X1 Dinghy

 

While i've nothing against symmetric kites on a river boat, I can't help wondering how an asymmetric would work out on a boat with such a high boatspeed to windspeed ratio like this. Could sail very deep I'd have thought, and you'd have the benefits of easy-handling, extra area down low and higher aspect ratio for efficient reaching.

 

A symmetric kite can be very satisfying if you've got an expert crew - indeed, in my experience expert crews prefer symmetrics because they can make more of a difference - but unfortunately such crews are in short supply amongst club racers...

 

Looks like a great Wednesday night/summer  weapon inland.

 

On a tidal river, if you must fit a spinnaker, the symmetric would be ideal - anyone claimig that an assy should have been fitted clearly knows very little about this type of sailing.

 

i.e. hoist the assy - head off into the adverse  tide, gybe back in under the trees etc tec etc

 

But the X1 is so fast compared to windspeed in light airs, I would have thought the apparent wind would have been pretty well forward on most off-wind legs - the boat will be 'apparent wind sailing', so the ability to square off the kite will not be at all as pronounced as on a Mirror or Wayfarer. Judging from my experiences with the L & V3k's, I'd say that the cut-off for apparent wind sailing is around PY1000, and judging by experiences of the RS400/Laser 4000, I'd suggest that it would be pointless squaring the pole on a sub-900 boat, which in light airs the X1 appears to be. Different matter when the wind gets up, of course, but then the X1 will be stuffed against trapeze boats on PY anyway.

 

And by the way, I sail on a river where tidal strategy is very important, albeit not a tree-lined, canal-style venue.

 

Would anything else be going that well in those conditions ?