I can remember driving off the back of the wave on the port gybe going back towards the beach in the 2nd leg from Hollywood to Jupiter. That gybe was going with the rollers, and if you weren't careful the bows would dig into the back of the next wave.

We stuffed the bows all the way almost all the way to the crossbar, I popped the chute briefly, releasing a little pressure and the bows snapped right back up.

I turned to Trey and said "Nacra 20 - the preferred choice of business travellers all over!" I'm still convinced to this day that had we been on another boat, we would have been swimming out there. (well we still did go swimming - THANKS MISTER PARASAILING BOAT!)

There's a picture from the '05 steeplechase that shows a 20 just submerging itself completely upto the mast. Looks rediculous <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


As for girls on board. Kate was able to hold the chute, but struggled when trying to sheet it, and she couldn't even get the spin out of the bag to hoist. (I think the new tweaks to the snuffer system may solve this though)

Wendy pulled the strings for Zander this weekend at Tommy! She did a damn fine job from what I could tell!

Most of the guys around here add a double blocks system to the spinnaker sheets, even on the F-18's. Makes it a lot easier on the crew. I have never sailed one, but that is what I have been told.

Doug

It can be difficult to pump the curl of the luff quick enough with a doubler.

A lot of people waste a lot of energy simply HOLDING the sheet. You can hold it between your two fingers with the ratchomatics, but since its difficult to sheet in people tend to keep their muscles tight when simlpy holding it.

Well, let's see, here's the 20 footers I've raced:

H-20
N-6.0na
N-20

And have crewed on a Tornado.

So, against that - the N-20 is very responsive and carries heavy crew weight well (very important to me). It was designed with the spin so you don't have the cobbled-up engineered feel you have on other boats. There's lots of room on the tramp, and the tramp is very clean in contrast to the flesh ripping devices on the N-6.0 and H-20. The carbon stick is a very nice thing, and not just from a rigging standpoint - the lighter weight aloft means the window of recovery is much greater before you take a swim. The bows are insanely bouyant. As said elsewhere, there are things we've gotten away with due to those two things that would have induced the big swim on the other boats. Up and down wind it feels very natural and balanced. It is responsive to the helm almost to a fault, similar to my H-20, very different from the feel of the 6.0 (heavy feel to the helm). The feel of the N-20 when it's lit up with the spin is addictive, and the hull shape works very well in that mode.

Cons (as far as I'm concerned) - the bouyancy in the bows can be a detriment in some conditions where the 6.0 would just cut through. Looking over old Worrell and Tybee tapes it's interesting to see how the 6.0s go out through the surf versus how the N-20s do it. I'd like more freeboard to the hulls - maybe the 6.0 spoiled me, but I hate it when the rear crossbeam or tramp catches a wave (a behavior shared by the H-20 and T). I know, just fly the hull higher, still... I don't like it that the rudders cavitate from time to time (I've experienced it more upwind in big chop), and yes, I know there is an updated design (that nobody uses). And lastly, while the boat feels real good up and down wind, to me it feels more unsettled and twitchy when reaching, while the 6.0 feels like a rock solid freight train. There are conditions where we've gone boat for boat with the 6.0 (without spin) against the N-20s and come out on top or kept even - although usually ended when the N-20 spins could be used to best effect.

As for righting, the more difficult boats to right that I have owned have been all the Hobies - 14, 18, and 20. By far the easiest to right have been the 6.0 and N-20.

Just my opinion...

Just a small comment, but why not let the women drive and let the men hold the ropes?? To me, seems when I am running the ropes and someone else is driving I get a better feel for the boat. Also, then i can just yell at them to "pull or push" the rudders, instead of telling them to pull the ropes.

Jonathan Grant
Mesa, AZ
nacra20less.....

1 - I don't tell the wife how to trim
2 - That front of the boat [censored] is hard work!

what he said

and, she doesn't want to drive. She's scared of it. Mine is anyways. Wouldn't drive my 17 either. Weird huh?

You are right about the best way for some teams to handle it, with the woman driving. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But you ruined it by saying it in a very demeaning and patronizing way. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

If I had a wish list of improvements for the I20 it would be first a deck that's level with the main beam on the leading edge. I can feel so much speed bleed off as water pounds the front beam as it flows over the top of the deck (usually under spinnaker in waves). Second, more height for the rear beam...the bucking bronco wave slap is A) not fun B) surprising and can make you loose your balance and C) knocks you out of the speed groove.

(the Mega Cat Playstation had problems with rear beam slap...can you imagine what that was like!?)

Well, IMHO the N20 is just a fad. That's what I heard. Tiki told me.

In all actuality, it is by far the most fun boat I've sailed. It handles anything you throw at it, from 20 knots of wind to 420 pound crew weights. You can drive it all the way up the beach, and fly a hull in 7 knots. It's easy to right, and easy to control. Once you get it dialed in, hang on!

Ironically, I believe the I20 and Playstation had the same designer.

As for beam slap... I just finished my risers for the rear beam on the HT. I know the rear beam on the N20 isn't round, but you could engineer something. I took 4 inch OD al tubing and cut the tops off, basically flipped them, welded them put in a base of epoxy with filler to make up the ID/OD difference and they are nice. Went out today in chop with 20kn of winds and didn't slap but maybe once.
Dunno if this screws with the one design deal though...

Many good boats out there, and I have sailed and owned quite a few "bigger" cats...SC 20, G-Force 21, N 20, but the best sailing and overall boat has to be the N20. Always powered up whether light wind or blowing stink, but manageable in all for crews who can push it. I remember owning the boat for a short period and going down to race the boys in Florida. Not much chute time under Jake or my belt and it was blowing 20 at the old moose lodge in Largo. We were so scared we would drop the chute 50 yards from the mark, there were 15 or so N20's flying at us from all directions, and man were we flying. Ahh the memories of the DLW....Never heard of her? Ask around....

[img]http://www.powergroovesailing.com/DLW.htm[/img]

Has anyone tried a 6.0 with a carbon mast?

Sorry, didnt mean for it to come out that way. More of of the essence of 'green' crews or people for the most part that dont understand what i means to bear off or head up...

Jonathan

There were a few floating around Ohio/Mich for a while pre-Inter days. Nacra Europe supposedly did offer them for a time...

http://www.catsailor.com/bb_files/102172-DSC04862.JPG

-1- The rudders stall frequently.

-2- It is waaaay overpowered requiring in 10:1 or more mainsheet purchase that is thrightingly slow in response.

-3- In big wind you need to depower so much that smaller boats like the F18 and F16 are passing it upwind. All that depowered sailarea is just drag. The speed difference is such that halve the time you can pass them through their lee wind shadow.

-4- It is heavy overall.

-5- The spinnaker loads are very large and tiring.

-6- Its bows are so full that 20 footers with a better bow design are faster in winds over 14 knots or so. Think Eagle 20 etc. The only exception is the Hobie FOX here, but that one had other issues


And yes I did sail it more then once. Not with the new rudder design though.

Still, it is one of the best long distance race designs, mostly because of it's fat bows and long length compared to its width, it feels stable and calm which is important for long sail trips. In bouy races it is much less convincing.

Also it is fitted out well and there is heaps of space on the trampoline. I think it is a noticeably better design then its little brother the Nacra Inter 18, despite the fact that they share alot of features.

Generallly a good boat.

Wouter

Never sailed a I20, but have seen a few around when sailing my Hurricane 5.9 (another 20 footer), And my opinion of the Inter 20 was a very solid boat which looked like it should go fairly quickly, but never really got there in the UK; probably because the Hurricne 5.9 was a well established boat already, sailed by good sailors that could usually beat the I20 over the water and the Hurricane (at the time) was only 2 sails.

If the inter 20 had "made it" in the UK before the Hurricane 5.9, it might have been a different story; have to agree with Wouters comments on the bow shape of the I20, but this did mean it was very difficult to pitchpole.

Wouter, youre right about the rudder stall, but only with the old rudder design,and the boat is quite a joy to sail otherwise. Its demanding no doubt, but I wouldnt do a distance race on anything else. I love my F18, and the F16 looks pretty cool too, but I wouldnt trek up the Atlantic coast on either one in a blow, I'll save those boats for the lakes. Im not saying they cant handle big wind or rough seas, just not 6 days of it, it would literally beat you death. Not many F18's or F16's beating the N20 boat for boat in any conditions around here, but then again the boys sailing the N20 are quite good, and the F16 fleet is just getting up to speed. So maybe one day we will see that here, but for now the N20 is still the dominate "fast" boat and the only boat for the Tybee.
Lunch Trey...you see how I defend your big heavy boat? You still need to get an F18....

I was wondering how long it would take for Wouter to come in and crap on the boat.

I'd just like everyone to take note that I've said multiple times that the N20 "isn't for everyone" for the reasons mentioned above. Whereas you go to any "what boat should I buy?" thread and see what boat is mentioned 100% of the time? :P