Mini sailboat, attn. Todd B

[StevenBauer]

I saw this cool rig yesterday at the boatramp:



He said the two seaters are less common that the solo boats:




Steven

[Todd Bradshaw]

Cool! I haven't seen that model before and it would be a lot of fun. Did he say what it is? I sold mine last year because I was getting tired of climbing over it to get to my workbench, but there are times when I really miss it.

[StevenBauer]

Sorry, I didn't catch the name of the design. He did say that the guy that built this one has the molds. He was sailing it solo yesterday. Unfortunately it was already on the trailer when I spotted it. I'll keep my eyes peeled and try to get more info if I see him again.

We're finally rigging the Elf that you made the sail for, what, 4 years ago now? The boat is done, just paint and rigging left. Maiden voyage could well be the Small Reach Regatta.

Steven

[bamamick]

Never. May be a local thing? Steven, you do know that a fellow that runs a hardware store in Northeast Harbor is one of the best 2.4 metre sailors around, don't you?

I never really thought much of those things until I saw some of the Paralympic guys sailing them and then it took on new meaning. I helped a guy launch one for his kid at the St.Pete YC one time and I thought about how important that it was for that kid to be able to do everything that I have done and enjoyed all of my life with sailing. Good stuff.

Mickey Lake

[Don Z.]

I remember... Check out old copies of Sail or Sailing World circa 1988. The advertised both the one and two person models... the ones evolved into the 2.4mR...

[Todd Bradshaw]

I'd say the word is "inspired" the 2.4, rather than evolved into it. The Mini-12 is actually a more complex boat. Unfortunately, when the Illusions, M-12's, Mini-Zwolfers and Defender 12's hit the market they were really expensive for a little one-man boat (about 3K in days where a Sunfish was about $1K and a Hobie 14, Laser, etc. could be bought in the $2K range).

My Illusion's hull was made from seven different large pieces of molded fiberglass (a Hobie 14 has four, a Sunfish three) which then had to be assembled. Top that off with a fairly complex rig, lots of little cleats and blocks and three sails and you have a very pricey 12' boat that still looks like a toy. Follow this up with the fact that it takes most folks a half hour or so of test sailing it to get comfortable enough to push it a bit and start finding out what it can really do and you've created a pricey little boat that looks like a toy and isn't easy to sell.

I have a copy of the August '83 Sail Magazine with the introductory article sitting here on the shelf. I was sold on the idea instantly, though it took about ten years to finally get one. I can actually say that it was one of the few things that I've ever wanted for a long time, finally aquired and then felt like it was even better than I thought it might be. It was a pain in the butt to launch here with our shallow ramps, but once out on the water it sailed so well that it was hard to keep a straight face.

I've never been into big boats, but I've sailed a lot of small ones. In terms of ability to point high, sail efficiently and almost all the time at or near hull speed, turn on a dime and then recover and accelerate back up to speed from a tack, no small displacement boat that I know of can match it. Top speed is only 4-5 knots, but when your face is only six inches off the water, it feels more like eight knots. Pure fun!

A lot of handicapped people have sailed Mini-Twelves, but when you're in one, the truly handicapped people seem to be the folks sailing other kinds of small boats.

[bamamick]

so that light crews could compete with heavier folks. I also like the idea of a class where people of all physical types can compete evenly with one another. Some good points. I agree that they may seem womewhat complicated to someone who is just learning to sail, but it's an international and Olympic boat and you'd expect some of that. And in all honesty it's just the same stuff every other boat has.

I don't know how much a 2.4 costs now, but to participate at the highest levels of the sport I am thinking that it's a bargain when a new Finn costs between $20-30K depending on what you get with it.

Those small boats don't really appeal to me, but I am very glad that they are around for those of us who take advantage of this opportunity to get out there and compete.

Mickey Lake

[Don Z.]

A new 2.4mR (actually, a Norlin Mk III, the class is almost a one design) will set you back about $9K. See here:Gavia Yachts price list. I don't own one, but I'd like one. A two seater would sell my wife on the idea, but you'd never get a two seater to measure to the rule. That's OK. They are expensive for what they are... all the strings to pull adds to the cost. That, and the fact that they don't plane like a Laser makes them a tough sell... but yes, I want one... And I'm willing to build it out of wood, like this: