Here's my impression of the LR2, based on watching both Ian and Fred sail, looking at the boat on land and talking to John L.

The build quality is great, John does quality work. The daggers and rudders are so low aspect they are almost swords. It has no deck and I would think that this makes it slower in hiking conditions when you would want to sit and lean out on the deck. I would add a deck and this would also allow you to trap out further, by at least 4 inches. I think that would make a big differience. You might connect the outboard beams with some flaired in deck that might give it an even more radical appearance.

In the water it went well, Ian is a good sailor, so I didnt see him much, he was usually ahead of me. He did a horizon job in race 2 on the whole fleet upwind, but that was because the wind swung way right at the start and the whole fleet got caught on the line in irons and he was able to tack out of it and go speeding away up the right side.

Fred and I spent some time going downwind in 5knots and he was very smooth and the boat cut through the water well. He's got a stylish position downwind and lays on the tramp on his shoulder and looks up from this prone position. At one point I was ahead of him, we were going upwind in light air and a powerboat wake got us both. My boat did the slam, slam routine, Fred's didnt slam as much and I think he gained on me a little. The V in the forward bow cut the wake a bit, while my boat is flatter up front in the low bow, so it would probably shed a wake/wave better upwind. Downwind, I think that you wouldnt be able to push it hard in heavy air, and that it might be more prone to pitchpoling. My boat has a much flatter section upfront and I notice its very hard to stick the bows in, I can sit on the front beam and not worry about a puff downwind and I dont have to sit on the travelor like you do in the A2/A3 in heavy air. Lars and I are about the same weight and he has to sit on the travelor downwind in heavy air. I think you would have to do this as well in the LR2 since it doesnt have the volume down low. This comes from listening to Lars speak during his seminar he gave us and thinking that I didnt have to do that in my boat.

Its nice to see a designer and a builder doing something radical. John and Ian were not expecting this design, but John went with it. Ian was looking to do a next version on a flat bottom boat he once sailed. So, kudo's to both John and Ian building something radical and also somewhat unexpected from their designer.

Its not a dud, its probably better in light to moderate wind, as opposed to heavy air. It will probably be the same as the A2/A3 downwind in heavy air and want to stick the bow in a bit.

I take back my previous unflattering comment. Nice work John.

Bill