V Twin

I think I'd want to see a lot more development of this one plus a couple more prototype hulls before I wrote the whole concept off as being intrinsically flawed.

I think you guys are somewhat naive about just how much time, effort and money are required to properly evaluate a competely new idea. I do wonder how many good ideas are stillborn because the evaluation isn't done properly. I remember trying what we would now call a mast stump out on my Cherub in the 1980s. It was a complete disaster - mast through the deck twice in three outings - and I abandoned it in disgust, but with new materials and competent engineering the Twelve footer sailors made their version of the concept work, and there are substantial numbers of boats sailing with what is essentially the same idea, independantly developed and done properly.

I am still not prepared to say I think whether GRFs is fundamentaly flawed or not basically because I still don't really understand it. And I wouldn't want to say whether its fundamentally impossible to achieve a better balance between speed and handling than we have now. One should not forget Clarke' first law: "1.When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong."

Originally posted by Pierre I think two-up in a breeze it is probably a quick bit of kit. Yes I know it's supposed to be a single hander, sticks in the light stuff etc etc etc... Mileage in it yet I believe.

The V Twin was not a fool's errand, and I still applaud GRF for it - but the expectations from it, neatly put in perspective by Chris249 were a fool's hope.

Originally posted by haroosh 'Nope, you can't get a singlehanded dinghy that goes faster than all the rest while also being easier to sail than all the rest'. There is but it's a Cat.

Originally posted by G.R.F. All this news does, other than sadden me of ticklers soon to be demise, is to confirm the fact that there is no 'solution' to the question of a single hander that can do it all and be capable of being sailed by someone of considerable experience but no time to practise dealing with someones design night mare of a 'technical' boat. The second point and far more relevant is that the parsimonious (that means tight to all you cherub wallers) nature of your average dinghyist is perpetuating this state and until they round you all up, ship you all out to Switzerland to do the 'decent' thing and have a bloody great bonfire of all your dross, the sport will forever languish right up there with crown green bowls in adult adventure seeking male appeal. I'm truly sorry Tickler that its come to this for you, catching a disease like soloitus must be terrible especially when you don't realise just how debilitating it will become, I just hope some of the younger elements here can be spared. You are after all setting a very bad example, I hope 'the boy' gives you a good verbal  kicking, is he very ashamed?

Edited by Chris 249 - 04 Jun 12 at 12:34pm