Frankenboat - what's yours?

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by gordon1277 Bootscooter You have a point, The I14 was around of course and the 49er cant have been far behind but the 800 totally agree. I haven't got my class data spreadsheet here, but as I recall the Exocet/B14E/B4 was mid/late 80s but did almost nothing in the UK for some years. The name was not a clever choice: there is, as I recall, a little 'selective writing' of history about that in one of Bethwaite's books. It didn't make the PY list until 1997. The 49er was I think 1995 and 5 tonner a year or so earlier. In the mid 80s the I14 was a very odd beast, spectacularly hamstrung by some very peculiar class rules, but nevertheless has never since reached the popularity it had then, partially perhaps due to a huge amount of publicity, which as rumour has it, was run by the deBeers publicity department. Perhaps too the heavily rules slugged performance, about the speed of a 505, was more in line with what the sailors could cope with?

That'd be down to the publicity from being featured in the epic movie 'Wind'!!!!

For me as a 90 kilo guy who has generally sailed trap single handers for 30 years who also owns a well powered up twin trap skiff with my daughter who is 65 kilos. She only wants to crew, so we would not be competitive in single trap boat.

My Frankenboat could pretty much be derived from an Alto with rig size between it and the 800. Because of being narrow would be well overpowered in a breeze but work better on handicap in the light stuff. 

Another benefit would be that the crew wouldn't be required in the "play pen" for most the race. Term for standing on the bow.

No really my point though. Feel a bit sorry for Paul's daughter, this probably meant she had to hike and miss some of the fun.

Incidentally, I always liked the idea of the Spice. I think it was based on the Howlet 1B I14 which I sailed a new one of, "back in the day" It was definitely a handful compared with the more recently designed boats though