Phill,

I have just found a report on the Shadow in Yachts and Yachting. There has not been a sail test yet.

It is not online so I will have to type it out, I will just put in the main points.

At 4.8m, looks petit by cat standards, packs a punch with 23sq.m sail area only 95kgs. 3mm foam in sandwich hulls with kevlar for max "ding" resistance. mast only 11.5kgs incl fittings. alloy mast cheaper to insure than carbon. Looks different from Spitfire - 40kgs lighter no chines - no need for reinforcement. It also has an exceptionally neat spinnaker chute system, with a moulded mouthpiece close to the front beam and a sock under the tramp which can be alligned to the direction of pull. Other great feature - self righting system. A shock loaded rope system that self-stows under the tramp. simple to operate. Just pull the end loop onto your harness hook while standing on the lower hull, lean back - the boat comes up. 90 secs from fully inverted to fully upright.

You can also fly the kite from the wire in a force 2.

They're the main details.

I believe that the chute may be standard on the Spitfire soon.

Dermot.