Cirrus Icon Development

Peaky - is it a design feature to have the kicker control over the top of the toestraps - perhaps to automagically tension the kicker as you sit out, or are you planning not to use the toestraps ;-)

Hi Mike and Peaky
if you fancied a bit of Choppy stuff you would both be welcome at Lee on Solent for our club regatta on 3rd and 4th September. The boat looks great it would be interesting to see how she went in lumpy stuff.I am sure we would be nicer with your handicap than that.
Regards
Gordon

It was the big day for me today. The first time 'Incognito' hit the water, the first time I have helmed in a race for over a year and the first time I have sailed three races in a day for a very long time!

It was a day that I have been looking forward to for a very long time, and a day that could so easily have ended in anticlimax. But it didn't. It lived up to all my hopes and expectations, and I was like a child at Christmas. It was a day that reminded me why I love this sport so much, and why it appeals on so many levels.

So what happened? Did I win all three races by a leg and a half? Well, no. But my boat floated, nothing broke and I completed all three races with a smile on my face. First race we finished 7th out of 20 (and ahead on the water of the Flying 15s, 100 and 200s), second race I decided to fall out and capsize (came up easily btw, and was empty of water within seconds) and third race we found ourselves at the front only to find we didn't have a clue what the course was!

The capsize happened whilst sailing at warp speed on a reach, only for the boat to roll slightly to windward and my bum hit the water - at which point I was ripped from the boat...

There was an interesting comparison with a 100 which absolutely flew past us on the runs (10-12kts wind speed), but we made all the ground up (plus some) going back up hill.

Hi Mike,

The rudder seemed fine. There was one point when we were absolutely flying downwind and the steering suddenly went very light, not sure why - ventilation maybe - but otherwise no problems. Can't wait to get sailing again.

Hi ‘Cad’

Peaky is away earning (doing a 'proper job' so he tells me) ...  He will reply I’m sure but from testing I can tell you Icon is pussy cat when you capsize. 

If you end up in the water you can simply pull the centre-board down - the mast is effectively sealed with external hounds etc (so no instant inversion ...) and is exceptionally light like the rest of the boat.  (full small diameter carbon rig and no trapeze wires or spinnaker gear) …the boat therefore comes up surprisingly quickly, often as/before you can even get on the plate and are just pulling yourself on it !.  It is that light and Icon really does not need a large and/or athletic crew to recover.  The light rig also means you are less likely to capsize in the first place of course – but that was not your query really.  We’ll get some video sorted soon.

Just ask and try for yourself – we’re not bothered if you are never going to race one of not … plenty are trying it from all sorts of backgrounds now and the word is spreading.

 Mike L.