Swift Solo

Yeah, I know I do.  We'll get some good shots in Florida in April.  It's really hard now because it is so cold and hard to get low where the spray is.  So here's Mike in the very first Swift every made (now upgraded with a carbon mast and the new sails).  It will have to do until we can get some action shots and some video

Bram 

I  got a chance to read through all of the posts on this forum over the holiday.  It occurs to me that a couple of issues could use some “clarification” and I’ll try to address those in one post (the best I can).

Regarding weight:

The hull weight of the other three sail 14 foot skiff (the I-14) weighs 81.6 kg or about 9 lbs. more than the Swift.  It’s all up weight is likely closer to 20 lbs. heavier.  These boats are now as fast or faster than a well sailed 49er which is 2 ½ feet longer and 3 ½ wider.  My purpose for pointing this out is, in part, to question the certainty of the “wider is faster” crowd.

Regarding the alleged quote:

“Quote from their website: "The Swift is different from most other boats because of the effect of the fully battened main and the light hull weight."

Light hull weight?? 89kg doesn't sound very light to me. And come to think of it, a fully-battened main is hardly unique either.”

I have no idea where this alleged quote from “their website” came from.  Our website has no such information.  Any suggestion that there is something special about fully battened mains would be ridiculous.  Our site is www.swiftsolo.org  or  www.single-handedskiffs.com   (they are both the same site).  On the other hand, as pointed out above the boat is lighter than the lightening fast I-14 and the main and jib are fully battened.

Regarding the sheeting system:

The notion that playing the main is better than playing both sails when dealing with puffs is something that we reject wholesale for a number of reasons!  When hit with a puff while going to weather the apparent wind moves aft.  Dropping the main alone causes the “sail steering” to be in the opposite direction of the rudder movement which is to head up.  In addition, the slot chokes closed, back-winding the main and causing excessive drag.  It is my opinion that Strawberry’s idea is closer except that it is hard to dispose of enough healing moment with the jib alone without trashing the air in the slot. You can read what Julian Bethwaite said about this subject and the Swift by going to http://www.swiftsolo.org/pages/631108/index.htm   .  I should point out that Julian sailed the prototype Swift that had a hull that was 30 lbs heavier and had a cut down 49er mast and blades.  That boat was likely 42 lbs heavier (all up) than our current class rules and in some ways was easier to sail (it tacked really  easy in a blow but was very difficult to right after a capsize mostly because the mast was 10 lbs heavier).  When I told Julian that I was building a Swift that would be 30 lbs. lighter, he doubted that it would be as much fun to sail.  He was correct to some degree because the heavier Swift maintained speed better in the tacks and required a little less skill in the 20 knot plus wind range.  The gain in straight line boat speed has been less than I had anticipated.

Regarding equalization:

Equalization was part of the reason that the 49er class suffered serious damage in the US.  The system was finally dumped by the ISAF this year but not until after far too many sailors had been “equalized” out of the class.  The problems with the system would likely not have been very apparent if the class were not an Olympic class with a lot of full time sailors.  I can’t help but notice the wide weight range of world champion teams in the 505 class (not well correlated to the corresponding wind range of the regattas) and wonder if maybe they’ve had it right all along.  By keeping the boat tactical and allowing freedom with blades and mast bend they cater to all but the really light weight teams.

Strawberry, I agree with most of your observations throughout this forum (for what that’s worth) and we need to get you out in a Swift.  Get to Florida for our clinic and North American Championships in April and I will pay for your food and camping spot.  You’ll get a chance to sail both a Swift and a Musto to compare!  Bring your check book because we are going to hook you hopelessly.

I didn't say that ...

Sorry Jim I don't understand the point you are trying to make ...