What if? (Blaze b**tardisation content)

Originally posted by Jack Sparrow I'm confused as to why you are not converting your 3.7 to a 3.7 Turbo (with Asymmetric). The deep off-wind legs are your 3.7 PY killer.

Probably the same reason I'll have problems with the Blaze, which will be the PY I'll get with a kite. They are only condoning my use of 1063 rather than 1037 because of the Great Lakes thing, a kite gives you barely 15% boost but you'll lose more, then there's the extra weight and cutting the hull about, whatever you might say you can build them down to, the fact is there is no-one capable of doing that or willing to. So adding a kite will only add weight and decrease the yardstick, hence I didn't bother, that doesn't mean I won't, but that's why I haven't until now.

The other benefit you get from the Blaze, if it could be built to a half decent weight, is the retracting centre board which was also one of the attractions with the Contender.

Farr 3.7, foiling rudder to trick the water line length and then a self tacking jib (and won’t require much mods, but rig efficiency should be way better.

With which boat? With the Farr, just trying to sail it to that 1063 handicap.

The Blaze, initially I thought I might just engage in a bit of Banditry in light weather, just for the craic given it's now 1033, but then I thought, oh, what if and thus this thread. I realise then I wouldn't get away with the PY and it would then be just the fun of racing a trapeze boat and trying to get better at sailing off the wire in a more competitive boat within the fleet and not just dropping further and further behind because we're (the boat and me) too slow. Even with a crack helm you'll never get a Farr close to a Contender over the water, I've only ever done it once or twice and in very light tactical tidal conditions they don't happen that often. But I wonder how close a Blaze with a wire might get in mid winds, might be fun trying to find out.

Originally posted by tink iGRF I am sure people have suggested it before but what not just by a Laser and enjoy some class racing. There was a boat in the 1980s with an unstayed mast and a trapeze. Had something plus in the name. Plenty of old lasers about, old ten meter windsurfing rig and stay it like Herrreshoff/UFO

Adapt a Laser 2 mast and fit it to a Laser 1, already got trapeze.