Cirrus Icon Development

Originally posted by G.R.F.   Mobility devices for the elderly. That means Solos and Streakers also qualify.

Did you have a chance to take the Icon out in the breeze this weekend?

Yes - final testing requires it.  As you know it was rather breezy with some real gusts.  This morning it was obvious the jib halyard was slipping and that a slightly longer mainsheet would be a good idea !  Soon sorted with quick 'upgrades' and we had another hour after lunch.  It performs in a very similar manner to the development boat (that we ran most of last year) so no major surprises.  However the Aardspars mast is new and the jib/main balance has changed plus the modified higher volume hull.  Anyway - it was fine, very controlable and pretty forgiving as hoped / anticipated.

You want to know how 'fast' of course ... plenty fast enough is the answer with great acceleration.  We were not formally racing today as I wanted to try several out differnt things but we shadowed several fleets to see if setup changes told us anything obvious.    Icon tacks and gybes without fuss, is fast and manoeverable in some tough conditions today and in my opinion Icon is doing everything we hoped it would.   Planing upwind, like with  the Tasar is relatively easy in these winds etc.... and it feels faster but it is difficult to be objective in such gusty stuff - 'steady' would be much nicer in testing but 'gusty' usualy finds any gear weaknesses much quicker.  I made a few mistakes as most did but each time the boat never really threatened.  It does not suddenly switch personality like some out there.    It was so gusty at BSC that Jeremy Carey drove his N12 down the mine and broke his mast in two places (and recorded on full on-board video !) and Ann Jackson broke her Enterprise boom, I think returning after the finish.  Many did not start their races and a significant number were DNFs.

Mike L. (and Simon Beddows who was there today)

Very light winds today, but good testing. 

Originally posted by Ruscoe You used the Jib Stick upwind????  Not seen that done before?  Surely if you are messing around with a fly away pole upwind it would be simpler to have adjustable tracks with barber haulers???

Thats what i would of thought too

Peaky is correct - we were just playing around with the current jib.  The shape is not optimal so it is more than sheeting alone - anyway a new one is on the way already.

What was obvious is that with just a bit of 'dangle pole' pressure the set of this particular sail was much improved upwind and it would still tack well and behave in a very normal manner without further input.  The pointing ability was signiciantly enhanced today when it was used.   It was not bad previously but the pole gave us a lot of options and no good reason not to try stuff. 

We are learning about the 'dangle' pole capabilities all the time and it is far far more useful than for simply dead running.  Reaching is enanced as is generally recognised and now it appears to even have some uses, albeit maybe in the short term, upwind.   I'm sure some N12 crews will know much more already but we are impressed by the flexibility and practicality.

Anyway pre-production '003' will now come off the water this week and be 'pimped' for the Dinghy Show.   In the last 5 weeks nothing, and I really do mean nothing, has been broken in a great variety of testing conditions and it is going really well now but a couple of fittings will be moved, the odd scratch will be polished and some ropes will be replaced etc.

See you at the Show ....
 
Mike L.