![\"FPB-70-Bow-shape-1-of-31_comprsd\"](\"https:\/\/setsail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/FPB-70-Bow-shape-1-of-31_comprsd.jpg\")
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The FPB 70 brings together the very best of everything we\u2019ve learned in the last 40 years, not the least of which is a very sophisticated bow shape – perhaps the most difficult plating job ever.<\/p>\n
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FPB 70-1 is shown above between FPB 78-2 and 78-3 (assembly of 70-2 starts shortly, when 78-2 launches).<\/p>\n
![\"FPB-70-Bow-shape-2-of-3_comprsd\"](\"https:\/\/setsail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/FPB-70-Bow-shape-2-of-3_comprsd.jpg\")
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The key to going comfortably upwind, at normal cruising speed, is a bow fine enough to pierce waves, while at the same time with\u00a0sufficient buoyancy to begin lifting smoothly as larger seas are encountered. And it must be easily steered when surfing at high speed.<\/p>\n
This is a shaping issue we have been resolving\u00a0for the past 40 years.<\/p>\n
![\"FPB-70-Bow-shape-3-of-3_comprsd\"](\"https:\/\/setsail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/FPB-70-Bow-shape-3-of-3_comprsd.jpg\")
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If you look closely, you will see the forward sections off the bow are hollow above the plating edge. What this does is allow the bow to penetrate more easily into small to medium size waves, like those associated with trade winds when your destination is directly upwind. The reserve buoyancy desirable in larger seas comes on further up the topsides. These hollow sections transition to a\u00a0 positive shape at an appropriate distance aft of the bow providing additional buoyancy for larger waves..<\/p>\n
Creating this shape with metal, smoothly, was heretofore considered impossible.<\/p>\n
Of course all of this relates to the stern sections, but that is another story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"