K1 - Whats the point?

   Hi Debs

sounds light you have found a great boat for you. I would suggest that the Phantom fleet at Stone have come up with a massive handicap cheat if they were flying spinnakers downwind and we will have to watch out for this at the Nationals at Lyme later in the year.

Good luck with your new boat.

Regards

Gordon

Phantom 1277

scheming on how to fit a spinnaker chute for this weekend at Shoreham.

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Delicious Digg Facebook Furl Google MySpace Newsvine reddit StumbleUpon Translate Twitter Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
gordon1277 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 24 Mar 10 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 665	Post Options Post Reply Quote gordon1277 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: K1 - Whats the point? Posted: 17 Jun 11 at 8:23am
	Hi Debs sounds light you have found a great boat for you. I would suggest that the Phantom fleet at Stone have come up with a massive handicap cheat if they were flying spinnakers downwind and we will have to watch out for this at the Nationals at Lyme later in the year. Good luck with your new boat. Regards Gordon Phantom 1277 scheming on how to fit a spinnaker chute for this weekend at Shoreham.
	Gordon Lossc

debsw Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 17 Jun 11 Location: Stone SC Online Status: Offline Posts: 5	Post Options Post Reply Quote debsw Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 17 Jun 11 at 7:11am
	I launched my K1 about three weeks ago. I sail on the River Blackwater in Essex and launch off a gently graduated stone beach. I am 5'5, 60 kilos, so not your average weighty chap! I have no problems launching on my own and simply float her off, have a long painter, drag her in closer and drop the keel so she doesn't float away whilst i take the trolley up the beach. Getting away from the shore is not an issue except in a direct onshore breeze when I either get a tow out if it's a club day and there is a safety boat around or give up and retire to the bar (fortunately direct northerlys are fairly rare here). Getting back to shore just takes a bit of thought and advance planning but is not the issue I thought it might be. I can easily get the boat back on the trailer on my own and get her to the shore line. Thinking of buying a quad bike to get her up the beach though when my 'trolley dolly' (husband) is not around to help. I missed all the good weather early on and have been battling in some fairly gusty stuff. Very safe and secure and flys downwind, singing while she goes. Last week the phantoms were capsizing and others struggling with their kites in the gusty blows and I just whizzed by and had absolutely no worries of getting a dunking on the gibe. Currently have a few upwind issues in the strong stuff but all round she is an absolute delight. Reason I went for this boat?........got too exhausted, wet and cold righting capsizes. Happily a thing of the past. Edited by debsw - 20 Jun 11 at 2:50pm

peterthomas Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 08 Feb 09 Online Status: Offline Posts: 34	Post Options Post Reply Quote peterthomas Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 30 May 11 at 11:56pm
	Haroosh For me the answer to the original question of this thread (K1 - What's the point?) is....performance in the waves we have at Lyme! That is why I bought K1 No4 and I haven't been dissapointed.

haroosh Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 14 Jan 09 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 521	Post Options Post Reply Quote haroosh Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 May 11 at 3:43pm
	I think it looks a lovely boat. I am interested how it would go in some waves as I've only seen inland footage of it. I think it looks like a mini sort of K6 which I also think is a beutiful hull shape. Enjoy your new boat nick.
	Keith RS100 GBR 116 (XLR8)

NicK1 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 27 May 11 Location: South East Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Post Options Post Reply Quote NicK1 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 May 11 at 3:37pm
	Want to know what the point of a K1 is? I just bought one. I've sailed Phantoms for over 10 years but after my latest knee operation, the sports surgeon warning me to stop kneeling or "you'll soon have artificial knees and you'd hate that", so I needed a single hander that fitted my formula including no kneeling. I'm a 6'4" and 15.5 stone pond sailor, so the Soslow was just too small. A Finn is built like a ship and sails like a hollowed-out log, most disappointing. Huge money, too. I could get a new K1 or a 12 year-old Finn. So I tried the K1 - it sailed beautifully, not as exciting as my Phant but much more predictable and less twitchy. It won't capsize, which is a bonus in high spring/winter winds. It won't submarine, the mast is central. It planes and I still have to hang out on the toe strap in a breeze. I can launch from the shore. It's beautifully built by Synthesize and sails very close to the wind, thanks to a self-tacking jib. It's a great boat for big blokes needing an entertaining single-hander without the kneeling. Nick

Contender 541 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 05 Dec 05 Location: Burton on Trent Online Status: Offline Posts: 1402	Post Options Post Reply Quote Contender 541 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Oct 10 at 4:11pm
	We have one at Burton (No7 I think) and I have to say that it is a pain in the bum. It keeps getting in the way, often at the windward mark at the same time as the 5oh's! It is a very quick boat esp. upwind (downwind we -5oh's - light the blue touchpaper and dissapear). It is also nice to look at and to be honest I would happily part with good hard earned for one (if I were in the market which I am not!!)
	When you find a big kettle of crazy it's probably best not to stir it - Pointy Haired Boss Crew on 505 8780

pacer204 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 22 Jul 10 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote pacer204 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Oct 10 at 8:50am
	Had mine since the middle of September (sail number 20). Have been club racing a Bewl Water (kent) and loving it. Many people have concerns about launching a K1 without a pontoon. I have the option of a pontoon but choose not to use it and do it the old fashioned way and find it simple. Others mention that the lack of a kite is a shame, no need for it, the K1 is quick down wind. Its great to watch other dinghies with their kites up trying to work out how a K1 is pulling away with just its main and jib. The K1 sails really well, certainly doesn't hang around, and you get loads of people saying what a pretty boat she is. Its also great value for money and well built when you compare to similar single handers. BUY BUY BUY!

Blackie Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Groupie Joined: 03 Jan 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 48	Post Options Post Reply Quote Blackie Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 24 Oct 10 at 10:37am
	Has anyone taken delivery of one of these and racing it yet? I think we delivered sail number 24 last week and another 2 are due to go out this next week. Around 32-34 have now been sold with many more interested people in the wings... The first gathering/open meeting was held a couple of weeks ago at Oxford. With 20 owners on Sat and 12-13 boats racing on Sunday. I had my first sail in one last weekend at Starcross and it was a cracking sail in not a lot of breeze. It just slices upwind! http://www.k1sailing.com/
	B14 - 764 Admiral Trailers

peterthomas Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 08 Feb 09 Online Status: Offline Posts: 34	Post Options Post Reply Quote peterthomas Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 11 Aug 10 at 10:40am
	"but how do they all get on with coming ashore?" Obviously depends where you sail, in some locations I would imagine that its very straight forward.. At Lyme we have the advantage of coming ashore inside the harbour but sailing through the narrow harbour entrance and then immediately turning 90 degrees to starboard through moored boats and shallowing water can be tricky for any boat relying only on sails. With the K1 you just have to think it through a bit more first, taking account of wind direction and how much water you expect to find once back inside. You can sail the boat with the keel partly raised (in flat water only) but you will be hampered to a certain extent by the block and tackle used for lifting the keel when sailing upwind on one tack (depending on which side you have rigged the tackle. Ideally you need to plan your final approach for the other tack.

pacer204 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 22 Jul 10 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Post Options Post Reply Quote pacer204 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 11 Aug 10 at 10:39am
	I have one on order and am hoping to collect in early September. I will be sailing the K1 at Bewl Water and hope to be sailing with the Flying Fifteens in a Keel boat fleet. Watch this space on how I get on. There's a lot of talk from you oldies saying you'll get one when you knees pack up. I'm a young 32 and found the K1 really gem to sail - it goes as well. I think its going to be a fleet for the tacticians out there rather than the 'sail on the edge then fall over' lot. Anyone out there got their one yet????