The Solution.

It's the lightest thing I've handled, probably not quite as light as an Aero, but then that's not such a bad thing and the reason is probably why I like it so much already without sailing it, the centreboard and case.

I've had a good paw all over it, it's a V hull, didn't realise that, that's a good thing as well, and it's got a parabolic rocker with a healthy tail lift, can see why it's going to tack well and be an excellent close water device, exactly what's called for down the lake.

I've got it til April which should give me and a few others time to get a feel for it, I've seen it in action already with Jack and his, took a lot of over hauling in the EPS once he got out front and no Laser came even close that time so it can be done if you give it it head and a half decent start and first beat.

He's got the full sail and this one is the flat cut,(doesn't look that flat to me, hate to think how much belly there is in the full cut one could be a negative for windward work)  so with any luck we'll see what difference that brings, I'm even thinking of wandering down the lake later to give it a go without a race surrounding it, just to get a feel, apparently it's a 'best sailed flat' type of boat which I'm not that comfortable with tending to like heeling unless it's windy.

No question with that nose and rocker it will be an excellent sea boat, plenty of free board, loads of volume, a silly mistake calling it a lightweights only boat, it'll support a lot more weight than a Solo for example but nobody considers the Solo a light persons craft. Yes it's a junior Phantom but that's like saying a Battleship is a Jnr Aircraft carrier. I can see a lot of the Phantom in it, which is good news, I really rate the Phantom as a good allrounder and have always wished I was big enough to cope with that massive rig.

I'm not even that fazed with the rig, I carried the mast about once we'd broken down, it's not that heavy and it's black, the only shame is it's held up with wire, but it does have an excellent raking system. It's set up with a rear horse thing and I've been warned not to block to block it or I'll kill it stone dead, so that'll mean I'll have to fiddle with something back there as I can't help myself block to blocking at any opportunity. Sheet loads are apparently light, I won't like that either, bit like bar pressure on kitesurfing kites us windsurfing 'men' like loads of it or it doesn't feel like we're doing anything.

It was difficult to tell in the hall but the sail also looked a tad 'hooky' it's probably just the show and the right strings had yet to be pulled, it was a very business like sail though, nothing I could criticise about it's build, except the Hyde logo which will have me checking the battens out for potential replacement if I bought one but rig wise, overall, V the Aero or say the Supernova, it's in a total other league of proper.

All the bits of string are endless, they look to be cleated exactly where I'd want to sit in light to medium conditions, looking at the rig CE over the CB C of LR positioning but the team of Solution sailors say otherwise, I'll find that out shortly.

Fundamentally it looks an awesome little craft that dinghy world have overlooked which is hardly surprising since they do all tend to be a tad up their own transoms, imagine if it had carbon and cupholders, with a rating of 1090 there would be queues forming round the block.

I'm sure more will be writ about this undiscovered little gem in the very near future...

So this was all organised some while back just as I'd given up on the Zero then it gets it's handicap back and I've got this to try.. Irish man in the dustbin peeing in the corner me, spoilt for choice, but at least this time, come the decision it will have been after I've tried all the boats first rather than what I've done it the past, buy in haste and repent at leisure.

It should also be pointed out that I haven't entire fallen out with the EPS, it's serving me well and I've had a few results in it now, it's just consistency which eludes me across the wind range and only a slightly more clement handicap will do that, especially now the banditerati have upped the notch another 10 points for the Miracle Mothers!

But you can be sure, you'll get a blow by blow account complete with snr moment into the bottom diving events, then I shall see if I can improve it with a bit of frankenboat rig improvements.

Oh and heaven forfend that there might be a handicap event populated by you and the d-zeroarti and I should turn up with my 1090 against your 1040 and it's blowing force 2-3 and there are short wavelength nose botherers to bear away into..