Cirrus Icon Development

Crew weight ....

We ran testing with a variety of crew weights ...  from under 130kg to over 190kg !  Both these extremes are possible but the original brief was for a boat that could cope well between 140kg and 170kg.  I tend to race with approx 155kg most of the time so right in the middle of this range and the boat copes very well indeed in all winds    The carbon rig is very adaptable and the concept was to be able to have a reasonably sized rig but to be able to easily depower it upwind to suit the conditions and crew -  but to still have the full area available off wind.  The hull is light, longish and very easily driven and as you have already noticed it accelerates surprisingly quickly .. but a tad slower at the higher extremes of crew weight of course !

What we realised when we got the boat through the testing phase was 1) It is really very quiet  2) produces very little spray 3) light sheet loads ... it is actually going a lot quicker than the impression you get in the boat for a lot of the time - it gets around pretty quickly but with little fuss.  4) The 'dangle pole' system is amazing once you get to grips with what it can do ... and the rig style and balance is specifically developed around it.  

Toestraps - 'Free choice' in draft rules.  '03' has single continuous straps NS14 style (cos we like them) but any configuration that uses available anchor points is permitted.

Control lines - Again any configuration is permitted that does not add to the standard attachment points.  The general principle guiding us is that the rules should keep the 'expensive bits' single source and standard and control systems fairly simple but personalisation is permitted - For example ANY sheeting system for Main and Jib is permitted so conventional Centre-main, 'off boom' or even traditional rear sheeting systems are all allowed......  But standard attachment points only may be exploited to prevent the hulls being drilled repeatedly over the years.  

The Devoti standard fit-out will not necessarily be the same as on 03 ... and in fact I know of several changes compared to 03 (and other first batch boats).

Mike L.

Well I have raced with 190kg ... the acceleration is obviously less pronounced at the higher crew weights.  However the spec called for good racing flexibility between 140 and 170kg and biased as I am I think that is what Icon offers.

 'Level racing' will never be 100% possible in any class in my view and I think is some conditons certain crews will have an advantage but your proposed crew weight is within the limits of the specification so I would expect across a series of varying conditions you would do OK. 

Mike L.

Thanks for all that. Any piccies of the Icon in a bit of breeze. All the pictures so far are in light airs? Nothing to hide I hope!

Shortage of photos from WRSC, one as we went out that looks like it was taken with a telephoto lens from the next county, will try to do better, but Lake Garda it isn't! Thanks again Mike, the Icon put a smile back on my face which has been missing for a while!

Originally posted by maxibuddah Get it down to Shoreham always spectacular photos from there