Fireblade - revisiting the hybrid project

Well it's what we do in windsurf racing and seems to be catching on a bit in dinghy world of late what with the Aero 5, 7, 9 but generally one size tends to claim the numbers..

My thinking was more toward weight, size and application, if maximum mast height and boom length define the 'types' the smaller sizes aimed at hiking application and the larger aimed at trapeze use, assuming of course the boat works OK with a trapeze and I suspect it's going to be a little tricky, it's a boat that is quick to heel and I'm wondering how that's going to effect getting back in off the wire in a lull.

Then there's the centreboard, at the moment it's probably too big for a) me, b)our water, so logic suggests if you were speccing say an 8 mtr ish hiker for smaller inland water you wouldn't need this big plate, but on the sea with a bigger sail it would work fine with a 9.5 upwards.(providing it's got some form of half decent mast that lets it twist off properly.)

Anyway it's a way off yet, I need to get some sensibly priced carbon masts & booms from somewhere.