Still, an extra knot or two of speed on a slow day can make a difference, if all it requires is an extra halyard and a couple of attachment points. One of my favourite days sailing was under spinnaker in a channel linking the Purari River to the Fly River. The air at water level was dead calm but there was enough breeze to catch the spinnaker up high and we ghosted along at a couple of knots, dead up wind apparent at deck level. Much nicer than wallowing.
Hardly need winches and speed of shunt shouldn't be an issue. I still think a big assymetric or screecher is probably the way to go, but I feel that it needs the option of moving the tack across more to the ww bow for sailing deep, rather than leaving it on the lee bow.--- In harryproa@yahoogrou
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> > > http://www.youtube.
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> The above video is worth watching, for those like me and Gardner who haven't seen multihulls powered by kites.
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> I agree it suits stronger winds, less than 5 knots ... just chill out, you're going nowhere anyway.
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> The Harryproa rig with "ballestron" rotating mast and boom doesn't suit screechers, stay sails etc as you'd lose aback protection.
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> Harry Proa site:-
> "The rig is a ballestron so there is no deck gear. No tracks, winches or muscle required. Multipart block and tackles tension the halyards and the outhauls. For racing, a separate tackle is used for mainsail leech tension. The jib is sheeted to a track just forward of the mast. There are just as many strings to pull to achieve optimum performance as on normal boats, but none of them are highly loaded. Proas don't tack, they shunt. In the case of harry proas this involves releasing the mainsheet, turning both rudders through 180 degrees and sheeting in the main from the other end. In reality, the rudders rotate automatically as soon as the boat starts to move. On Harry, shunting single handed took 8 seconds from sheet release to sailing on the other tack. Shunting is a very easy skill to learn, particularly for beginners, as the wind is always from the same place so there is no disorientation while changing sides. "
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> ............
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> I could see something on Des Jours Meilleurs for screecher sails, if he lacked speed. However I think they open a bottle of red wine and eat fine cheese in less than 5 knots.
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> Paul
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