The latest 'project'

Designed by Jack Holt in 1956,the Solo remains a popular dinghy

1956!

Hello? It's 2014, down here in sunny Kent, tell me Jimbo, I've got a board designed in 1986 would you like that?

No hang on I've got one even older than that and Assymmettric in Carlsberg Colours circa 1983 even better and still the best part of thirty years more recent than your Antique deviance..

But it's 2013... Not 2014! 

Only one of 'us' will be butchering, the rest will be en-/dis-couraging (delete as appropriate), or - like rubberneckers at a road accident - watching the carnage unfold.

I sense a different mood coming from deepest darkest Kent this time around though. A willingness to at least listen has been in evidence, even though the stated quest of being faster than a Merlin with no more sail should be easy - more w/l length; less w/l beam; less overall weight... Whether any of the advice will be heeded is anyone's guess.

Hey 'I' am not doing any 'butchering' or 'chopping up' a professional boat builder has quoted a figure to do what I'm asking in order to fit a kite and if necessary a trapeze. At this stage that is all and fine, first go round will be a stock out of the box assym kite, that quite honestly the Merlin will butcher around the courses we sail unless I can figure a better route to square running than a swinging pole, which is not possible on that nose and deck.

My current ask, is to join the tack and the clew with a length of spectra/dyneema whatever your favourite flavour of light strong line then to attach the sheets one to each end, to enable the kite to gybe without being dragged over the forestay, and to enable the fixation of a jib stick into either end to make it square run, that is all.

Effectively a symmetrically shaped assymettrically rigged kite that changes tack by being slid from side to side, then if necessary not going all the way across and being held out to weather by a jib stick, quite simple in the open mind of a free thinker...

Edited by iGRF - 05 Nov 13 at 5:04pm

Originally posted by Peaky Originally posted by tgruitt Originally posted by iGRF in 2014 be beyond the wit of man to come up with something that will beat an old tub like a Merlin using no more sail area. That is the task at hand here. The task has been completed by the classes below.Int MothContenderD-OneInt CanoeMusto SkiffRS100RS500RS600RS700VortexA ClassCatapultShadowSprint 15Topaz 14Topaz 16UnicornWeta 4.4 All singlehanders on that list, apart from the 500.

And given that good Merlins can often give RS400's a hard time, and 500's are (generally and on PY) slower than a 400 unless it's pretty windy, the list looks a bit challenged?

I think while we are waiting for GRF's boatbuilder to do his stuff, sticking the Icon mast/rig on a 400 with the 400 pole and kite might be illuminating?
Or even just the icon rig, I'd like to know what difference it makes upwind.