TOPIC:

I see that Jo Richard's new National 12 "Dead Cat Bounce" has swept all before it. Apparently it has a tucked in stern & no flat planing surfaces - yet it planes earlier & faster than other boats due to the lift from its winged rudder. Thus ends 50 years of planing dinghy development.

It would help us to be allowed winged rudders (for handicap racing only) so we could give the handicap bandits eg Phantoms & Merlins a run for their money. Only about Ł1,000 per rudder so cheap at the price [img]smileys/smiley5.gif[/img] [img]smileys/smiley5.gif[/img]

I find the Nat 12s more worrying with Mylar sails and carbon fibre everywhere including inside ridiculously light hulls. Their website boasts that you ignore the mainsail measured area - with Mylar and a Merlin roach the real area is not much less than ours. Curiously the PY remains at 1093. Our two admittedly well helmed examples go round just behind our top helmsman in an RS 300 - PY 1000 ...hmm...



Graham Potter

10 year old Alb can fetch 4k 10 yr old National outmoded by new designs 900 quid? Club handicap racing is dying with carbon Phantoms sailing off 1046 cleaning up.

SteveAshford wrote:

10 year old Alb can fetch 4k 10 yr old National outmoded by new designs 900 quid? Club handicap racing is dying with carbon Phantoms sailing off 1046 cleaning up.

Steve
Don't blame the Phantoms,,, we have been pushing the RYA hard for a handicap change for 4 years now... The only formal responce is to use personal handicaps,, Current thinking is around 1025 for a reasonable sailor down to 1000 or less for a top rated helm..
TSF
(One of the many phantom sailors with an Albacore)

I'm not blaming the Phantoms. I have heard that Sutton Bingham have dropped them down to 1000. If Albs went carbon and loose footed mylar sails you would see the same thing happen to them.