The Solution.

I can't see it being a laser beater on long windward sea legs even if it had a wire, the rocker doesn't help it in that regard, it was designed for the lake and inland water with lots of tacking and recovery in speed after the tack something the EPS lacks, I don't see it as a wiring boat it's very wide for its length.

I did have someone say that inland restricted waters wouldn't suit the D-Zero at the weekend. I told him i sailed on a 60 acre gravel pit and do very well with it.....

I'm so mad I can't write straight so I'm off to the pub or all this will end up being another rant at the inefficacy of dinghy bits, hell I'm quite experienced, how would a total newbie cope...

Bloody circlips.

So back to first impressions on the shake down..

It's sunny, quite a puffy day 15-17, not to cold so I thought I'd get it ready for the weekend, just as well, won't go into all that rigging palaver or fitting the rudder over the rope rather than under it, or the slug not going into the boom or the one popping out at the bottom of the mast, lets talk about how it felt.

Now it wasn't quite that dream pair of well worn slippers feel that the D Zero was with everything exactly where it's needed, but it's a better sailing experience than the Aero, so I'd pitch it as it stands squarely between the two, except for the bonus features that set it way in another league for me.

There's a rope to pull the rudder down and there's a rope to pull it up, why have I not had anything like this before? Then, there's a rope to pull the centreboard down and a rope to pull it up, no cleats, but hey you think dinghy sailors could ever think of everything?

Those two features alone do it for me, so what about the rest of the package, the sailing experience? That i can't complete until I've had it in a race, so far it works, does everything it says on the lid, tacks a lot smoother and transitions with a lot less fuss than the EPS, don't have to even look to see if the sail has flacked over, it just does.

It buzzes down the reach with no whirring noise that I'd get with the EPS and I recall was present on both the *eros once wound up, it did have a couple of stern waves about half a boat length behind then another quarter, I put that down to the rocker, not happy about it, but at this point nothing untoward, you do need to stay forward though offwind.

Which brings me to the next bit, up wind, I knew I was right about those controls, they all could do with being three or four inches further forward, so does that tower thing, I ended up with my foot right in the most forward part of the footstrap. Sitting further back was more comfortable and gave a better hiking experience and yu have more leverage being at the widest point of the boat, but I really think to point it as high as you need to deal with Lasers and stuff you're going to need to be sat right on them.

Now the sail, I thought it looked hooky on the stand? It isn't, not at all, quite the opposite, in fact found myself wanging on loads of kicker to try and get some leech standout. This boat has the flat cut sail and it is noticeably flat, can't say I like it, not sure if it's the cut or the sheet loads, but it's a bit girly, doesn't feel like a lot of power to hand, now this all coming from a 9.4 pretty damn pokey sail on the EPS, so all relative. The boom also feels like it's stuck up in the air, again coming from my previous ride. But it all works, points high, sails fast, hunts lifts, what more do I need?

It's a doddle to sail, as i said it tacks smooth as a nut and the gybes were effortless and not at all scary, I even sought out the blackest gusts I could find to gybe in and that high boom is a bonus at that point.

I don't get the feeling it's a boat you can just step in and perform to 100% of its ability, it's going to take some getting use to, it is a proper boat, lots of stuff going on, yes it's short but you can engage the entire waterline length, if there is a weak point I still point at the rig, but it didn't feel any less girly than the Zero rig, Pamela Anderson would be at home with them both, got to say I'd probably ditch the rear sheeting, don't like it at all, I didn't like the sheeting feel of the zero if I'm honest, but they seem happy enough bunnies with it.

I need to race it, I need to sail it again when the light isn't failing cos I've spent half an hour wrestling with a circlip, I do like it, I loved it the first time i saw it, it's not without its irritations, but the pluses way out weigh the minuses and for me and my circumstances, I have a feeling it could be what I've been looking for all along.

Just pulling that rope to lift the cb and the rudder as i sailed it back onto its trailer..

Bonus.

To be continued.