9m Race YachtDesign Concept Designed and built by Piers Findlay of Pilot Bay Boats, 9m Racing Yacht NFI, is the perfect length for a fun club racer; big enough to be a "real" boat and small enough to be fun to handle. While being ultra lightweight for very fast, responsive sailing, NFI's robust construction also meant that she could be sailed offshore without any concerns with structural integrity. NFI was designed to be very economical and simple to build, to ensure the project could be completed by an amateur. The simple but spacious accommodation makes her suitable for weekending, and the boat can be trailered behind a regular vehicle with over-width signage. Construction NFI 's hull and deck, built in two halves over CNC- routed MDF frames and set at 600mm spacings, were strip planked with 13mm DuraKore® Composite Strips edge glued with a mix of WEST SYSTEM® brand resin/hardener modified with low density 411 Microsphere Blend. One layer of 750grm triaxial E-fibreglass was laminated with KINETIX® R246TX high performance resin, to either side of the planks to complete the structure. 16mm DuFLEX™ Composite Panels were CNC-routed for the bulkhead kits and cockpit, and were bonded into position with a structural adhesive mixture of WEST SYSTEM® resin/hardener and 403 Microfibre Blend filler. A super lightweight interior was built with 16mm Featherlight panels, cored with phenolic impregnated paper honeycomb, which are easily kerf-cut and shaped into rounded corners, where required. The stiffness of the Featherlight panels makes them ideal for reasonable-span applications in flat areas, such as bunk and bench tops.
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