Devotti Single Hander

Have I missed something? (most probably). Why is Blaze 720 developing a fat mans boat when we already have the Phantom and now the Rooster"extra big" Laser? Surely this is the ideal oppertunity to put a kite on the Blaze as well as a bigger main and rename it as a new class. Otherwise what would difference be? Now a Blaze with a kite going faster than a 300 I would certain be most interested provided it was as elegant to handle.

Always been interested personally - for years while
tolley-dollying for the kids I'd jump in the 700 - make a muppet of myself
and think I need toestraps and to stay on the side! But the downsides to
most hiking singlehanders is pace upwind.

Sorry, not meaning to slyly give a "scoop" from RS. We have several times
looked at a boat like this - but its a very big step do a new boat these days.
Always interested in opinion from this forum - and all keen sailors - it all
helps to mould future plans.

This talk of a single handed hiking boat with kite has got me thinking
again.

There appears to be quite a few manufacturers who seem interested,
or have at least identified a potential gap in the market. Rather than
making rival products, which reduce potential fleet numbers (e.g. ISO v
L4000, MPS v 700), wouldn't it be great if they got together and agreed a
general set of parameters for a new class? Lets say 4m long, 1m waterline
beam, 1.8m max beam, hull weight 60kg, sail area 8sqm (and 8sqm kite),
no carbon in the hull or foils, RRP £7k, built from female moulds. The
numbers are made up of the top of my head, but you get the gist.

That way, each manufacturer could develop a boat, but it would race
within a class, rather than just be a seperate SMOD. I suppose the nearest
model to what I'm imagining is the Formula 18 cats. In my opinion the
biggest advantages SMODs have is not the (fallacy of a) level playing field,
but the ease of purchase and ownership they offer and the fact that they
can sacrifice some performance for ease of use. The downsides of a
SMOD include the fact that they outdate and can be lacking in refinement.
Making updates to a SMOD is a difficult and sometimes unpopular
process.

So, my thinking is that each manufacturer could launch a SMOD that
fits within the basic rules. The sailor would buy their preferred boat and
could not then alter it - much like a SMOD. Person A might buy the Cirrus
design, person B the RS one and person C the Devoti design. Every two
years, on the 1st March (just in time for the Dinghy Show) the
manufacturers could release new designs, in the hope of geetting back to
the front of the fleet.

This would allow the sailors to keep sailing a class that evolves with
technology and would allow the manufacturers to keep refreshing their
product range - a win/win situation. It would encourage class stalwarts to
buy new boats regularly and provide a good source of second hand boats.

Could such an idea be workable?