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A new class of dinghy?
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Cirrus View Drop Down
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Posts: 590 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: A new class of dinghy?
    Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 1:50pm

Icon ... well quite a story... fascinating if you know the background but not all of which will be told here !

Possibly a bit too 'left field' for some at the time but really a lovely boat, vice less, almost unique and a genuinely quick boat without being over challenging to the majority of regular sailors ...  and in different circumstances it could have been a great success.  You really can take out almost dinghy novices yet race hard and at pace with the more experienced.   Should probably always have been in full epoxy imo and this was the key issue that at the time I should have insisted was a red line one – and one not for crossing or compromise to secure a deal with anyone.

'Venom' is however the very interesting 'spin-off' now lurking in the background with another builder but it is primarily a fully developed and modern 3-sail lightweight hiker.  However it shares the gorgeous Icon hull (underwater at least) and was always prudently developed to provide a common hull platform for any future Icon interest, if commercially desirable later for the new builder. ( ie it can also carry the standard, regular Icon rig and overall can exactly the same weight). 

The 'right time' to proceed to production is however always the toughest call, and never more so than now.  But I fortunately don't have to make that decision myself !   It is even not impossible that you might eventually see both versions in the UK.
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 2:18pm
Icon.. shouldn't that be discussed over on the 'whatever happened to thread' 100% another boat killed by the PYAG in my view.

As to a new class, wouldn't it be nice if there were something actually new design wise, that did what we want without damaging our knees, that depowered at the pull or push of a rope and by depower I mean depower as if the sail size were actually reduced, not sheeting out or raking the rig or half ass bloody fingers cunningham hauling. That was light enough all up to actually lift, like the Aero but with a proper rig that did all the stuff I'm saying. I always said between the D0 and Aero there's a nice boat lurking,
I've been messing with the EPS again, fitting trap lines so I get to practise on those days it's too light to launch the Farr, but the wind comes up anyway, and as you might imagine discovered it's actually hopeless for the task because of the wide racks, but did discover how nice hiking was with the trap lines still on kind of halfway house between full trapezing and hiking for a short spell while the wind was just strong enough, but why not? Why can't there be something to make hiking less arduous, all these damn stupid short sighted class rules. Can't make a Contender lighter, it'll upset the class. The same day I had another go in a Blaze and what a revelation that was, now I actually know how to sail a single hander properly. Then I came ashore and had to try and drag the effing great hulk up the beach, the truth is there are a lot of potentially good boats out there constrained by their owners and their class from being great boats with a bit of modernisation and a whole deal of weight reduction.
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Cirrus View Drop Down
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Posts: 590 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Cirrus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 3:51pm
The same day I had another go in a Blaze and what a revelation that was, now I actually know how to sail a single hander properly ...

Yes they do go rather well.  But just try a sorted minimum weight one for once, one with carbon rig and on maybe with an alloy trolley.  If you are at the lightweight end of the crew range  (and you are for sure ...) you are going to think it is heavy - if you are trying an older now 'water enhanced' polyester one with a tin rig on it.  So do yourself a favour ... just get on and try an optimised one - somebody will lend you one somewhere surely.    Don't for a second think you'd ever buy one but at least you'd have a better appreciation. 

(No doubt wasting my time on this again - but what the heck GRF keeps on and on citing the Blaze ... like it was his first girlfriend he keeps talking about !  LOL
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Posts: 750 		Post Options Post Options   Quote H2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 4:11pm
iGRF please can I lend you my boat for a spin. It literally is what you are asking for! Then I can also work out if you are half as good at sailing as you are at typing on this forum :-)
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Posts: 1005 		Post Options Post Options   Quote fab100 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 5:51pm
Originally posted by H2

iGRF please can I lend you my boat for a spin. It literally is what you are asking for! Then I can also work out if you are half as good at sailing as you are at typing on this forum :-)

he isn't, in a dinghy at least
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 5:58pm
Originally posted by fab100


Originally posted by H2

iGRF please can I lend you my boat for a spin. It literally is what you are asking for! Then I can also work out if you are half as good at sailing as you are at typing on this forum :-)

he isn't, in a dinghy at least
Like you would know.
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 6:05pm
Originally posted by H2

iGRF please can I lend you my boat for a spin. It literally is what you are asking for! Then I can also work out if you are half as good at sailing as you are at typing on this forum :-)


We're going over to Herne bay for a bit of a jolly mainly so my chum can get a look at one. I think it's a bit too big for me, one thing I have learned is to be realistic with my 67 kgs and 5'6 inches, nowhere to hide in dinghies unlike boards where there are counter measures.
I'm also seriously in love with trapezing, it's a whole different set of stuff to learn, it's just a shame there's not much out there that I can live with in light weather but still be comfortable with in a breeze which the Farr is brilliant in, it just sucks below 10 knots.
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 6:11pm
Originally posted by Cirrus

](No doubt wasting my time on this again - but what the heck GRF keeps on and on citing the Blaze ... like it was his first girlfriend he keeps talking about !  LOL


Well it kind of was my first single hander after I'd committed to sailing following the early debacle with a Musto Skiff. I've come on a bit since those days so it was interesting to get back into it and straight into irons, but knowing instantly how to deal with it now.
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 6:15pm
5'6"? You really taller than me? Now I really feel gnome like.
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 18 at 6:40pm
I'm assuming you liked it then Graeme? I was out in mine in F5-6 again last week, just blasting but great fun. Two mates now have them in Anglesey and love them.

WRT trapezing in the light why not remove the wings off the EPS or buy another Blaze, Halo rig and wings in the trailing position and you could still race it in standard setup?
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