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Composite Cockpit
Build it Light-weight or Reinforced
Ideal for the Dillon Laker SC12 and the Dillon Sport C. Adaptable to the Pro Tunnel, Mini Tunnel and Laker 14
Before starting my original Sport C project, I asked officials at APBA what was needed in terms of a cockpit. The rules merely state that a "reinforced" cockpit is required, but without describing what that entailed. I was provided composite-construction layup schedule that could lead to an APBA-approved capsule.
I wasn't planning on a full-fledged capsule, but I took the outline to heart and followed it for the most part. The result was the cockpit that now graces the Dillon Sport C.
Sport C rules require a reinforced cockpit with side panels that rise to the top of the driver's ear. Thus, I built the foam-cored, 'glass/carbon/Kevlar cockpit you see here.
Many builders will want something lower, and that is easy to do using the same form described in the plans.
Many will not want or need a reinforced cockpit, but just a light-weight front cowling and side panels/coamings. That too is possible with these plans.
If you are building the Dillon Sport C, this cockpit will of course fit your boat very nicely.
The low-sided version of the Cockpit will also work in the Sport C (for non-racers). The low version will also fit the Pro Tunnel and the Mini Tunnel, but be prepared to adjust the bulkheads for those boats to make room the Cockpit's greater width.
About the Plans: I am not a naval architect, or an engineer, or even a draftsman. I am a forester by education, a furniture-maker by profession, and a boat-builder, sailor and racer by inclination. I have built a number of boats over the last 35 years or so: from the 8-foot hydroplane I built when I was fourteen, to a 21-foot sailboat built in the 1990s, and a bunch of tunnel and v-bottom raceboats since 2005.
I have drawn these plans on my computer. As such, they are not, and do not resemble, an architect's blueprints. I do not have the capability to print out full size drawings. However, scale drawings with all necessary measurements are provided so the builder can expand these drawings full-size, onto paper or right on the plywood.
The plans package, available via direct download or by postal mail, includes measured drawings, plus notes on materials needed to complete your cockpit. Also, I provide extensive online construction notes, including photos, which guide you through the entire building process. And, I am just an email away if you have questions.
The plans package is $25 US via direct download; or $35 printed on 8.5" x 14" sheets and sent via postal mail. You can pay online through Paypal (you do not need a Paypal account), or you may send a check or money order.
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