When working with Bernard, Ralph made a series of 6-foot fliptacker models. He then went on to build, without Bernard's assistance although with his knowledge, a number of manned boats. The original full-sized craft were catamarans measuring around 18' to 21', although the final design Ralph came up with used a conventional sailboard.
With Ralph's design, it appears that the whole
fliptacker rig and frame is an "add-on", so allowing the use of a conventional
sailboard without any need to modify it. It carries 180 sq ft of sail, compared to
70 sq ft that a normal windsurfer sail has.
Ralph's craft departs in a number of ways from the approach Bernard uses
for his fliptacker designs. Battened sails are used, for example, as
is a true tetrahedral frame rather than the slightly tweaked
configuration Bernard prefers. Ralph uses a strong and fixed joint
for the frame whereas Bernard goes for a lighter joints made rigid by the
tensioning of the rigging. Two fixed hydrofoils are used, these
being at the ends of the sailrig frame.
A more complete description of the craft and its
performance is hoped to be included in a future iteration of this site.
All these images are kindly
supplied by Ralph Gitomer and are of this final craft.