Farr 3.7

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by Rupert Of course, we are talking about a design as old as the Laser and nearly as old as the Contender, Not remotely! In practical terms Northern hemisphere designs didn't catch up with where Farr et al were at the beginning of the 70s until at least the end of the 1980s.

Surely the Contender was a Southern hemisphere boat, and the Laser designed in conjunction with Ian Bruce, who also had a hand in the Tasar, amongst other boats. Neither of the designs I mentioned had huge European influence, and both have been panned on here by certain people as being "Old".

Originally posted by Rupert Of course, we are talking about a design as old as the Laser and nearly as old as the Contender,

Not remotely! In practical terms Northern hemisphere designs didn't catch up with where Farr et al were at the beginning of the 70s until at least the end of the 1980s.

Originally posted by getafix Despite the glam (and grin) factor of single-handed with kite, many club courses just don't suit this.  Yeah, you'll have a great time if you go out for a blast, or if you launch off a beach to open sea or a big harbour (or even resevoir).  I know the MPS has been successful, and to a measure so far, also the RS100.  But other 'experiments' haven't proved as successful IMO such as the Vareo, RS700 and the not-so-widespread but fantastic IAC and I don't think that's because they're not good boats in their own right, just that across the UK, their are a limited number of clubs where racing such a beast (i.e. 300m+ course legs) make sense and the MPS fleets built quickly and have sustained that to some extent as well.Their could well be a gap in the market for a 'lightwieights Contender'... will be interesting to see where this goes

For me this is why the 3.7 is a sensible choice. And the NZ Association is sensible enough to recognise that some people want to fit a Assy Kite for a bit of fun, in the rules. But I accept that I am much better off sailing the boat with just the Mainsail for racing. I may add a Assy in the future just for fun, but I wouldn't be looking to adopt it for class racing.

The other benefits are that it is a One Design. Not a SMOD. And a One Design that allows an amount of modification / home build if you want ethic, which I like.

Of course, we are talking about a design as old as the Laser and nearly as old as the Contender, so many on here should be wringing their hands, saying how out of date it is!
Personally, I see that time period of design as being a great one, where boats were designed to work across a range of conditions, whilst still pushing the design envelope.

Despite the glam (and grin) factor of single-handed with kite, many club courses just don't suit this.  Yeah, you'll have a great time if you go out for a blast, or if you launch off a beach to open sea or a big harbour (or even resevoir).  I know the MPS has been successful, and to a measure so far, also the RS100.  But other 'experiments' haven't proved as successful IMO such as the Vareo, RS700 and the not-so-widespread but fantastic IAC and I don't think that's because they're not good boats in their own right, just that across the UK, their are a limited number of clubs where racing such a beast (i.e. 300m+ course legs) make sense and the MPS fleets built quickly and have sustained that to some extent as well.

Their could well be a gap in the market for a 'lightwieights Contender'... will be interesting to see where this goes