshire.
The original firm was called 'The Elstead Forge', hence 'Forgecraft' was born.

http://www.elsteadlighting.com

JF
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Old 29-09-2013, 10:57 AM   #5
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thanks for the pointers jon,really appreciate the help.
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Old 29-09-2013, 11:39 AM   #6
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Hi Nick,

We ran an XR2 and usually a worked 23p laser 2, best gps speed was 73 but realistically it was a solid 70mph boat.

Hope this helps.

Toby
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Old 30-09-2013, 04:31 PM   #7
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Hi Toby, thanks for that..food for thought! We have experimented with about 5 different props and our 5 blade 24p prop is easily the best in the rough but will only manage 56mph (which is fine),of the others a 3 blade 24p non thro hub 'race' prop or whatever it's called is about the fastest at 60.5mph @ 6200rpm ish,I'm aware that our XR2 is an old girl (1990) and realistically it is nowhere near 200hp so it maybe a case of not enough grunt/rpm.
Can you remember what your XR2 reved to with the 24p prop and which year Xr2 was it? Thanks,nick.
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Old 30-09-2013, 07:44 PM   #8
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Hi Nick,

The laser 2 is three blade (still got it somewhere!) I can't remember the exact year of the motor but must have been around 92/94 20inch as for revs it was ,from memory, normally ran at 7100 ish but a little more in the flat calm. Ran the slip numbers once and they were very good for what it was but the general handling was more important. For the very rough used to run a 3 blade over hub cleaver but it ran the boat so flat you could watch the bow flex with the impact, a bit of a boat breaker!

Toby
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Old 30-09-2013, 09:09 PM   #9
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Hi Toby, boat breaker yes....we have to do some surgery to ours! found 2 cracks in the formers just forward of foot throttle area,had an alloy welder guy take a look and its an easy enough repair but getting to it is another issue,im going to have to drill out god knows how many rivits to remove one of the deck plates so the guy can get at the job! then theres the bushes in the steering tube which are shot,powerheads not going to want to move neither are any other bolts...its got to be done but im not looking forward to it! we are not racing again this year (we won at torquay on 15th september) so over the winter im going to do as much as i can so shes ready for next year.
i think yours must have been a 2.4 efi merc ? ours might rev to 7100rpm with a 20p prop...but not for long !! really appreciate your input...cant buy experiance,thanks,nick.
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Old 08-10-2013, 08:05 PM   #10
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I can assure you that it was an xr2. Think that we would have had some issues with the scrutineers let alone the other racers if it wasn't .
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Old 08-10-2013, 08:28 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TobyC View Post
I can assure you that it was an xr2. Think that we would have had some issues with the scrutineers let alone the other racers if it wasn't .
Bloody cheat!

thought you went a bit quick on that last RB leg
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Old 08-10-2013, 09:33 PM   #12
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Quote:
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Bloody cheat!

thought you went a bit quick on that last RB leg
we went as fast as we could on every leg, you try running a b28 and a pair of xr2s around Britain mr fuller, 'twas fecking not easy but loved it and much respect to all the other competitors and the people the made the event possible
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Old 08-10-2013, 09:36 PM   #13
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Ps having a new rather larger forgecraft built was considered however the budget wouldn't allow
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Old 08-10-2013, 09:41 PM   #14
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Oh and one of those power heads that had just done rb then won the worlds in Gsy !
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Old 10-10-2013, 04:45 PM   #15
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Thought there was a mould from a 21ft forgecraft in belgium...
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