Next Boyer question...at what point did AHPC / Boyer change from the Mark V to the Flyer? In other words if someone says they have a 2005 Boyer, would it be a Mark V or a Flyer? Or...did they overlap and make both for a period of time?
The Mk. V and the Flyer are identical below the waterline. The differences are as follows:
1. Construction - Mk. V hulls were kevlar, Flyer carbon. Mk. V had 5-6 bulkheads, Flyer had 2.
2. Foils and beams - The front beam and daggerboard placements are slightly different
3. Bow - The Flyer has a more aft raked bow while the Mk. V looks more plumb.
I owned and raced a Mk. V for three years and had great results with it. I did a lot of 2 boat tuning with Charlie Ogeltree who had the Auscat Flyer and we convinced ourselves that the boats were identical performance wise.
The Mk. V was Boyer's version of the Flyer even though he built the exact copy. It is no longer built and I believe they are tooling up to produce a completely new A-cat in the near future.
Mk. V's are good boats to get if you find one. Some argue that the kevlar hulls are more durable and survive collisions better. We saw no real differences in platform stiffness because both boats used carbon beams.
Hope this helps.
Bob Hodges
