Doug,

I was at Performance Catamaran a couple of weeks ago and saw all the new stuff they have for the A2 since mine was built. The beams are clear coated, new molds for the rudders and dagger boards, and new dagger board trunks that have slots in them for up haul and down haul lines! Wow, would it be nice to have the ability to bring up and down the leeward board from the windward side! I think it is the best boat in the world, but I admit that I am biased!

I spent some time thinking about rigging a spinnaker for my A2, but decided that it is not the right thing for me. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed sailing the I 17R for 5 seasons and learned spinnaker sailing and even enjoyed downwind more than upwind. But I have been trying to get the downwind technique right on the A2, and when I seem to hit it right, the boat really flys! The A2 is much more exhilarating than my I 17R, 18 Square, or any other of the cats I have owned. It is VERY sensitive to down haul, mast rotation, and out haul. I think it will take me a LOT longer to get close to the potential of this boat than it took me on any of the others. That being said, with only one season on the A2, I can already think of things I would do different on all of the other boats I have owned. The feedback of what changes you make to the mast and sail is so direct and immediate that I think differently about what is the priority in changes to the "engine" of any sailboat. All in all, I am really happy with the stock A2 and think I will get the most enjoyment trying to get the most out of the stock setup, rather than adding the spinnaker (or any other modifications) to the A2. This is where I came out on the whole issue of adding the spinnaker (and I spent all last winter thinking of how I would do it!). Just mt 2 cents.