Original Brick
This is the original Brick design that started it all, the photo came from Tim Hansen's Brick Pages.
It is the most simple of all configurations to build.
The sides have external chines made from straight boards that are cut to the rocker shape, instead of decks the corners have small braces on them, and the mast is off-center, held up by a corner brace.
Although odd looking, the boat will sail just fine with an offset mast.
The entire boat is made from 3 sheets of plywood, and with 24" sides, almost no scrap is left over.
The bad part of this configuration is that if you capsize or swamp the boat, it is almost impossible to self recover.
The hull becomes awash, and as you bail water out, more comes in over the gunnel.
See the 2001 Conroe Messabout pages for pictures of this effect.
Bucket Corner Duck
This a slight improvement on the Original Brick, it has a sealed buckets strapped to each corner for floatation, and a bar across the bow so that the mast can be mounted on the centerline.
If built with 17" high sides, the entire boat can be made from 2 sheets of plywood.
Bow/Stern Decks
With bow and stern decks, the hull will become a bit more stiff, and you can stuff floatation material under the decks.
Also as waves splash against the bow, the spray will land on the bow deck and can be diverted away with a spray rail.
Airboxes
This is the suggested configuration with 18" high sides, and enclosed airboxes at the ends.
The bow airbox is 12" deep, and the stern airbox is 18" deep with hatches on the centerline.
The airboxes provide both floatation and dry storage - both important if venturing beyond sheltered water.
You can self recover the boat if knocked over or turtled, the airboxes will float the boat high on it's side, and when brought upright, will only have a little water left in the cockpit to bail.
This is Doug Day's boat, he races in the Houston area.
Lengthwise Center Seat
This is Bill Giles's boat at the 2006 World Championships.
The good part about the center seat is that it is comfortable to sit on and slide forward or back, also it makes a good structure for the centerboard trunk.
The bad part is that when the boat is knocked over, one side immediately fills with water, and when righted it retains the water in there.
Also when hiking out, it gets in the way of where your feet want to be.
Side Decks
As many sailboat designs heel way over, the water will roll over the gunnel and into the cockpit.
Side decks are one compromise to keep the water out, even if the boat is almost on it's side.
You can also sit on the side decks and hike out by using the far deck as a toe strap.
The PDRacer is a very stable boat, and with 18" sides, it is very difficult to bury the rail in the water.
The side decks would also be fairly easy to make as a bolt on addition to the other configurations.
This one is Ken Abraham's boat, it is hull #2.
Shoebox
Bolger designed a box boat that has air boxes down each side, going the entire length.
A big advantage of this configuration is that when the boat is knocked over, it will float high enough, that when righted, there is no water left in the cockpit.
This is Christina Wycoff's pdracer built with the side air tanks.
Original Brick
Bow/Stern Decks
Airboxes
Lengthwise Center Seat
Side Decks
Shoebox