for 2 to 1 or not 2 to 1

Ah, think I get it now this is an Alto rig right? The Mk2 Sail?

·          Yes you are right there, I think it's all in the name.(Alto-tim)

·          We have a standard set of sails for the Alto which works well in all wind conditions.

My thinking of  2-1 was the combination of a pulley at the head and the foot as mine has.

·          ?????

The Alto is underpowered, at least the 2nd generations were imv, it also badly needs a mast head kite and a proper jib.

·          Underpowered??, We have raced our Alto for a couple of years now. Depending what type of beer is for sale, we are 30/31 stone and the boat  goes well in all wind conditions.

·          Having sailed a 59er for five years we found it underpowered., considering the 59er was built for heavy crews.

·           And the mast head kite does not suit most of the courses sailed at clubs and definitely not any river sailing especially when the tide is out, nowhere to go deep,(and we broke two masts  - no not in the mud (in a F3).

The Solution would be for it to use a B14 rig, again imv.

·          Don't know enough about the B 14 to comment.

But the design criterion was for it to be used by skilled helms and semi to unskilled crews and it was originally going to be a hiker, which is why it performs so well in strong wind in capable hands.

·          I think you'll find that the hiking idea was very soon discarded in the very early days of the development.

·          We have had loads of people test the Alto at different skill levels from novice to competent and found it a well-balanced well-behaved racing dinghy.

·          I think any boat goes well in strong winds as long as you can keep it up and pointed in the right direction.

They really need to use the original main sail I'm still using, it wasn't much use on the original boat because they had a crap Gnav, but now it's got a Selden boom with the correct Gnav it works really well. Fantastic light wind performance yet depowers in stronger wind, maybe the designer might read this and take note, not that he ever takes much note of anything I blather on about or they wouldn't still have the silly cloth enclosed chute delivery system behind the forstay.

·          I think the designer is open to very sensible ideas and is not blinkered, we have worked with Mike for two years.

·          I think the front foredeck cover works well,  covers up the spinnaker, pleasing to the eye, practical plus economic .

This discussion came about over a couple of beers, about controlling masts bend and main creeping down.

Although my name is Alto Tim I hope coming on this forum doesn't mean to say I have to be talking about the Alto. I do keep looking outside the box only to find the Alto is the best well-behaved racing dinghy I've ever sailed.