new sailboat: Rocket by Fulcrum Speedworks

there is a new “Sunfish” style sailboat on the market, and it looks pretty sweet — the Rocket by Fulcrum Speedworks, built in Bristol, Rhode Island.

(photo via Fulcrum Speedworks)

the boat hull weight is only 90 pounds, so similar to a Minifish, the smaller and lighter cousin to the Sunfish. there isn’t specifications shown on the Fulcrum Speedworks website, but the sail is the same lateen rig style of the Sunfish and Minifish, and it says it should compete with other 14-foot dinghies (like the Sunfish, the Minifish is a bit shorter). the long open cockpit looks like a great improvement on the Sunfish/Minifish design – a simple change but looks like a much better design.

Each $4600 Rocket is a complete “sailaway package” with
-Fully outfitted hull
-Complete assembled mast and spars
-Sail and all lines and ropes
-daggerboard and rudder
-Launching dolly

o tillerman, where art thou?

Proper Course or Aerobian? or neither?

today’s tunes: will there be enough wind

a groovy tune from Jack White and the Dead Weather:

When I said sail,
Will there be enough wind?
Cool water
Oh cool wind

Sunfish máxima velocidad!

saw this clip posted on the Sunfish Forum today: Jonathan Martinetti of Ecuador flying across the water on his Sunfish.

Jonathan is no stranger to sailing fast – he was the winner (as a junior!) of the 2010 Sunfish Worlds in Italy.

 

h/t: Weston on the Sunfish Forum

today’s tunes: tunes for the Tillerman

tunes for the Tillerman?

or maybe tea for the Tillerman instead?

the future of Sunfish sailing (part 3)?

I blogged about a year ago about these newly developed/developing Sunfish sails, and now have found video of them sailing.

a bit from my previous post: the local group of sailors worked with a local sailmaker, Farrar Sails, in New London, Connecticut, to develop and create these new sails.

Nothing else was altered about the rigging and the new sail was designed to fit onto the existing lateen-style spars of the traditional Sunfish design.

The end results? The sailboat points higher and moves with more zip. The boat accelerates noticeably faster after a tack. On the flip side, the sails require quicker response to puffs and wind shifts, so boat handling skills need to keep up. By switching out the sail, it’s like having two different boats: one that is great to learn on and another that sails faster and requires faster response time.