Cirrus Icon Development

Call me stupid (and GRF probably will) but I rather fail to see the technicalities of a plastic ironing board which skims across the surface of the water compared with a dinghy which usually sails in displacement mode. I understand the importance of the rig thingy but the bit underneath is just somewhere to rest ones feet surely?

Given that 20% of the price goes to the government as vat, I'd be surprised if it came in for less, at least as a non show offer price.

Material - We went for a quality vinylester in the end.  We use both materials but the Icon logic was that provided the target hull weight was achieved in the pre-production run without compromise or excessive faffing around in production we would go this way.  The first hulls are coming out around 2kg UNDER target so it is the choice.... and the all up sailing weight is looking to be mid-80 kg's ! .. not too bad at all for a durable 14'8" x 6'5" boat.

The philosophy with Icon is you use 'fit for purpose' material in the right place relative to the project objectives - We think you don't 'need' a carbon rudder stock for instance so you don't get one,  equally we believe you should have a full carbon set of spars to fully enjoy Icon - so they are in the standard offer.  Icon will appear spartan in some respects compared to say a Merlin and is really more at home alongside the NS14 / Tasar or even Enterprise traditions... but  ;-)  ...   Nothing is added beyond what we believe is needed - so no frills or cosmetic stuff ..... and it is highly functional proving both fast and a very pretty boat in our opinion.

However we do recognise some will want a Thwart while others will not (some factions of the 'crews union' maybe), or possibly a full Harken fit-out, or to choose their jib pole system, or to have a different system to the default 'off boom' sheeting system for the main and maybe 2:1 jib sheets.   These are options that are/will be within the class rules and owners can specify when ordering or modify (within the rules) themselves later.    The 'expensive' bits will be tightly controlled but freedom over some of the 'personal preference' will be preserved there as well.

Mike L.  (aka Cirrus)

Now this may be a red herring, it may be the answer to a lonely boat building maidens prayer, but I seem to recall stuff sold in kit form didn't attract VAT. Or at the very least at a better rate, someone needs to find out, I haven't got the time right now.

VAT- and kits  ....(not that Icon is a 'kit' btw !)

I think you will find that years ago 'Purchase Tax' was not applied to some categories of 'kits' ... and presumably helped the plywood dinghy boom of the 60's no end (and kit cars etc as well).  However it was probably over exploited to the 'n'th degree by all and sundry and when VAT came in that was that.  So now 'we' are all tax collectors for HMG .... sadly. 

Mike L.


PS - Al .... you would not need a 'midget' necessaarily.  


Edited by blaze720 - 03 Feb 11 at 1:20pm