Now the following day I can still feel the motion - what a boat - what a sail.
The day began early and drove down to Lymington I was too early so I went for a walk. It was warm with little or no wind. The yacht club flags either hung or just lifted. I thought about another sail this year that would be a float about.
The Winner of the Piers rigged the boat and we talked about sailing beachcats. Gavin had helped in the rig development which had taken Hobie France 18 months and felt that they had done a good job.
He said that up wind it would just about hold an Olympic Tornado but that it was the quickest 20 foot catamaran downwind leaving the Tornado for dead.
The boat has a very unusual hull designed by the 'A' Class World Champion Nils Bunkenburg and looks like a cross between the Hurricane 6.5 and the Catfish. The design is to maximise the waterline length whilst cutting down windage of the hulls. They may be strange to look at but I can tell you they really do work.
Only now do we tighten up and both go out on the wire. The wind out here is 12 knots or so. The sea is not rough but confused I believe is the expression, with tides and wind fighting one another. We really shift, we cut through the seas at a fantastic rate and are soon at the Isle of White. It is wonderful to watch the spray coming off the top of the lentback bow. We tack and go up wind again. The speed is incredible on the beat even against the tide.
Following another tack we raise the spinnaker - we skitter across the waves with that slapping sound of planing in a chined dinghy like an Enterprise or Hornet. A bit like riding a tea tray down the stairs. Fast and furious we both sit on the back windward hull of the boat. A gibe is easily executed and we are off again. After another few miles we drop the spinnaker and I put it back in its bag. The bag is so lovely I think it is worth buying a Fox for that alone. It is yellow, it ties to the trampoline by ropes at each corner at determined points nothing much unusual so far but this bag has a sprung opening top that simply tucks into bags front. It is so quick to use without all those stupid zips etc.
Now its my turn to helm we are close to shore so we go about, Immediately it becomes apparent how easy the steering is, even from the deck. Both out on the wire I helm and Gavin takes the main sheet after cleating in the jib. We are across to the Isle of White before we know it, tack and race back across to the mainland. I don't know how many miles across the channel is between the Isle of White and Lymington but we cross from side to side in minutes. This beachcat is just fabulous -easy to sail, fun, powerful, and especially important to us eye-catching. With those yellow sails everyone's attention is on you whenever you are in view.
Yet another boat for you to want.
.first boats Piers Race the Fox finishing