Cirrus Icon Development

Did the access authorisation get through to you?

Hi Jeepers

Much of what you suggest is relevent - and I think the PN can move in time below 1020 based on recorded results.  However the boat is very different to a Merlin, if waterline length was the key issue then I can think of about a dozen exceptions btw.  Our objective was never to make a 'fast' boat merely a fastish boat that was relatively simple and easy to sail and was swift but without complexity including that associated with a 3rd sail.   The antidote to increasing complexity !

The Tasar comparison is interesting as it also came out of the same NS14 heritage - and is if anything longer than Icon.  True the 'flexible' sail plan is smaller but critically it features an over-rotating eliptical mast as do NS14's - these do not need camber inducers etc to produce a highly refined shape that INCLUDES the area of the mast itself but this is not quoted in 'sail area' of course.    They also have low figures for drag as well and are extremely light so are very slippery both above and below the water ... at least in breeze .. provided you are not too 'heavy'.

Icon R&D imported a couple of Aussie NS-14 masts  and they were very effective indeed.  However when we then loaned the development boats out to 'regular' UK crews they could not get them to 'go' at all really - Why ?  Mainly because of inexperience with that type of rig - If you don't understand them they feel dead and they will go 'dead slow' as well !!   So maybe not the best rig to win people over in trials and demo sails even though they are significantly more effective for the experienced.

The specification also stressed the need for lightness, especially in the rig so we made a very hard choice and junked the wing masts, associated sails and all that went with them. (You get these set-backs occasionally - one of the realities of development).  The other critical point was we could not easily justify the cost impact of an over-rotating eliptical mast in carbon ...

The solution was to look at a stretched and low diameter version of the sort of carbon tubular masts found on Merlins and N12's and others.  This offered the best compromise of cost / 'kerb side appeal' / weight / practicality.   The boat can cope with crew weight range better than (obviously) N12s and  Merlins etc - so the hull form is not excessively narrow and is more volumous in the mid sections than the NS's .. and for those of a UK orientation - Merlins.

The sail area issue also worked 'towards us'  because we wanted the rig to be very effective offwind so here absolute area was more important without Icon carrying a spinnaker - wing masts are more complex than we would have liked and make a dangly pole stuff very difficult.  However the same rig also HAD to be easy to depower upwind because you have to take it all back up to the windward mark with you.  It must be remembered the boat is not as wide overall as a Merlin or say RS400 at 1.94m.  In any breeze we de-power earlier than you would in many classes but the sail top 'blades off' board style when needed - get to the windward mark - a quick adjustment and the same 'extra' area is now available again for downwind or reaching.  Spinnaker boats obviously do not use their 'extra' upwind but get rid of it in a different manner to icon of course ! (and they have a hell of a lot more available in the first place)

In time we will get the odd 'rock star' in the boat  as you suggest (and there are plans)  but equally we want 'regular club crews' to enjoy it for what it is ...  The PN stuff is of interest but I've never bought a boat myself based on a boat being a particular number !  IF it is a great boat and we enjoy sailing it then we will race it in handicap or whatever ....  I don't race any boat I do not enjoy for itself just to get an alleged 'good handicap'.   There may be a few people out there who do but I'm not sure they will hanker after an Icon.

I don't buy my cars on the basis of 'declared power' either.   I'm sure the D1 / RS 100 owners do not care a jot where they are relative to each other on PN either and so on.

Why not try one ? ... and tell us what you think.

Mike L.

PS - That reminds me ... Anyone want bargain elliptical over-rotating masts ?  Approx 105 x 40mm with all over-rotaing gear, diamonds / spreaders and and standing rigging.  The tubes themselves weight about 0.90 kg per metre so not that heavy for alloy.  Can probably dig up a few matched  development (North) sails as well - Not looking for very much !  Offers ?   


 

First Icon from batch 2 out of the moulds 

That's as maybe, but I'm guessing that's what the customer ordered. I do like the class logo on the foredeck, that bit is pretty sweet. Is the hull the same colour as the deck or is it white?

Ah right, should have picked that up really! Very clever