Hmm, this looks familiar......

Jim - I hate to say it but I think we are nearly agreeing..... the PN differences are only about 4% and the Blaze is not claimed in this corner to be as fast as the 300 - the Hoot will be a lot faster than both in my opinion, you seem to think this might be marginal relative to the 300 and that's about it !   In any macho drag race the simple sailboard would wipe them all.

But I'm still not convinced you've sailed a competive or sorted Blaze so the invitation stands.  When / how exactly did you get to try one ?  Loan boat available for the next event  - yours for the asking.

Blaze 720   

I've sailed a Blaze thanks. Its an OK moderate performance boat if you like that sort of thing, and there's nothing wrong with moderate performance boats, which after all are what the vast majority of sailors choose to sail.
But making comparisons with the Hoot or the 300, which are a quite different game, does it no favours at all.

As it happens I didn't think the RS300 speed had a lot of credibility either, it felt like a glitch, but at least it wasn't changing in height 60 feet or more at a time like that comical "Blaze" trace.

Originally posted by blaze720 (see 'speed freaks' etc)

If you believe that figure the you need your head examined... We've quite clearly established that its total b******s

Not many 'spit out the pieces' of the Blaze on speed unless they are a bit exotic and consequently less easy to sail for the majority.  Often a bit of 'giant slaying' is more the order !  The 300 is faster, but only when sailed by a few of the more capable minority who sail them.  In practice the Blaze and the 300 are not far off each other in any real wind.  (see 'speed freaks' etc)  However the Hoot will be considerably faster than both when sorted is my feeling, but then you could just jump on a fairly average board and go faster still with a lot less drama - and it would go on the roofrack even more easily.   It looks like a board rig on a skiffish hull and it's an interesting design - let's see a few over here. 

If you want to go real fast it's simple - low drag, enough sail and keep it light and wrapped up in a good balanced design.   But that does not make it accesible to the majority necessarily.  All boats mentioned are compromises of design and performance and 'ease'  - you pays your money and makes a choice.  The Laser, Solo, Contender etc are great boats, but not because of their speed relative to their competition .... but a hell of a lot of people sail them.

Blaze '720'

Yeah it would make an intersting race - and only face to face would really tell.  Sail area is same as 300, IC, and Finn!  But how different is the rig.  It looks more up to date and therefore faster - but I had a look at their news board and they been experimenting (and rejected) with stretchy leach panels from windsurfers to control gust response.  So they may have a problem in that area.  The mast looks stayed so the kind of flexible (inc sideways) mast that makes the 300 sailable is probably not available to them (and if it was that fat top would really drive them doen the mine downwind.

Similar weight too.

Cimbine that with monster wings which are not built in to the hull shape like the 300 and it's going to be really hard to sail (there is soem serious angle in those wings!), and heel is potentially going to be terminal.

Finally that very skiffy low rocker hull shape is going to be quite sticky in light airs - the harder turn (is it a chine?) will make it more directional stable than the 300.

So someone import one and we'll have a race!

And better yet stick a T-foil on it, then lower the wings a bit since you'll be riding higher - and I'll have one as a blasting machine when I'm not 300 racing.