Ramblings on Dinghy Development

Originally posted by RS400atC

Originally posted by RS400atC

There are several Altoists on here.
In my view, the fact that it is neither a mainstream asy or a conventional kite means it will never settle happily into PY racing with either.
It's the old problem, if you are not looking for high  level fleet sailing, the logic behind buying a new boat can be pretty tenuous. I'm sure fleet racing Altos would be interesting, but I can't see that happening aound here anytime soon.

RS400atC, I recall you passing this view some months back but I decided then not to comment. In fact one of the main parameters of the AltO design was to make it give performance in all wind strengths and on any course type such that it could be club sailed against other club classes. It was also designed to be sailed competitively with average crews. Thus the asymmetric for easier spinnaker sailing, but in addition and importantly, such that it performed over wide off-wind angles, and therefore the swinging pole.

Surely it is preferable that a class can sail to its PY in any wind and on any course and in my opinion always settles happily into PY racing.  Surely this is in contrast to large asymmetric classes and foiling moths, for example, which usually don't sail in light or heavy winds and are thus not maximising their time on the water when club sailing and so not enjoying the challenge of trying to beat others in any wind and on any course. 