Yep Joe, and nothing to mount on it either except the top pin of the rudder.
However, you would be amazed at the pressures generated with a skiff rudder.
The rudders are very tough, even so I broke my 49er rudder blade (actually
it was a borrowed blade from my buddy) with only water pressure. Here is
what you will do with it. Sail out for a spin in a nice gusty day and on
the water the gusts start to seem a bit severe and choppy, pop the chute,
get back and stretch out on the wire. You will be skipping over the chop
waves catching up and overtaking to the rollers. If you have plenty of space
you start getting tired and maybe a little stiff in the back if its really
cold after more than 10 minutes of this, and you don't want to hit the
coolaid if its cold, so you use radical rudder to prop yourself up in the
lulls and react a bit late in the gusts - you could be dragging the rudder
through the water sideways at 15-20kts so you want a fairly strong anchor
point that doesn't flex.
Oh its also a convenient handle - we will pick the boat up with it. But most
importantly it tends to be the thing that stops the drongo who is screaming
in behind you in the bearaway at the windward mark from @$$ mounting your
Swift when you suddenly throw out the anchor and start hauling up the rag.
I'm not so worried about sandwiching Swifts, but I sail PY in a mixed fleet
of beach cats with competitive attitude problems (read dodgem cars), and I
guess from the performance of these skiffs (compared to the 49er) I'll be
with the 17ft cats going around the windward mark. Those suckers hurt when
they carve you up, I hope my transom bar is a good one.. and dont drive like
my brother.
Gee Bram you though of everything. :-)
G
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