R Speculation

Originally posted by Rupert I'm reminded of that old adage - you can have a light, stiff boat, a stiff cheap boat or a light cheap boat -

I'd settle for the light cheap boat, stiffness isn't always all it's 'cracked up' to be.

What are they called by the way?

Originally posted by iGRF I'd settle for the light cheap boat, stiffness isn't always all it's 'cracked up' to be.

You can have an inflatable then. Catapult? Tinker?

Hmmm, there is deliberately putting flex in a hull where you want it, and then there is having a bit of a floppy mess... not that I think RS are likely to have that problem, especially when they have been spending so much time on development.

I had been waiting to create an opportunity to bring the Challenge Flex into this discussion, and then the man brings it up all by himself!

Originally posted by Dougal Originally posted by iGRF Originally posted by Rupert I'm reminded of that old adage - you can have a light, stiff boat, a stiff cheap boat or a light cheap boat - I'd settle for the light cheap boat, stiffness isn't always all it's 'cracked up' to be. What are they called by the way? I remember reading something about Finn's where they made a super stiff hull but found it wasn't as quick as the more flexible ones due to the way it got knocked around in waves.  Granted, being a Finn, 'light' and 'cheap' are two words that are not normally associated with the class, but it is the point on stiffness not always being desirable that I found interesting.

 I too remember this, it was some Vanguard Finns in the 80's, where an "improved" Finn was slower than the old model, and it was put down that the new one was too stiff under the mast. Whether this resulted in a hull speed issue, or that the softer hull/mast foot  allowed the mast to self react to gusts and waves (Needlespars back then) was never proven, as basically Vanguard went back to the softer construction. In any class that uses any rig tension, a stiffer boat is definitely faster than a floppy one, for singlehanders with unstayed rigs its probably more marginal.