I think I know exactly what my dream boat looks like.

And I'm really serious here.

I'm with the others on wanting an A-cat for solo sailing and something with more beef for doublehanded racing or taking a friend along. I would love to sail a racer/cruiser multihull but these things require a crew of more than 2 people most of the time. And I'm had trouble enough finding one crew that is about as serious at cat sailing as I am.

Just like everybody else I want a light boat that is easy to transport and handle of the water. This also rules out some of the larger cruiser/racers. And I want to chase a dream that I can actually forfill some time. Otherwise a dream will turn into a torturing nightmere if you are not carefull. So the dream has to be affordable as well.

Personally; I truly feel that a Blade F16 with a good carbon mast, Ashby sails and a landenberger spi would come awfully close to my dream boat. I would love to see some in depth optimizing on the daggerboards done and then I think my wish list is empty.

I don't want to go lighter than 100 kg boatweight as that will only mean sacrificing stiffness and strength or paying alot more for hardly any speed increase at all. Besides I don't want to pamper my boat as much as some sailors do. I want to be able to get caught in a blow while on the water and survive the rough landing on a unknown beach. So now I don't want to get below 100 kg overall boatweight.
I also don't want carbon beams and booms as I find aAluminium alot easier to work with. And also incredibally cheap to replace when you've damaged either one. And again I don't see any advantages to having a carbon boom or spi pole apart from the ability to show off.

I don't want a carbon snuffer mouth as two of the best snuffer I ever used had alu rings (AHPC snuffer as on Taipans/Blade and the Stealth F16 snuffer). The alu is just smoother and more slippery then carbon. And why pay more for an inferiour product ?

I don't want more sail area as I found that the 15 sq.mtr mainsail, sq. 3.7 mtr. jib and 17.5 sq.mtr. spi is more than enough to get your adrenaline going. And I'm level with F18's already. I really don't see much performance inprovement over the whole spectrum of winds speeds by oversizing this rig. Pretty much what you buy in additional performance in light winds you loose in the heavier stuff. No net gain. Also why pull harder on a sheets then necessary. The adrenaline glan in my body only knows two modes. On and off. This threshold doesn't seem to be influenced much by sail area and alot more by windstrength.

I don't want a uni-rig (no jib) as these boat sudden max out in distance races when you not sailing pure upwind. Also the sloops remain better powered-up in gusty conditions, making it easier to maintain maximum speed if you are not a sailing god.

In addition to that. Blade has got the looks, the feel and the feasability of being owned by one of us normal folk. That is convincing enough to qualify as a wet dream in my book.

And I say all this in absolute honesty.

I know it is fashionable to name the A-cat or M20's, but in my personal case I like double handing team work and spi sailing too much to justify an A-cat. No A-cat builder will maintain warranty when adding a spi. M20, well their is no singlehanding that boat in any meaningful way, let alone racing it in that attire. And I do solo and solo race about 30 % of the time. Also I don't have 35.000 Euro's laying around to put my back at 15 kg's more strain as the M20 is heavier in overall weight. Also the M20 seems not enough faster to warrant that. Especially considering the addition costs in ensureance and replacement parts.

Some consider a combination of an A-cat and M20 to be the ideal setup. At a price tag of over 53.000 Euro's it darn well better be. However, I'm only looking at how to get both on one trailer or accept being really pissed off when you brought only your M20 and your crew cancels at the last minute. It is quickly getting a logistic problem. And what will you say to yourself when you decide to singlehand the M20 at an impossible rating (if the RC lets you get out alone and participate in the racing like that) and you get beaten by F18's and singlehanded F16's as you have to depower like nobodies business (= slow). Or when you brought your A-cat and the most competitive fleet is the F18's with quadriple the numbers of baots attending which is always the case overhere where I sail. There is simply no fair racing against spi boats when you don't have a spi yourself.

No indeed, it is fashionable to name the A-cat and M20 but in all honesty they aren't even that close to my personal dream baot because of very practical concerns and the related price tags. 35.000 and 18.000 Euro's.

Just give me a 14.000 Euro's Blade F16 and a good start or a lucky windshift and even I'll show them that money simply can't buy a win.


Ohh, I forget one thing that I like my dream boat to have. The underdog character.

If I loose then hey ! "I'm sailing the smallest and cheapest boat in the fleet, made out of glass"

If I win then hey ! "What is your excuse ?"

That is just my very personal take on the situation. I currently sail a wood-epoxy Taipan F16 and that suits me just fine. It is all that I hoped it would be when I decided to get one. I'm in no hurry to switch boats, my financial situation doesn't allow that. BUT, when I'm able again to produce expendable income then I'll be on the list for a new Blade F16. I'm estimating that that will take me another 3 to 4 years (medio 2008).

Wouter