I picked up a copy around Thanks giving, so it should be on the news
stands. They dont write about
the boats which did not win, so no words on the swift.
They seem to praise the N2 (Catemaran) for its ease of sailing and speed.
The one thing that I didn't think was that great was the need to seal
off the mast (so that there is more buyancy
when it flips) and therefor no halyards. So this means you have to raise
the sails while the boat is flipped on
its side or before rasing the mast. Maybe this is not a problem, but it
sounds like a pain to me.
BTW, the swift might do real well in 20knots on the water, but it does
okay on land in 40 as I found out recently. Always remember to tie your
boat down if you leave on the beach or outside. Luckily for me someone
was nearby
and tied it down for me before it made it to the otherside of the
parking lot. :(
Christian
BDally6107@xxxxxxx wrote:
Lessons from Boat of the Year competition.
Yes, we are a little disappointed about the outcome of the BOTY. One
good thing however, is that it was a reminder of an important element
of high performance skiff sailing--helming a skiff from the wire takes
some time to learn. While 49er, I-14, and Aussie 18 sailors can step
into a Swift Solo and feel pretty much at home in an hour or two,
other sailors should expect to spend a good deal of time working up
the wind range. It will likely take an average 420 or 470 sailor the
good part of the summer before feeling really comfortable with 20
knots of wind in a Swift. Once you do get there, it will hook you
like nothing you've done before.
While I've not read the entire results (not on the newsstand yet), one
email I received remarked that it was âunfair to test the catamaran
that won in 15 knots while testing the Swift in light airâ. Since
there were no judges with skiff experience, I can assure you that it
would have been a disaster if they'd sailed the Swift for the first
time in 15 knots of wind.
For what its worth, I donut believe that a 49er, an 18, or any skiff
that is helmed from the wire would have won. I voiced concern to the
organizers about this issue before accepting their invitation and they
assured me, among other things, that Meade Gougeon would be one of the
judges and I knew that he had sailed âAâ cats in the past (helming
from the wireâeven if on a relatively stable cat). It was a major
disappointment that neither Meade nor Jan sailed the boat nor did they
come to see the Swift. I suspect that they recused themselves because
of the potential conflict of interest.
In the end, it was good to get the exposure. It also brought up the
need to repeat the message: Every newcomer to skiff sailing will need
to be patient when you launch your Swift. You're stepping into an
incredible amount of horsepower that requires time to harness. When
you see the speed of a Swift in 7 knots of wind, you'll appreciate
what you've got from the very start. When you feel the power of this
boat for the first time in a blow, it is easy to conclude that it is
impossibly overpowered. With a season of experience under your belt,
you'll not be satisfied with anything less.
Best regards,
Bram
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