Cirrus Icon Development

 ..... i am still very sceptical of the jib sheet angle adjustment, there is no fore and aft trim or barber haller set-up so how do you adjust the sheeting angle for foot and leach tension?  Also no Jib cleats that i could see, i guess these will be fitted??

Hi

1) The fore/aft trim of the jib is adjusted by setting the bottom attachment strop 'high' or 'low'.  We do not pin it to the bow fitting and it is on an adjustable line.   May not be common but is a well tested approach.  If it is a major concern to some then I see no problem in orienting the adjustment track fore/aft rather than transverselly but then you have no easy method of adjusting 'across' the boat but two ways of doing so fore/aft.   The pads specified are large enough for either way.

2) Barber hauler ?  No Icon does not have them - but then the 'dangle pole' system does it all so so much better.  You can barber haul only as far as the gunwhale on most boats if rigged - but like the N12, Albacore and even the Ent we can set the sheeting point  beyond the gunwhale at will.  While dangle poles are good dead running they are most useful (and potent) when setting the jib beyond the boat when reaching.  Since the Icon development tried this approach I have come to realise just how inefficient jibs can be when reaching without this method - part of the problem is that without 'outboard' downward tension (beyond the gunwhale) they do not feed the main properly like they do upwind and have much reduced drive anyway. 

3) Jib Cleats .... are a standard option but there is no obligation to fit. (The pad location is just behind the shroud attachment across the boat).   We have found the Harken jib ratchets very effective and therfore no need to cleat. - but we do recognise some may want cleats as well. 

4) Jib Shape –  What we initially thought right (like you possibly) simply did not work as well as the later shapes tried.   The final version is flatish in the top 1/3^rd and fuller in the bottom 1/3^rd compared to all the earlier ones.  The difference was instantly felt on the water and all I can say is it is highly effective.  You need to see the rig in wind really.

The battening in this (now specification)  sail is also very flexible and really just there to reduce flogging.  Earlier versions tended to use ‘harder’ battening but were less adaptable across a range of conditions.

We spent long months getting the boat sorted on the water ... so get in touch via email and come and try and see what you think.      

Mike L.


Edited by blaze720 - 07 Mar 11 at 1:44pm

Exactly what i mean Jim, thanks.

Mark

I think you are on the same sort of wavelength as us then - but I do appreicate the points being made above.  NS14 (and B14) experience is what drives the Icon approach I suppose and we will be keeping to the 'simple and light' approach whle allowing some limited personalisation to sheeting etc.

Mainsheeting will be very open to allow all types from 'off the boom' (typically skiff like) sheeting to the conventional centre-main to even the rear sheeted (Enterprise etc) model.  I'm just going to suggest that people now sail the boat ('as is') and then see what they do think after sailing Icon.  Incidentally the Blaze has a similar liberal  policy with regard to sheeting .... and much of the fleet has converted to 'off the boom' in the last 15 months.  It is not for everybody of course.
 
Mike L.

PS - Forgot to add earlier that we hopefuly will be at the Beastie - no promises just yet .... but Icon may even get along to the Frensham Frenzy this weekend .... Starcross is a long way after the past week and a busy follow-up week now but we'd like to have done that as well if we could.


Edited by blaze720 - 07 Mar 11 at 6:39pm

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/photos/?s=64&PID=59750

Did you manage to get through this tiny gap then Mike???

Hi Tim

On that approach we had a good overlap ... and were 'permitted' an inside track (as planned even !).  On another occasion we accelerated a little too swiftly as we approached and the door was slammed shut by a Phantom - so we skipped the mark out but still managed to hit it ...  I will not describe how exactly I managed it but we hit that one again very soon afterwards !  Stuff happens more often when you are in a new boat .... and not paying attention to the race enough.

Charlie - amazing that you should 'see' so much from a single photo - you will just have to examine the latest jib for yourself sometime.    I think we may have gybed on the approach and had the dangle pole still out with a teeny bit of tension still .... The jib is much fuller that you might imagine and significantly more so than most development ones ... and of course the battening has been shall we say 'altered' as well.      (Don't be too mislead by the tape lines !!)

Our biggest problems were simple boat handling on the day - 2 single-handers in a 2 man boat and still learning to 'smooth' all the transitions in b**ger all wind and work together on a restricted bit of water !  We were started a minute behind the Phantoms and caught most by the end ... or so it seemed anyway and despite our cockups (vast majority by me) we had good speed and were pointing surprisingly high. 

So a few minor boat set-up mods now and then off to the Beastie is the current plan next weekend..... See you there Tim et al ?

Mike L.

Peakys Icon will be finished very soon now (He's let me drill all those holes trying different control positions in MY hull first - so that 'his' will have them all in the right position from day one)  He'll be joining in very soon ...