Hi all,
well today was the day Altered finaly hit the water. minus the kite. But after sailing I was glad I didn't have the kite ready as with a fresh breeze gusting to 15kts. I was busy just trying to sort out little problems with sheeting etc.

Tim was racing on the Mossie but I wasn't ready in time so I joined in behind the fleet as they raced around Raymond Island. The boat accelerated realy well in the protected water between the island and the mainland and I quickly passed the monos and large cats, Tim was off in the distance beating to windward, Altered hit the more consistent breeze and started to realy show some speed gradualy pegging the mossie back as we tacked around the end of the island. Then came a tight reach with Tim sailing higher to allow him to set the spinnaker early, Altered loved this angle flat trapping with the leeward bow pressing under but not slowing, spray everywhere to leeward me high and dry on trap it was a blast. I had almost drawn level but well to leeward when Tim set the kite and off he went, leaving me vainly tacking downwind in his wake as he dissapeared around the corner. I needed no further reminder of why I sail F16, the kite will be on next week!!!!!!!!!!!!

In conclusion the boat sailed realy well, the helm balanced and all the big things worked, (the mast didn't fall down and the boat floated) but seriously it does appear to have enough bouyancy despite all the extra weight as compared to the A class it came from. It seems very happy to trim bow up or down upwind, definetly bow down downwind but it didn't seem to slow it down much. Not until a wave hit the main beam but it did that upwind to. Incredible amount of water comes up the leeward hull and turns into spray but I guess this is normal for a plumb stem with a narrow deck, from my big cat experience with hulls of this shape this is how they act. Certainly makes it look like it's going fast.

Hopefully Tim will post photo's soon and I had some video taken to, so I will get him to work on that as well. I am afraid it is all in flat water though, off the jetty at the club but as you will hopefully see the gusts were strong enough to get a hull up and throw some spray around.

can,t stop grinning Gary.

P.S. I nearly forgot in reply to the question the paint is Northane two pack in Botany Blue.