Opinions on WM Sculls

[Ronan Egan]

Having read some very interesting discussions on sculls here and hearing
of an "excellent" offer of one of these sculls I'm interested in hearing
some opionion on these boats. Do they rank among the elegant CDX's or
are they just another poor copy of an imperfect original?

[Nick Suess]

Ronan Egan <ronan...@adbvtest.analog.com> wrote in message
news:399C0897...@adbvtest.analog.com...

The WM name has for some years been a bit of a minefield of confusion.

The original WM was a very distinctive "banana hull" single with a
triangular transom stern, similar in appearance to a Van Dusen. The name
derived from initials of the two guys who built it, Weitenauer and Macherel
(please forgive any error in those spellings), at some place in or near
Geneva.

My information is that the business later ran into difficulty, W & M parted
company, and a new operation building these boats, still branded WM, was set
up by M and his brother in France somewhere near the Spanish border.

This also hit the financial rocks and was eventually bought out by the
Erplast company, also in France, near to Toulouse. They now successfully
built the "banana" single, and two- and four-seat derivatives of it, under
the "MPS Composites" brand name.

And it was at this time that one or both of the Macherel brothers came out
to Australia's sunny shore, and set up a new boat building business in New
South Wales, branding their boats - guess what - WM.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, W has set up a new business in Switzerland that
builds boats which I believe to be Empacher clones. These are the boats Xeno
uses, and we may presume they are pretty damn good. He must have thought
long and hard for a brand name, trying a great many initials, before
choosing WM. Yes, he probably has a stronger claim to that well known brand
name than anyone else, and with new boats there's no real problem. But start
talking about a secondhand WM, and nobody knows which sort it is.

If I've made any mistakes in that story, I'd welcome correction, or if
anyone can fill in a few more details, lets hear them.

[Albert Maher]

The WM as made my Jorg Weitnauer is an excellent boat. I wouldn't be too fond of
the French MPS Composites boats.
Weitnauer is one of the few boat builders who seems to have gotten the aluminium
wing right - Xeno Muller seems to be able to scull quite effectively without
backstays on it. If he's not changing pitch through the stroke, most others
should be okay. It's a very well crafted shell also and very well fitted.
I would say go for a WM, but not an MPS Composites.

[Ronan Egan]

Thanks Nick,
just one other question. Is WIM another boat type or the afore mentioned swiss
boatbuilder?
Oh and by the way on the CDX's I think they are the best finished boat being
made. If I had the chance to own one it would be racked in my Living room
between training/racing for reasons purely aesthetic.
Ronan

[Nick Suess]

Albert Maher <mah...@ie.ibm.com> wrote in message
news:399CF885...@ie.ibm.com...

> The WM as made my Jorg Weitnauer is an excellent boat. I wouldn't be too
fond of
> the French MPS Composites boats.
> Weitnauer is one of the few boat builders who seems to have gotten the
aluminium
> wing right - Xeno Muller seems to be able to scull quite effectively
without
> backstays on it. If he's not changing pitch through the stroke, most
others
> should be okay. It's a very well crafted shell also and very well fitted.
> I would say go for a WM, but not an MPS Composites.

Any specific reason why you reject MPS out of hand? You make no attempt to
say why, so may we assume this is an emotional reaction, rather than one
based on any sort of sound reasoning? Remember, the hull is Jorg
Weitenauer's original design, and MPS are specialists in composite material
construction. In fact, many people who have seen their "Impéria" top of the
range boat here in Australia have commented most favourably on the quality
of their workmanship. And their arc shaped carbon wing rigger is very
aerodynamic, and a really beautiful piece of work. It is very possible that
Jorg's new WM's have advanced a further step in design, but there may well
be a price premium for that. MPS is a very fast boat, and I reckon that it
represents excellent value for money in a market tier down from the
Empachers, CD-Xs etc.

Now, to answer Ronan, as I understand it, WIM is the old banana shaped
single. Starting out as WM, they then called it World in Motion. I think
that was in its second incarnation, before MPS took it over. And I don't
think there is a Wim involved. As we have said, the guy in Switzerland is
Jorg Weitenauer, and the Macherel brothers are Daniel and Michel. It is
Daniel who was Weitenauer's original partner and co-designer of the
"banana". I believe he may still be here in Australia, but don't think he is
currently building boats, at least, that's what I've heard.

[Adriaan Koster]

Nick Suess wrote:
> As we have said, the guy in Switzerland is
> Jorg Weitenauer

I heard he broke a knee this season, and was out of building boats for a
period. Any news on his recovery and will he be building his excellent
singels again any time soon?

A3aan.

[Steven Maynard-Moody]

A friend has a beautiful wooden "WM" with curious white riggers that
look like bathroom fixtures. Is this an "original" WM?

Steven M-M

[Albert Maher]

Nick.
You're right - my dismissal of MPS was a bit emotionally based rather than any
sound experience or evidence. There is one of the older "banana" World In Motion
type singles with an aluminium arc wing at a neighbouring club to mine - I have
heard the wing to be incredibly bendy - However, I'm sure the newer carbon wing
is a much better job.
The Weitnauer WM is a very stiff and fast boat , with no price premium - it
comes in at around 70 % of the Empacher price for a boat which is very
competitive at heavyweight level. I think any single appearing in a Heavyweight
A final at Worlds has to be well stiff to endure the kind of forces those boys
are exerting on riggers, wings, ribs, or whatever else.