Icon Class Association

Toestraps ? 

Uncontrolled part of Icon class 'model' ... you can have 'single' or 'dual' toestraps.  If you look carefully in the Thwart photos you will see a floor plate (unused on that hull) that can take 'duel' toestraps as an alternative.  The ones shown are standard 'RS' ones we used in the first couple of boats.  They were later replaced by Harken tracks to allow a greater range of adjustability.  Again it is an area where personalisation is neither difficult or costly for owners and the class rules permit.

In practice we started with traditional UK 'fare' on the proving boats - ie 'dual.  We later tried the approach found on many NS14s that were generally for 'single' to check out that idea as well (you have to question convention sometimes don't you !).  We found we liked it and so did some of the other testers.  In fact it  proved much more flexible to varying weights and easy to use that we thought. 

There are advantages either way so we allowed both ...  The class secretary Mike Bell is the high side of 90kg (are you really Mike ?) and Charlotte his wife is somewhere around 50kg and they now opt for 'single' but it personal choice.  If 'dual' does it for you then no problem.

Mike L.  

PS - Thwarts ?  Available in any colour you like !


Edited by blaze720 - 28 Dec 13 at 12:27pm

+1 well done guys. 

A couple of updates:

The Icon CA has a stand at the Dinghy Show - B28, opposite P+B.  We'll have a 'hardly used' Icon on the stand for which we'll be accepting offers...........

On March 29th we'll be holding an Icon training day at Burghfield Sailing Club (near M4 J12).  We hope to have a couple of demo boats there, so if you're interested to try out Icon please come along.

Mike B.

yep ... see other threads.  Anticipated as the number granted is the expected 'welcome' we have learned to expect for all new classes from small builders.    The handicap  assessors are formally offered a demo boat here for a couple of months to show everyone just how fast they can sail it (cos we think they might just struggle ;-) ...   What ?  No takers yet !   ... no joking the offer is there and totally genuine.  (We'd just love to see the numbers used)

But heck we love Icon anyway - simply gorgeous to sail in whatever race and we'll all keep banging in the results this year and beyond anyway.  We have literally hundreds of real world race results in our own database now so we know where it should end up in time.    

Mike L.


Edited by blaze720 - 26 Feb 14 at 10:17pm

Possibly !  or equally possibly not ! 

But we do have a growing database ourselves with all data available and in public domain.   The analysis we have conducted to date is of course based on small samples (only a few hundred races) but it places Icon somewhere between 1000 and 1010 - still plenty fast enough.  This is not based on 'our' data note and anyone can crunch the figures as well - we just look at those publically recorded at clubs and events where early Icon examples are already racing. 

We are not too concerned as in time some club results will presumably be taken into account via regular returns.  Nobody should buy into any class anyway based on immediate PNs anyway in my opinion - sail a boat because you like it.    But we have obviously been noticed - and now have a first 'experimental' starting point number to move from.  

But faster than a modern Merlin by 20 points  ? ... seriously ? ;-)   .. bet some of the Icon crews still beat a few on occasion though !

Mike L.



Edited by blaze720 - 26 Feb 14 at 10:42pm