Solo changes survey

The solo is an entirely different proposition it will never self drain without a noticeably higher double floor as it carries quite a bit of rocker and an open transom. This would be a very different boat as the ergonomics would have to change a great deal and the depth would be much reduced. Boats like the Aero are very different, double floored and very 'flat' to sail with the minimal cockpit depth. They both have their benefits and are complimentary designs in many ways for different sailors requirements. A club with strong Aero/Solo fleets offers a very good compromise for any singlehanded sailor, they both suit a very wide range of weights, albeit the Aero needs 3, (now 4) different rigs to do so, but they sail very differently and offer different benefits. 

Of the proposed changes, they all have some interest, but all have downsides except perhaps the transom mod - but that needn't be radical, simply allow over transom rudder stocks and tillers, hull wouldn't need any changes at all and would be simply a case of buying a new rudder stock and tiller and sliding it on. 

I think the most interesting issue here is that the Solo remains wildly successful as a 60 year old boat. Just look at the 2019 PY entries on number of races recorded for singlehanded classes - Laser all varieties (38,785) - Solo (18,480) - Aero all varieties (6,632) - Supernova (5,612) - Streaker (5,485) - Phantom (4,348). 

What this tells me is that the Aero has done exceptionally well to get to those levels quickly, but the Solo is producing numbers that are only beaten by the Laser and is incredibly popular - that is because of the benefits it has. The vote to look at these was tiny in comparison to the number of solo's out there and I doubt many of those who voted for possible change anticipated wholesale changes to the boat that is by any measurement still ridiculously popular next to its peers.

In my experience its relatively easy to step over the side from the plate following a capsize, but the boat is almost 2m wide which means its more of an effort than it would be in a solo. If you mistime it then you can swim in the back but I have had to do this only once which was early in my ownership at Grafham GP and I just got too cold and mistimed my leap from board over the side!

If you want to see how it all works then I did film an accidental capsize but you can see how quickly the tanks fill - the camera was mounted on the mast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c29HS1GylXQ). You can also see how quickly the side tank drains and how quickly the water washes out the back. Following a capsize the boat is dry within a minute either water goes out the back or down the self bailers.

Hadron has flooding tanks but not mentioned in their current spec,

This is historic