Icon Class Association

Just had a look at the Icon class website...

·       Custom high-modulus carbon rig - light, responsive, low profile ·      Advanced low drag hull form - yet stable and forgiving ·       Highly developed sail plan – optimised for 2-sail performance all around the course ·       Suitable to most types of racing course – and across wide ranging wind conditions ·       Lightweight - approx 87kg ALL-UP sailing weight ·       PN (recommendation)1020

PN slower than a Tasar!!??!! That's outrageous. Every single feature of the boat listed should make it faster than a Tasar... That has to be the worst bit of banditry I've ever seen, and I'm normally in print as saying there's no such thing...

ENs mean it should get a review after 6 months, AIUI anyway.  Of course how you manage change, and the bad feeling when should the number rise significantly and this New Kid on the Block starts doing well, is another matter entirely.

Edited by yellowwelly - 27 Feb 14 at 11:52am

Having only sailed the Icon once, in just a puff of breeze, I haven't got much idea, but it went so well I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it trounce Merlins in the kind of weather where spinnakers won't really start pulling. If others say it will beat them in a big breeze, then handicap wise, maybe it will turn out to be somewhere inbetween what the RYA says and what the general feeling is.

Hey guys .. We were not expecting much support from non-Iconists both here and direct ... thanks for that !

I would be interesting to see the actual data crunched to end up so precisely at '969' ... We monitor all Icon results we can get our hands on when actual timings are recorded and available.   Anyway we (The CA) will formally write to the RYA first and request what sample size, data etc have been used to work up this starting number.  

The 'new' number is only published as 'experimental' to be fair and it is for clubs, as encouraged by that venerable organ, to adjust them locally.  We do have a direct interest, of course, but it will be in everyones intersts that the workings are made available .. and quickly.   I'm sure they will have used available numbers in a correct manner.   But here as in life in general you have to be seen as 'fair' as well.  So lets know about the sample used .... there can be little reason for secrecy.

Mike L.

PS -  But  just WAIT until you see the 'T' shirts planned !... maybe not in time for the show sadly

I'm fairly sure the SJ series isn't used as part of the calcs.... with regards the ICON, at 969 it makes it too quick to be allowed on the some of the close, confined waters around here.  Which is a real shame, one of its overriding impressions it left on me at the FOM was that it seemed a lovely boat to be sailing somewhere 'Broxbourne like'.