[Stephen McCann]

Dear All,

Thanks for all the help thus far, I really appreciate the open andsupportive nature of the association. I have also been reading all the hard copy bulletins since dot (Richard passed me them with the boat) and wow – what an adventuring spirit I have come across all through the ages. I have been living vicariously itching to go somewhere mad and adventure myself…

I am gearing up to getting A89 Colchide finely tuned and am aiming for the meet in May and sail around to Portsmouth. I have a rigger who will upgrade the stays/spreaders and sort the furling head sail and put in twin spinnaker cranes – that plan is good to go. But it got me thinking – what ‘could’ I do given that this is an opportunity to change. I have seen Solent rigging (twin furlers on a Atalanta etc). I also have ‘Uncle Bernard’s Beast’ – the monster genoa. I appreciate that I may be disavowed from the AOA were I to stick on a bowsprit and add a Code 0 (beast is not far from that). But – realistically – do I really need a kite – I never got on with them on my Wayfarer? I do want to have the ability to super easily furl the gib and swop for the genoa (and vice versa). Extra bits of string for Spinnakers just get in the way. I should say that I have a decent aluminium mast and boom (which is slab reefed).

Grateful for your wisdom as ever. But what would want to do given the chance

As we having our summer holiday on Colchide I am robbing the bank of the holiday fund to pay for such follies (“We’d have spent it anyway darling, and sure you want it to sail well…?!”)

Steve

Topic

[Nick Phillips]

Spinnakers are great and really transform downwind sailing. A Code 0 on a bowsprit might be easier to handle than a spinnaker ….

There have also been musings over the years about dealing with peceived ‘under canvassed’ rig. This makes the Atalanta great for family sailing and they really can handle a blow, but are slow in light airs.

What about a carbon fibre mast, perhaps 5′-6′ longer, with a ‘fat head’ main and dyneema rigging?  Balance might require that bowsprit – some design work would be required. And thought would be needed to the harsher stresses imposed on the chainplates (dyneema doesn’t stretch so shock loadings increase).  But she could be much faster in light airs and with well designed reefs and the lighter mast there might not be any impact on heavy weather performance.

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[Author]

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